My Wanderings - 59. Short Story No. 39. Pyramid

It was in the middle of  Nineteen seventies that   families of two friends Ajay and Vimal were living in the most congested area of down town Srinagar near khan kahi sokhta   Safakadal . The life was simple and both the families had similar economic and cultural  background. Ajay and Vimal being next door neighbours and almost of same age were fast  friends . They had just completed graduation and were looking after  a suitable job for themselves  within the province . Only mode of conveyance in  the city  those days was hiring a Tonga or riding a  personal bicycle if few could afford to purchase it. Possession of personal cars or even  scooters were a rare commodity those days. Means of communication like telephones were far and few in  a locality .
After making hectic  efforts for getting  jobs  of a  teacher or an  Assistant in state Govt. they got desperate and  resolved to appear for competetive  tests of nationalised Banks and central Govt.offices located in Srinagar. Finally they got posted as casheirs in the different branches of a nationalised Bank within the Srinagar city. After few years they were married one after another in   a short span of time. The wife of Ajay was a working lady  and that of Vimal a  housewife but well  educated.  Both the friends were satisfied with  life and enjoying the bliss of married life.
After few years of marriage , wife of Ajay got promoted as a matter of routine but the later could not accept   the promotion of his wife sportingly . Male ego worked upon his nerves to the extent that he desperately wanted to get himself promoted somehow  . But promotion chances in his department were bleak and remote. He tried tooth and nail to fulfill his ambition . On the other hand Vimal enjoyed every minute of his life peacefully and patiently .
After some time God fulfilled the wish of Ajay and a promotional test was held by their department . As Ajay was fully prepared for the test , he  got promoted but Vimal could not make it through . Ajay was  overjoyed with the newly acquired promotion but was transferred out of state. He made it a point not  to look back and  never to compromise with his career. 
The promotion of Ajay also effected the life of Vimal . He could not accept his failure for sometime but compromised with it latter on . Ajay mostly remained outside the state because he got many promotions in quite succession and remained cut off from family responsibilities . He could not even spare time to look after the education of his children who were growing up fast. His son even failed in Matriculation exam despite the hectic efforts of his wife not  to let her children  feel the absence of their father.
Vimal also got promoted but could make it  to the level of middle management only. But his children feared very well in their exams. and got admission in prestigious professional colleges.
Although Ajay had reached to a very senior position in his department but  he was not still satisfied with his achievements. He used to say that graph of promotion  is in  the shape of pyramid ,  where only few can reach to the top.  Only fittest can survive to make it possible. Therefore, any means whether it may be sychophancy  or compromise with morals and  ethics are fair in this race .  Moreover,  success in his career had made him egoistic and arrogant. He felt himself superior and often  misbehaved with his subordinates. He started to maintain distance with his subordinates  and colleagues .Ajay  became so selfish that he  severed connections  even with his friends and relatives ,who  were not up to his mark and who  had once helped him a lot.
In the mad rush of achievements Ajay even ignored his wife , who was suffering from cancer. He did not take pains to take her to a better hospital where she could be treated well. At that time he was heading the north eastern zone  of his department and he could hardly spare time to look after her properly . Finally his wife succumbed  to the deadly disease.
In epilogue both the friends Ajay and Vimal  retired at their respective place of postings on the same day as both were born in  same month . Vimal retired as a satisfied man with his both children well settled
But Ajay appeared very lonely and forlorn after retirement as his wife had already passed away and his  son had left the home after fighting with him .His daughter had married a person much elder to her in age with out taking consent of his father.  Ajay had not even a friend to talk with. Moreover , every body ignored Ajay  whenever   he visited his office  after retirement.
Sometimes he would ponder over the fact that though he could not reach the top of the pyramid of his career graph but as per his life graph he had reached to the top of pyramid as he was left lonely and forlorn in the fag end of his life .

My Wanderings - 58. Short story No.38. A Tale of an unknown KP

I can  not resist the temptation of writing about  a strange  person who encountered me during my Wanderings in life and influenced me so much. Although  he had implored  me  vehemently not to write anything about him but I do not want to keep my readers,  ignorant   about this  mysterious character,  who may get some lead to study the diversity in nature of life  represented by some unique persons in this  universe.  They appear just like aliens as if they are from  different planets , perhaps from Mars or Jupiter , if life  exists there. Because such truthful , honest and benevolent  persons  can rarely be found on our planet i.e earth .
In order to keep sanctity to his word of honour I am changing his name and mode in ancedots of his life to some extent.
I know Mahesh for the last thirty five years but could not visualise the depth in   his character for a long time  due to his ordinary disposition and simple way of life .  Actually Mahesh was a Photographer by profession. He had learnt this art while working as apprentice  in a famous Photography shop at Srinagar.  Then he joined   as a professional photographer in some Govt. Department and started working there  hard and honestly. Honesty and hard work was in the blood of Mahesh . He used to give credit of these virtues present in him to his mother.
I have seen him  mostly working  in the marriages of his friends and relatives tirelessly. He used to take the charge of store and kitchen in these functions and remained mostly there till the completion of the task. He was averse to the limelight of these functions . He would be seen always working there in ordinary clothes and never joining the celebrations. He would also prefer to take his simple  food in the  kitchen store only. After completion of function , he would properly arrange the leftover oils, spices and utensils with precision and store them properly. Sometimes he would himself wash the floor or used utensils . He was an expert housekeeper and  would work hard to avoid any loss to the host. It was not only marriage functions but in case of death of somebody in neighbourhood or in relation , he would provide his services relentlessly .In the rush of celebrations no body could notice his selfless service and he himself was not also concerned about that as he never required any recognition for that.  He was   a low profile man with simple habits and  providing his services with selflessness .
Mahesh  has many stories related with  his long stay at Srinagar after the migration of our community from there. Although he had already sent his family to Delhi but he remained at Srinagar till his retirement glued to his attitude of service. Most of militants used to stay in his house as it was safe heaven for them as no body suspected them there. He used to provide them with all essentials like food tea etc. as he was  helpless to take cudgels with them. Once militants brought a person blindfolded to his house and started enquiring him as they suspected him to be an informer. After a long  investigation they tied him in the upper storey of  house and left him at the disposal of  Mahesh  after advising him that they will return soon. In the meantime Mahesh reached near the tied person and asked him whether he wanted something to eat. After getting his nod, Mahesh provided him with some egg omellete and bread which he relished so much. Then militants took him again to some unknown destination .
Once a friend of Mahesh was in urgent need of money and requested him for help. Mahesh sold  the jewellery of his  newly wed wife and helped his friend. But that friend never returned him the money borrowed .
He was having an old scooter which was his means of transport  . Many times he visited Jammu or even to Delhi on  his old scooter. He hardly boarded a bus or train as scooter  was his most favourite means of travel. One day while travelling from Srinagar to Jammu , the headlight of  his scooter stopped . He immediately bought an ordinary torch and tied it to the Scooter in place of headlight.  These days he is however, living at Delhi but whenever he visits Jammu , he will be seen on his old scooter. The expenditure incurred by him on scooter in the shape of cost of petrol and service charges, plus inconvenience caused  is sometimes more than what a train or bus ticket could have  cost him. But he has fancy for scooter drive  .  One day he confided to me that he could have purchased a new scooter but he cannot afford to part with it as his late wife used to sit on the back seat of his scooter .  Therefore , he was also emotionally attached to his scooter. Here it will be worthwhile to  mention about the sad demise of his worthy wife  few  years back which broke his heart to the hilt. He remained confined to his room for many months after that,  but his friends helped him to come out of this grief.  Every one gets  surprised to notice him covering long distances on old scooter and that too at the  ripe age . But if one takes Intrest in his sojourns there is something miraculous about him. When asked how he covers  these long  distances on scooter with out any difficulty  he replied, " I sometimes myself feel disheartened to think about covering the long distances on old scooter, but some unseen power makes me to reach my destination with out any difficulty even to my own astonishment."
Most of his friends make fun of his utterances and take him lightly or even far granted . But if his devotion for selfless service is taken seriously,  he does not appear to be an ordinary person. He appears to have achieved the highest order of penance as per our religion that is Hinduism.
Here I quote two texts of SrimadBhagwadgita from chapter 12 and 14 respectively,  as my dedication to this great man which reflects  his personality to a large extent.
Arjuna asks  to Krishna,  what is the best form of penance
Bhagwan Krishan replies to Arjuna,
"If however, you are unable to work in this consciousness of me , then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self situated.
If you can not take to this practice , then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge (Gyan). Better than knowledge , however , is meditation (Dyana or  Bhakhti) , and  better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of  action ( Karm fal Tyag) , for by such renunciation​ one can attain peace of mind."

Arjuna says who has transcended the mode of nature .Bhagwan Krishna replies ,

"He who is situated in the self and regards alike happiness and distress , who looks upon a lump of earth , a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye , who is equal towards desirable and undesirable , who is steady , situated equally well in  praise and blame , honour and dishonour , who treats alike both friend and enemy and who has renounced all material activities - such person is said to have transcended the mode of nature ".