Content life

The day started, as usual with a cup of black coffee and checking emails of the so called prospective clients, working and adjusting to the new environment was taking a heavy toll on my mental abilities, at one stage I was very enthusiastic on joining the new firm but within months it made me realize the error of my decision and to worsen the situation my manager Mr. Rajgopal was helping in increasing my anxieties every coming day.

I was staring blankly at the wall mulling over the decisions taken and mistakes committed when suddenly, the phone rang waking me up with a jerk from my reverie.

'Vivek, come to my cabin QUICK.'

Damn he always has this habit of calling me in his cabin as soon as he enters the office, now does he want to have his coffee with my brains, thinking hard I moved towards Rajgopal’s den.

'I want the UK business plan on my table today.'

"But Sir," I resisted, "it is not possible we do not have the data available from the London office," suddenly realizing, that in this state of anxiety I had completely forgotten to contact the London office.

‘What??’ He roared like a lion, yes a very hungry lion indeed; 'you have had it boy if I don’t get the plan by today evening, beg, borrow or steal, I don’t care, you very well know the consequences.' Thanking him in my mind for giving me at least the three lovely options ‘beg, borrow or steal’ tchhhh, I left his den.

The yearning for fresh air and a nice smoke usually increased inside me during moments of such encounters or patches of despondency, the air was cool but ohh!!! Look it seems the rains would be paying us a visit today, damn nothing right is happening today, I puffed on my cigarette inhaling the smoke vigoursily inside my lungs.

The traffic was moving at a snails pace on the crowded Gandhi lane in Andheri west where our consultancy firm was located, I was staring down at the horde of vehicles lining up one after the other honking like mad bulls. My car loan had not been approved till now and I was left at the mercy of the State bus transport which was a major competitor to the roller coaster ride at Essel world which I had visited with my friends last week.

Stubbing out my cigarette, I entered the office readying myself to face the ordeal later in the evening, which was inevitable. As soon as I had taken my place, the downpour started with a deafening clatter.

With the business plan to finish I lost track of time, it was 1 in the afternoon, I sensed a commotion in the office, Ruby the secretary was running like a scared chicken around the office and all the ladies had formed a union in front of Rajgopal’s den,

"something’s up," I thought to myself but looking at the target, decided to carry on with my work rather than being devoured by the hungry lion in the evening for not completing the idiotic plan.

'Aren’t you going home,' asked Hari.

I looked at him dreamily and said "it is just one pm now, are you crazy the lion will butcher me."

'Well the bully gave permission to leave early today due to the heavy rains,' replied Hari.

"ohhhh was the ladies union standing for that," I asked him jokingly.

‘Yes precisely, they feared the water levels to rise as it are one of the heaviest downpours in years, well I am leaving bye for the day’.

I was not amused but it was a good opportunity to bunk, this breaking news had refreshed my mind and I thought of enjoying a smoke, approaching the main door I bumped into the lion happily getting ready to leave the office.

'Hello well Vivek, the weather seems to have favoured you but I want the business plan first thing in the morning on my table you still have the other half of the day and night,' he frowned looking at my devastated face and started packing again.

I left in disgust; the need for a puff had reached its limit now, surely it was a heavy downpour I noticed coming out in the open and continued my observations of the traffic and pedestrians puffing my cigarette slowly.

Ramu the peon came from behind and nudged my back, sir tea for you to enjoy with the lovely weather. I had already started thanking him from the bottom of my heart when he produced the office keys from his pocket.

'Mr. Rajgopal said you will be staying till late and to hand you the keys, well I am off i have to go to Kalyan.' He left happily leaving me to stare at him and say a lot many things.

‘Did he just make fun of me and leave, maybe no I was thinking too much.’

So now I had another responsibility to add to my job profile, I gave a smirk and re entered the deserted office. Music was on full volume now and I started to concentrate on my work.

Well after a good five hours of hard labour when I felt I was getting nowhere near the end of the Plan, I gave up like a lost soldier in a battle ready to be shot down like a dog. The pang of hunger had also made me realize the time, I glanced at the clock, it was over six already.

"Time to pack up," I said to myself, while shutting the music down, the sound of the rains had increased definitely since the morning, I sensed a feeling of alarm but did not take much notice while I continued shutting off the main panel.

Getting my things together, I reached the main door, as I opened it “whattttttttt the hell!!” I said to myself in a cracked voice, the entire road was flooded with water with a few cars toppled over on the side road. Soon the river will be entering the office, might be a holiday then tomorrow I thought to myself trying to stay positive.

I locked the door, and pulling my trousers up, jumped into the Ganges.

With every step the water level seems to be rising and the rain drops were hitting my head like missiles, GOD I wish I had an umbrella, within minutes I was soaked from head to toe. The bus station was deserted with the water reaching knee level, I stood there like a stone for a few minutes not knowing what to do.

‘Sahib no buses today, everything is blocked,’ said a passerby.

"What" I nearly choked. "How do I get to Andheri station then, there must be a way," I asked him.

‘O yes, maybe walking will be the best option but I doubt the trains would be running,’ saying that, he left with a smirk which irritated me to the core.

I was not going to give up, thinking of what he had said I trudged along, the sky had started getting darker now and it was a long walk to the station. Soaking wet, hungry, no transport and hounded by the lion in the office, it was turning out to be a nightmare.

After walking for nearly two hours I reached the station, water was gushing everywhere, the wares of the poor street vendors were taking a bath in the flowing Ganges, what a loss of property; “this is why we pay taxes to the government to provide us with an open air swimming pool with currents at least once a year tcchhh.” Pathetic!!!!

'No trains are running today, all the lines are shut,' I heard one stranded commuter saying to another, this was the last thing I wanted to hear, my heart sank it was cursing my fate my whole life, what is happening? why me?………..

I started walking towards the blackness not knowing what to do where to go, a lump was forming in my throat as if pleading me to cry, I held back. Just around the bend there was a shelter i walked up to it and sat down with a thud without contemplating any future course of action, letting my head droop in desperation.

"It seems you have had a tough day my friend, I turned my head to look at the intruder, my name is Manoj," he said very calmly.

Seeing no reply from my end he continued 'well I think you won’t mind having a cup of tea and a cigarette.' aha some hope I thought.

"Yes sure it would be the most welcome thing at this moment, by the way I am Vivek".

I followed him into a side lane fighting the flow of water, there was a strange calmness in his face which seemed out of the place somehow, during such adversity how can one be so cool. There was a single vendor, half submerged in water selling tea, cigarettes and Vada Pav , he reminded of the band that played in Titanic which went down playing till the end, I chuckled imagining him going down handing Vada pav’s.

'Well here we are,' he said. I hungrily ordered for Vada Pav’s and gulped four of them one by one, ahhh wonderful, they are so tasty, I thought to myself munching away without even raising my head. With my hunger being satiated by now, I realized the presence of Manoj and immediately apologized.

'No no it is ok,' he said handing me the cup of tea and cigarette and we sat down in the corner building steps where the river could not wash us away.

"So you are also stranded for the night," I asked him.

'Yes I missed my train to Ambernath.'

"WHAT you live in Ambernath," I gasped, that’s a long way from here. The conversation went on for hours as there was nothing better to do, topics like politics, business, cricket etc seemed to be the source of nourishment for our tired frames.

It was strange to see the calm face every now and then, "so how is life Vivek," he asked finally exploring the private domains.

"Don’t ask me, my life is in a mess, I will be loosing my job tomorrow surely, no savings to survive on, this wretched weather to add on, soaked, dirty and hungry with nowhere to sleep, God has not been kind with me I suppose,"I said in a depressed mood and waving my hands as if trying to say everything was over.

'I think the rains were a welcome sign today after months of killing heat, of course except for the water clogging ,these are least of your worries my friend,' – said Manoj brooding.

This statement made me take a long puff on my cigarette, "Yes it seems you are a very happy man with a comfortable and secured life, that is why it is easier for you to comment like this, when you have money even the gutters seem like a stream of magical water. But look on the other side there are people like me who have to fight to survive in this city," I said vehemently taken aback by my own outburst.

Manoj just inhaled on the cigarette looking at me without any change of expression, the silence was not very hurting as the rains were constantly providing music to the ears.

After a brief pause he said, 'I was in your place today afternoon, you think you are the most unlucky person alive and cursing your fate, come with me,I will show you.'

I did not budge from my place, he started slowly-'I lost my job a month back, my savings are down the drain, I have a wife who is mentally retarded and two girls one of them who is a cripple to support, my friend you are not even married, you have no responsibilities, you are young with all your parts together in one place and still you curse your fate.'

I was starting to feel a pang of remorse by now, 'come with me,' he said tugging my arm, I followed him outside the lane, in a corner next to the station he pointed to a place, it was a small makeshift made from plastic sheets.

'I was contemplating suicide in the afternoon, thank god you have not reached that stage till now, well I was just standing near this hut and thinking about my wasted and harrowed life when a small girl pulled my hand.'

'Sahib you can come to our house to take shelter from the rain,' she said shyly. I hesitated but the way she said it touched my heart forcing me to enter this place you see, which to them was home.

You know what I saw - there were five people huddled inside, the ground was wet, no carpeting, no windows for fresh air, no place to stand upright, no kitchen or bathrooms but it was their home.

The man of the house welcomed me to join them, I studied them all one by one a young woman, a crippled man and three angel like daughters, none of them had enough clothes to cover their frail frames.

'Would you like to have a cup of tea,' the woman said with a smile.

'We are not that well off but my husband has got a job as painter in the nearby garage so maybe the next time we can offer you sweetmeats.'

Her husband smiled at her cuddling his daughters lovingly.

Even with nothing they had everything; they were “content” they had a home not a house of bricks and mortar decorated with material comforts of life, the only means of an imaginary comfortable and satisfied life for the educated.

I just nodded blankly and Manoj carried on – 'I refused their offer politely and thanked them for their hospitality telling them my family was waiting and emerged from their home a changed man even the falling rain seemed beautiful then.' Now it is you who has to understand what I understood.

'I realized something important, this whole encounter though a brief one taught me the most important lesson of my life and I want you to realize the same, life is too short and precious to be cursed or scorned at, make the most of it,' he said smiling to me.

I was just staring at the makeshift tent, after a brief pause I turned around to speak but Manoj had left. Day was breaking and the skies had also cleared, slowly I parted the sheet of the tent, there was the mother, the father and three daughters cuddled in between, sleeping peacefully despite all the hardships and discomforts, without the luxuries, without even the bare necessities of life they were content.

I smiled to myself slowing walking towards the new day, everything was calm now, there was no Rajgopal, no rain, and no hunger, surely I was a very lucky man.

My heart was at peace to be finally back home……..