Jagat reached home like a lost soldier who is on war with life since last more than one and half decade. It is since 15 years he is working in an organization where he thinks he will succeed one day but he always gets disappointment. His family gradually decided to leave him alone with his worries so nobody interferes in his worries. His friends.. Well, he has no friends. He considers almost everybody as his enemy or as unknown. How he reached to this situation, he never analyzed but he is aware that he is not happy. He is trying to drag his life towards what he does not know.
One day while in office he got a call from home that his youngest son fell from a slide while playing in children’s park and is admitted in ICU. He took permission from his boss and as usual everybody doubted his explanation. He rushed to the hospital and he found there are some procedures being done. After 1 hour of anxiety they got to know that his kid is safe and he will recover soon. He was constantly scolding his wife, parents and elder kids asking why they allowed him to play in children’s play area. Nobody responded to him as they knew this kind of discussion does not end well.
After almost 3 days of hospitalization his son was back home and this time Jagat spoke to his son after a long time. He asked, “See how much trouble you gave to all of us. We spent so much of money for your hospitalization. What you get by playing in those idiotic things. I really don’t understand what fun you get by playing in slides. It’s so boring”
His 5 year old son looked at him without understanding meaning of any of these. He was happy because his father was speaking to him after a long time. He got this great opportunity to ask some questions which he always thought of asking his father.
“What do you do at office Baba?”, he asked.
Jagat was surprised with the question but he was in a very relaxed mood that day, so thought of answering. “It’s a continuous run. There is a continuous flow of problems coming towards us and we try solving them. I always think it will end someday although I know it will never end.”, he spoke his mind without thinking whether his son will understand or not.
“Why you look worried always? I get scared looking at you.”, his son said innocently.
Jagat felt sorry to know that his little one gets scared due to his frowning face every day. He tried to answer his question. “Life is full of ups and downs my son. When I put my efforts to climb up and succeed, suddenly something happens and I fall back to the place where I started from. Sometimes I do my best to success but I find that another person who is my friend losing because of my success and sometimes other way round. I try to go forward but I end up going as much backward as I went forward. It’s a continuous battle my son. I wish you never come to this phase. So I am asking you to study hard so that you get to a place where you need not go through so much of struggles.”, he explained.
“Baba, if I go to a higher place than you, then the problems what you said won’t be there?”, his son asked.
Jagat thought for a while and then said, “Hmmm… Not really, you will have similar problems but may not be as bad as what I am going through…. May be same!!! Can’t really tell as I have not experienced… ”
His son said, “Baba, you should come to our play area to play. You can practice all these what you do at office. We have a runner where you continuously run as if it will end but never ends. We have slides where we climb up and the slide down. We have see-saw where when I go up my friend goes down and the other way around, We also have swings where we go forward and back. But we enjoy a lot by playing in these, why you get worried when you do the same. You must come to our play area Baba, its so much fun.”
Jagat’s wife entered the room to give medicine to his son
and after that with permission his son went to watch cartoon in Television.
Jagat, thought over what his son said. He realized that he has just forgotten how to enjoy. May be that is the culprit and that’s the reason for his failure. He made sure every day morning at 5:00 AM when nobody is there he goes to watch the playing instruments and try learning from them. He sometimes tried climbing the slides and sliding down as well. Just so that he does not forget the meaning of rise and fall.
After couple of months he found his life took a turn around. He started enjoying life and life started treating him well.
Namaset!!!
– Stray Dog
Life as Sakti 
Sakti, another enjoyable story with an enlightening message, I too can benefit from, especially with the increasing stresses at work. Thank you!