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 .