A new chap has just arrived in the Lodge of Mr. Ashok. His name is Mr.
Sankat Mochan Shastri. He will stay in adjacent room of Ganpatangi.
Ashok Bhai’s lodge is Lodge for namesake, as he has given only five rooms
on rent otherwise there are Lodges in Allahabad which are even bigger than even
hostels. And 50-60 students living in a single lodge is a common practice.
Ashok Bhai’s Lodge is having a peculiar story. Ashok has five sons and these
rooms had been constructed for them only. After being adult all of them went
out for their earnings and jobs and he offered all the rooms on rent. He thought if we can earn 4-5 thousand by
doing nothing, what’s wrong in it?
Sankatmochan’s living was rusty like a village pandit. Ganpatangi
initially thought that was this funny guy only in the world to be his
neighbour?But after speaking to him, seeing his intellectual sharpness he felt
that prejudicing someone on his dressing sense and way of leaving is not
suitable and will be fooling one self.
The studies had not started yet, so there was a lot of time with them.
Ganpat and Sankat became good friends by this time.
Sankat is very emotional guy. It had been hardly 10 days and he had sent
3-4 letters to his home by this time.But he is quite cool and contented.
As answer he had got letter from his father today and he is very happy.
As letter has been written very interestingly, Sankat is not able to keep it
aside.
Dear Sankat,
Letter is a bit lengthy,
so read it with patience.
We are happy that you
have done all the arrangements for yourself. It will take some time to get
accustomed to the culture of Allahabad and some in aligning yourself to your
focus. Not to worry about all these things. Just the need is to see and
understand the things, and analyse your activities. Learning, doing mistakes,
rectifying the mistakes, going through whims and fancies, defeating the whims
and fancies by introspection is common at this age. We all have gone through this
while in your age. And what I am today is by passing through all this.
No parents like the
loneliness, created by circumstances of being apart from children who have been
together for 15-16 years. But emotional attachment of keeping children together
is not advisable in today's life. It is better that children become independent
and test their own ability & capacity. They struggle for their own
development and capacity building. Arranging for resources and advising when
need is more than needed support from parents.
Have a cycle and visit
the places in Allahabad till you classes don't start. Try to be familiar with
the place and people, no need to struggle with your studies from the beginning.
When there will be need you will surely devote much time in that.
Take care that you don't
go through any miseries. Your father is ploughing like an Ox not for your
miseries. If you don’t take care of this you will not be able to distinguish
between necessary and non-necessary things. And then you will push yourself as
well as us in worry and discomfort.
Pundit the letter is
getting long and I am not coming out of seeing your short-comings. Fathers
generally do so out of their love for children. Don't lose hope; I am aware of
your qualities too. But they are not the things to be remembered again and
again, as qualities are going to remain but by understanding the lacking you
will be able to fulfil the gap and expand the arena of opportunities with your
capabilities. Never forget your family and its values.
Your mother is sitting in
front of me and trying to learn writing once again in order to write letter to
you. I have seen your mother transforming again and again. Once she had learnt
reading and writing when I had come for studies to Allahabad. No when her
husband is with her, children have went away for their studies. Now she is
reading and writing once again for her son's. Let’s see when this lady hits
blessing-arrows in the form of letters!
You should feel good that
till now only you father is shooting word-arrows which is spread in three
pages. Just imagine what will happen when both of us will write to you
together. At one place there is your brother Vikat, who has become kumbhkarna
and doesn’t have any impact of such arrows. Let shooters shoot, he will face
these arrows with his rock-like back, and responds nothing and other place you
are there who is shooting letters day by day.
Sometimes I get bothered
about you, but I am not a coward, that will get frightened by mewing of my own
cat. that days are gone son.
- Your
Loving Father
Ganpat had seen this kind
of literary letter for first time in his life, so being curious was natural. He
asked about Sankat's family and home casually. But Sankat was lost in his own
world. he was lost in the last conversation between him and his Grandfather,
which had took place before coming to Allahabad.
"My son you are
blessed child of 'Mother Ganga', don't ever understand yourself as a common
child. You came in our family and increased the prestige of your mother. Your
father Ramgopal had been saved from a great discomfort; otherwise there would
have been a great mishap in the family."
"Why baba? What had
happened?"
"What to say dear,
when I saw that it had been more than 7 years and there were no children to
Ramgopal; we thought of his second marriage. But my father died, and no
auspicious function could be done for next one year. In the mean time you were
there. Your grandmother had prayed for you to Goddess Ganga. She was a great
devotee, but now she is no more."
For an instant it seemed
as if the time would have stopped, and baba would not have been there, but at
the second moment he came to his senses and started speaking.
"Then within some
days we came to know that the girl who was to be married to Ramgopal was
married to Ratnesh Pandey, who is friend of Ramgopal. But after being
associated with her his home became like hell. Every day there was quarrel
between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. And see your mother she is how
well-cultured and dignified. So Ramgopal felt that you have saved him from
mishap and named you as 'Sankat Mochan Shastri'."
"And after you came
in the family, he got job immediately. That’s why you are not a common child,
you are blessed one. You are child of Goddess Ganaga and you are having
capabilities like Bhishm Pitamah. Keep your parents name high in the sky and
care of your younger brother Vikat. Do write letters some times."
"Baba, how was Vikat
named?"
“When Vikat was born, he was twice as you were born hence seeing his
growth he had been called as Vikat by your grandmother and it became his name
thereafter.”
Picture of Vikat naturally appeared in his mind. In his childhood he was
very notorious, jumping like spring here and there and doing funny nonsense
things. Normally it is seen that people notorious in their childhood gain more
success in their later life than the calmer people. May be it is due to their
curiosity and eagerness to explore which helps them to harness the unseen
opportunities.For instance Vikat is doing B. Tech. From MLNIT and I am doing MA. Well whatever
it is, I will certainly prove my mettle.
Forgetting mother is most difficult thing in the world, and same was the
case with Sankat. He remembered his mother’s face, which used to get contented
by seeing her son, even if she would have been deadly tired by day’s work. He
still remembers that mother used to eat after everybody used to have lunch or
dinner and he used to eat with her so that she doesn’t sleep empty. She used to
tell let your wife come and then I will see how much you care for me...And he
used to say with a shy smile...what is the need of wife for me, she will not be
able to cook as tasty food as you prepare. And both used to laugh loudly on
this. This was daily practice and it seems as if it would have been just yesterday.
Sankat was still and not speaking a single word for last five minutes,
seeing this Ganpat patted him on back. He responded as if he would have just
awaked.
“Where had youbeen lost?”
“Hmm dear, I had been lost in my family.”
“I have never seen such beautiful and motivational letter. What does your
father do?”
“What do I say dear? It’s a great tragedy. My father was also a student
of Allahabad University. He wanted to be a professor, and my grandfather spent
on his studies till his capability to do so. But with all capabilities and
capacities he could not fit into the JUGADH System over here. And at last he
accepted to be lecturer in the inter-college in our Tehsil.”
“It would have been quite long, isn’t it?”
“Yes, you are right. Now he has become Principal over there. But one
doesn’t get contented till he/she gets the things which he is worth of.”
“Like me Vikat is also his son, but he believes that I am his ideological
son and say that he has got a new life in me and I will certainly prove
myself.”
“Whenever I hear this from him, I feel as if blood would have started
running with double speed in me. Whatever I will have to do, I will do to keep
his head high.”
“It’s fantastic yaar. You are having an amazing family. Totally
different, possibly this world is different. I had been totally unaware of this
kind of world before.”
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