It is not difficult to get together but it is extremely difficult to stay together. Look back at all your relationships whether family, society or friends, we always love to stay together but fail to do so most of the times.
Surendra always took things as they came and never kept any baggage. For him life was easy as he was confident every time he is stuck, if he consciously finds there s a way. He had many acquaintances but no friends as such, he had many to criticize but no enemies. It was easy for him to get along with any group and he hardly felt any pain while parting. He was mostly excited about what is coming, and if what is coming is not exciting then he tried to make it exciting. He was happiest person on this world as per his friends and colleagues.
Life started taking turns when he got married and had a family of his own. Things changed because yesterday mattered, what you said the other day, how you behaved when certain things happened and comparing behaviors in different situations brought past to present situation every now and then. These made him feel uncomfortable and felt as if he does not belong to this world anymore. He could never understand why should yesterday affect my today.This caused him lose his cool and calm demeanor. He became impatient, irritating and at times unreasonable.
His pain within was seen mostly as a newly developed bad attitude. He was misunderstood more than understood by any. He felt lonely and out of the place.
People started saying this man changed completely after marriage and more than him his wife was blamed for the drastic change in behavior of Surendra.
Surendra’s parents came to stay with him for sometime while his in-laws were lined up next. Already disturbed relationships were going through tremendous pressure due to additional unclear and unsaid exceptions from the seniors in the family. One morning when Surendra woke up he found his mother and wife were having a very bad argument which was demeaning each others position in Surendra’s eye. Without telling anybody Surendra left home and wanted to get lost in this world. He walked from him home without telling anybody. he did not carry his purse or mobile phone. He kept walking from his home towards unknown land.
He crossed the city, some villages and started feeling hungry. He was tired as well. He sat down under a banyan tree on the highway he was walking. Looking at the milestone on the road he realized that he had walked quite a bit. It was mostly afternoon at this time. he even didn’t wear his watch.
More than hungry he was thirsty. When he looked around he found a farmer busy working on his farm. he went up to him and asked for drinking water. Farmer was a very social person so he not only gave water but offered some food that he had got from home. Both sat under the tree and chatted. Surendra had no proper answer for Farmer’s questions like ‘where are you going?’ etc and this made farmer suspect something wrong. He suggested Surendra to spend tonight in their village and go next day. Suendra who worked always in Air conditions chambers and never stayed hungry for that long every was very tired. He agreed to farmer’s request and went to their village.
He had never been to a village himself. He was surprised to see the beauty and cleanliness maintained in the village. Farmer took him to the temple of the village where there is a guest house. Surendra was introduced to the priest and was given a simple room to spend his night. After some chit chat, surendra opened up in front of the priest his story and his intention. Priest listened to him carefully but did not give any suggestion or advice. Post dinner Surendra went inside the room and slept.
Chirping of birds, temple bell and loud recitation of devotional poetries woke Surendra up. he composed himself and wanted to go out to see the beauty of the village. He found that the door of the room was locked from outside. He looked through the window to find somebody who can help open the door. He found a small boy and asked him but did not find any response. He kept trying but nobody seemed to pay attention to his request. He found the priest walking by, he asked him to open the door angrily but no response. He was now scared. He is trapped. He was not sure what these people will do. He started imagining and he could imagine only scary consequences.
After few hours somebody slipped a plate of breakfast under the door.He was relieved to know that he will not die hungry. Same continued for lunch and dinner. he attempted to request, threat, plead people outside to open the door, he even tried to break the door but all his efforts went in vein. gradually he learned to stay quietly. Days passed by and then after 45 days priest came and opened the door for him. He has been thinking that he will kill the priest when out but somehow he did not react at all.
“What do you want to do now”, Priest asked. he said, “I want to go home. My wife and parents must have gone mad by now.”.
Priest gave him some money to get back home. He asked the priest, “Why did you lock me up in that room for these many days?”.
“Tell me what is your thought about your family and your life situation now?”, Priest asked in turn.
“I feel blessed to have a family. I am ready to accept all that bothered me so much and I need nothing except my family.” He responded with tears in his eyes.
“Hope this helps you understand the reason I locked you up”, Priest said smiling.
Togetherness is a skill which has to be taught to every human being. We are happy alone among our own people but we can not be happy alone while lonely. We are happy to find our space in crowd where variety of emotions come across us and pass through but we will go crazy if we just have our space and nothing around us. We are answerable for the past, we are answerable to think about future but we must learn to live in present time among all these. We cant escape togetherness.
Namaste!!
Stray Dog
Life as Sakti 