His Ego

Writing in a very quick story, but it means a lot. It is complete fiction, out of my mind:

It is the story of a girl and a boy. They married after felling in love with each other. After marriage, the girl realises that she was only a means for the boy's ego satisfaction, only a prize in his eyes. That lowered the girl’s respect for the boy. The boy never failed to fulfil any demand for his girl, but somehow the girl kept seeing it again as a gesture of his own ego fulfilment. One day, she decides to quit and separate. They don’t remarry, but lead separate life. The girl takes up a profession and achieves name and position. She outshines the boy. At one time, she realises that the boy had indeed tried 4-5 times in those years to reconcile and to get together again. But she had never agreed and ignored the gestures. In the end both get old. She lies on bed and is rethinking about her own life. Suddenly she realises something. She realises that it was her own ego in the first place which had separated her from the boy. It was again her ego which had made her not accept his gestures and requests to reunite. She wonders since when she also had an ego, which she accused the boy to possess in excess? She realises that she also always had the ego – only it manifested itself in different ways than that of the boy. Only after she had separated from the boy, her ego had become of the same kind as that of the boy… Now she is able to separate the boy’s ego from his love. She returns back, and is surprised to see that the boy still accepts her… As a conclusion she realises that though he had an ego, the ego didn’t come as an obstruction to their love. His ego had only boosted his love…

- Rahul

Big Bird

There was a giant tree in that part of forest. But on that big tree only two birds lived – one big and the other small. The big bird tried to talk to the smaller one but it didn’t feel friendly. Perhaps the small bird was scared of the big bird. The big bird felt lonely. But in that part of the forest it didn’t find any other company to keep. Every morning, it woke up and saw the small bird get up and go chirping around. Every evening, the big bird waited for the small bird to come back. The two didn’t talk. The small bird looked happy with life – perhaps it talked to the butterflies and squirrels and hence didn’t feel loneliness. Perhaps it was too young to ponder over life and lived in the moment, and hence the happiness. Whatever be the reason, the small bird became a kind of habit in the life of old bird. Time started flowing little peacefully…

One day, the small bird returned back home tired and sad. The big bird noticed it but didn’t dare to say anything. Next morning, the small bird woke up sad and worried. The same pattern went on for a few days and the big bird couldn’t control itself from interfering. It went to the small bird and asked what the matter was. The small bird told it that it wanted to fly high and long distances but didn’t have the strength and stamina. It felt life was too small and helpless. Big bird boasted its morale and promised to train it to fly high and long distances…

Training took a few weeks. Now the big bird got a purpose of life which made it look forward to the next day in excitement. Life seemed to have gotten back on track, until one day the small bird announced in its sweetest voice, “I am going away from this place to a far away land where my friend squirrel lives!!!” The big bird tried hard to persuade it not to go to an unsafe new place, but small bird won’t relent.

Had the big bird not taught art of flying to the small bird, it would have no option but to stay back to its old place. Now the big bird felt sad and it often cried – now it was all alone. But the big bird was not sorry about teaching the art of flying to the small bird. It thought, “Had I not taught it how to fly higher, it would have lived an unhappy life. And because of its unhappiness, I would also have become unhappy. Presently at least the small bird is happy.”

“It doesn’t matter if I am not…”

Love of the Birds

There was a blue bird and there was a green bird. Both lived on different trees. They didn’t know about each other. They ate in different fields and floated in different directions. When they grew up, their parents got them married with each other. Blue bird was very happy to find a companion. Green bird, who was a female, liked the blue bird too. They built a small nest separate on a different tree. After some time, green bird gave birth to three small baby birds. Two of them were green and one of them was blue. They were all so happy.

One day there was a big storm. The birds got into their nests and prayed for the storm to pass without any harm. But it became harsher and harsher. Suddenly, the branch of the tree on which they had their nest broke down. After that, when the blue bird opened his eyes, he saw everything ruined. Trees were uprooted and everything was scattered out of place. He searched for the green bird and their children. She was not in sight. He kept on flying and searching. Suddenly, he found something. Above another Peepal tree which was not uprooted, his green bird had taken shelter in a broken nest of some other bird. Babies were fine too! Green bird also became so happy seeing blue bird safe.

In the days to come, something changed in their relationship. Blue bird got the feeling that the green bird didn’t love him enough. After all, when the storm had come, she had taken shelter in the Peepal tree along with their babies, but had not worried to find him out! He had to find and reach her. What if he was in danger? Would she care to worry about him? This thinking kept consuming his inside and he became more and more introvert. The green bird was too busy taking care of her babies. She couldn’t note what was in his mind. But she did notice that something was building up.

Now the blue bird started coming home without bringing much of food. When green bird asked, he said that she could also go and bring something for children herself - bringing food was not entirely his responsibility. Green bird was pained hearing this. Gradually, both became distanced…

Now the children had grown up a bit and started going away to play. One evening, again the blue bird returned home and just went to his bed. He didn’t talk to the green bird at all. Green bird realized that something was serious. She went to the blue bird, touched his feathers and pecked at his cheeks. She also started massaging his legs. She saw that he had gone weak. Tears came to her eyes…

Blue bird was not touched seeing the tears though. “Sorry”, said the green bird. Blue bird asked, “Why sorry”? Green bird said, “I see that I have not been taking proper care of you recently. You have become so thin.” Now blue bird couldn’t hold himself and told her that he thought she no longer loved him. She tried to explain that she had been busy with kids, which was the truth, but he didn’t listen. Then he mentioned about the incident on the day storm had come.

Green bird then realized where it all started. She said, “Do you know why I went after the babies and not after you?”

“It was because those were ‘your’ babies.”

Blue bird was speechless.

“Do you think I don’t love you? I love you so much that I can sacrifice my relationship for the sake of your children - after all they are symbols of ‘our’ love. If they live, our love would be immortal.”

She went on, “I knew that day that you would survive. I was sure that you will find me and our children. There wasn’t a slightest doubt. This is the strength of my love towards you…”

The blue bird was awestruck. He didn’t know what to say. His heart was beating so fast. And a pain was building up inside him, for the mistake he had made.

“I am sorry.” No matter how dumb guys are, they still can say a “sorry”.

And make everything alright again…

- Rahul

Many Shades of Life

How noble intentions are abused because of selfish and self-fulfilling motives of others is reflected in this story (it’s fiction inspired from a real life incident):

There was a small village with a close community where everyone knew each other for generations. Rajanna was head of one of the village's richest family. Radaiya and Rasaiya were heads of two other families who were poor and depended on Rajanna for their survival. Both these families had a debt of around ten thousand rupees from Rajanna and had not been able to return it in time. Everyone in the village knew about their debts. Both these families had one son each who were now old enough to start earning. Both families sent these boys to the city, in order to earn and save some money to return the debt.

One year, Rajanna had a noble idea in his mind. He thought that he already had all the money he or his family could ever enjoy and hence he should waive the debt of his debtors. He decided to waive the debt of Radaiya that year. Radaiya was very happy hearing this and in his happiness he disclosed the good news to whole of the village. Everyone praised Rajanna's generosity and Radaiya expressed his humble gratefulness for this gesture of kindness. But with passage of time, people's empathy turned into ridicule. Now people ridiculed Radaiya and his sons for not being able to return the debt by themselves. The family tolerated everything with patience.

Next year, Rajanna decided to waive the debt of Rasaiya too and hence he informed him about his decision. Rasaiya was very happy knowing this and came back to his home to disclose this good news to all. Rasaiya's wife was a very clever lady. She saw it as an opportunity. She made her son return back from the city and once he was in the village, she called many of his neighbourhood and declared, "Look how responsible and successful my son is. In merely two years, my son has returned from the city with enough money to return the entire debt of Rajanna." Everyone was surprised at the news and started praising Rasaiya, his wife and his son.

No one knows how people would respond to news and events in a village. Positive news may receive caustic sarcasm and at times some hypothetic gossips may be invented to swing negative events too. This time, people started criticizing Rajanna for not waiving the debt of Rasaiya; as he had done with Radaiya. They said that because of their efforts Rasaiya deserved the waiver more than Radaiya.

After some time, the rumour reached the ears of Rajanna and his family too. They confirmed the news from multiple sources and once being sure, they noted that it was a disturbing thing that had happened. If it continued to become a trend, good people would be criticised and evil people and cheaters would get the respect in the society.

Rajanna, therefore, called a public meeting and disclosed what had actually happened. Rasaiya was asked to defend his case but he didn't open his mouth. And ashamed, he couldn't see Rajanna in the eye.

Many times, our noble intentions are abused by selfish designs of others. And because of that, many times people are discouraged to do such noble acts again. For example, what if you gave a fifty rupees note to a beggar, who in turn purchased a bottle of wine for himself? Will not you take a vow not to help a beggar like that again? Also, such evil people spread their cheatings by inspiring others to do the same. If their designs are not exposed, many others would also take similar paths towards meeting selfish ends.

If life and this world is a war between evil and goodness - Ravana and Ram – then it is Ravana who is at advantage from all counts...

- Rahul

The Escape

He was a first generation entrepreneur. As such he never thought of himself as an entrepreneur. What others called as entrepreneurship was a way of life for him. His business was his passion. His business was his life. He couldn’t imagine himself doing any other thing than the one he has been doing all through the years. He had made sacrifices for his success. Others in his life had to make sacrifices for his success too. He doesn’t think much about others in his life. At one time he had wondered if he was a loner. But the idea didn’t occur to him again. That was his strength – some called it his hardheadedness, some called it his maturity. One teacher in his college days had even called it his insensitivity. He doesn’t know what it should be called. It was simply his ability to keep himself unaffected from other people and other things. What mattered to him was that he was making progress in life. Today his business was of 200 Crores. All made and done in 20 years.

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He looks worried. There is a reason to be worried which he has ignored enough. The business environment has changed to an extent he had never imagined. There are competitors in his business who are using IT and automation to an extent never thought of. And he finds a handicap in this area. For twice he gave assent to his manager’s requests for new IT packages to improve productivity. But unfortunately, both times the project didn’t give the desired results. Two years back his son had joined business after he finished his studies in the US. He is energetic and enthusiastic – and more importantly – young. He offers to turnaround the IT experience under his own guidance. But what is the guarantee for success? The dilemma is acute. Should he allow a free hand to his son and do some investments in technologies which have been adopted by competitors? Or should he continue his previous ways and continue to take his company forward by labor intensive methods?

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He is 65. May be he will live for another ten years. Of the few times in his life when he has feared things; the current is definitely the most critical. When he imagines giving free reigns to his son a kind of fear grips him. What if his son has a different line of thought than his? (he is sure about this) What if his son outgrows his business many times and then looks down on him for his comparatively slower and conservative rate of growth? These matters sum up into one question: What would be his life without him sitting on this chair?
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He wonders how this feeling of insecurity and fear is something that he is not used to. He has been avoiding thinking about these issues for long. Today when he was confined in his house as he underwent a minor surgery, these thoughts clouded him and urged him to take a decision…

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Could decision be anything that changes his present and future? While all alone, he could easily see the future. But when he thinks of his son taking up the reigns, the future looks jumbled. He would rather settle for less with certainty, than for more with risk. The irony is that of all the risks he has taken in his life, which he has taken countless, this one was simplest as the onus lied on his own son. But while he took the other risks by the horn, this time he was choosing to escape. It doesn’t matter if he was a paranoid to do so. He never cared what word fitted him best. Today he would escape the future.

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Every year, thousands of businesses settle for less than potential growth because their proprietors don’t know how to pass on the baton.

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- Rahul