Road
To
Success
The New Wonderland
Keep your dream,
Hope & patience alive!
Part-3
Birister Sharma
Dedicated to my loving parents
I surrendered to you O my Lord……
“Om Namah Shivaya!”
11
In the same way time went on. I was waiting for rain. But there was no sight of any rain. Everything was drying as earlier. Everything was dying. No grasses, no plants and no trees. There were no sights of cattle, birds and animals. There was only the heating of hot sun and the blowing dry sands in our place.
Gradually, the people of my dream project lost their patience and hopes. I tried many times to keep faith on me. I assured them again and again that I would change everything. I asked them only to follow me. I promised them that I would give them good foods, clothes and all the basic needs of their lives.
After few months, again, I took my men alone with me to the same place where my father told me about the Dry River. When I reached there with my men, I saw few trashes of Dry River. It surprised me a lot. But I was delighted.
“Yes! Yahoo……..” I got excited and joy like I had discovered the biggest diamond mine in the world, bigger than Kimberly diamond mine of South Africa.
I asked my men and the people of my dream project, “Dig a canal from here to our place.”
They didn’t get anything. They looked confused. Nobody came forward.
“Dig a canal from here,” I instructed them once again.
“Sagar Babu, this place is cursed,” one of my men said with fear. “If we dig a canal from here, this will bring us more troubles.”
“Our lives are already cursed with drought and helplessness,” I said furiously. “Now what more curses do you expect in our lives?”
They remained silent.
“Get away; I’ll dig a canal by myself. You all go to your respective houses and close your doors, and hold your foreheads.”
“We’re sorry, Sagar Babu,” they apologized.
They did as I asked them to do. It was the biggest task for my men and the people of my dream project. They started digging the canal day and night. The woman folks of our place also joined hands with their men. The works were continued for months. I took all the responsibilities to take care of them.
In the mean time, my father was expired but the works of my dream project was continued. Before dead, my father wished me to fulfill my dream project. My father’s last words were,” Sagar, beta, I’m proud of you. You keep continue in your work until you wouldn’t succeed. My blessings are always with you. God bless you, beta.”
“I wished in my every birth I would be your father.”
After the dead of my father, it was only six months elapsed, my mother too expired. But my mother was lucky to see her granddaughter. I was blessed with a baby girl. I named her Pari (Angel).
12
It took six months and four days to complete the canal from the Dry River to our place.
Then we waited and waited for rain. There was only flying clouds in the sky, but there was no shower of rain.
The first year was ended in the midst of both hopes and despairs. But I had a strong believed and determination that one day there will be heavy downpour in our place.
“There will be water in every well. There will be water in every pond. There will be water in our canal.” I said to my people.
Slowly and slowly, the morals of the people of my dream project started decreasing and losing. They lost hopes and patience. They lost their confidence on me.
They requested me, “ Sagar babu, how long we would spend our lives on your mercy.”
“No-No, this is not any mercy on you,” I said. “This is for your work in my dream project.”
They wanted to go in some other places for earning and for better opportunities.
I told them, “Please, don’t get despair and hopeless.”
But in vain, they didn’t want to listen any of my words. They didn’t want to depend on me anymore.
“I’ll fulfill all the basic needs of your life, but don’t go anywhere. Don’t leave this place. I guaranteed you that soon the good times will come in our lives and in our place. It’s just a matter of time. Have patience and faith.”
I had promised to give them more payments and more facilities. For that I had sold our old property in Jaipur. But they turned down my offers. Instead, they suggested me to leave my place and settle in some big cities and start a better life.
I couldn’t stop them. Even some of my people started calling me ‘Mad man’.
“He is gone mad,” they started discussions amongst themselves. “He tried to force us to follow his blind faith and impossible mission. One day he will kill us for his useless mission.”
My motivations and encouragements were turned poisons for them. They turned their ears deaf. I tried again and again to convince them.
“Sagar Babu, we don’t want to kill ourselves in this place. Please leave us in our lives and in our conditions.”
I didn’t mind their evil talks and continued doing my works.
I had to fulfill my dream to change my place into ‘New Wonderland’. How could I kill my lifelong dream? It was not only my dream, but also the mission of my life. I couldn’t quit. I had to accomplish my mission no matter whatsoever happen with my life.
13
Then, by and by, day by day, the people of my dream project and the people of my place started leaving their houses and went to some other places for better life and better prospects.
After few days my place was remained as void, only few families were staying back, the families which were working in my house. They too wanted to leave the place as soon as possible and settle in some other places. Somehow I convinced them to stay for few days. But, very soon, the day was arrived when nobody want to stay in my place. They too left.
At last, my family was left alone, my place turned into a deserted place, nobody wanted to stay there. But I wanted to change my place into ‘New Wonderland’. Still I was living with my dream and trying hard to find out the solution of my place. I had only two men left with me.
When my father-in-law came to know everything, he came and asked me, “Beta, stop this impractical project and leave this place.”
I remained silent.
“Nothing is left in this place. I appreciate your courage and determination, but this is an impossible task. Try to understand, beta.”
I didn’t give him any answer, because I knew that he wouldn’t understand my words.
He suggested me, “Beta, start some business in our place and spend a good life. Don’t waste your time in this way. I’ll help you whatever you want.”
“Why don’t you join with me here and help me, father,” I said.
My father-in-law didn’t speak anything. He went after sometime while talking to Sangeeta and Pari.
“Sagar, beta, at least, think about your wife and your daughter. They deserve good life and good future,” he said before leaving.
“Thanks for coming, father,” I said and gave him adieu.
I turned down the proposal of my father-in-law. He wanted to take Sangeeta and my daughter with him.
I asked Sangeeta to go with her father, but she didn’t want to leave me alone in my place.
14
In the same fashion, the time was going on. But there was no rain and no water in my place. My place was still hungry and dry. And my dream was still lying as dry as my place. There was no sight of any change.
Every day I kept my research works. I started working harder and harder with the help of my two men.
In the mean time, my daughter was seriously ill. There was no doctor and no hospital in my place. I, immediately, took my daughter in the town hospital. It was situated at the distance of more than hundred kilometers from my place. I drove my car continuously at night and reached the town hospital in the morning. Till that time, the condition of my daughter was become very critical. My daughter was admitted and her treatment was started. It was the grace of Almighty God that my daughter was saved. Then I realized that I couldn’t take any risk with my daughter and with my wife. I decided to keep them in my father-in-law’s house till the time I wouldn’t succeed in my dream project.
Sangeeta agreed to stay in her parent’s house.
I returned to my place with new zest and enthusiasm to fulfill my dream project. I worked harder and harder along with my two men.
The second year was passed. Then the third year was almost passed but there was no rain and no water. There were only the flying clouds and the sounds of thunders. Even my two men lost their faiths and lost all hopes. But I was not. I kept them motivating.
I watched everything very closely. I watched all the weather focus of my place very clearly. I thought day and night. I analyzed my research works of my place again and again. I had firmed believe that if there was once any source of river, then there must be some trashes. I thought to look it once again. Then, I decided to go to the site of Dry River.
But, the next day, I was instantly fallen very ill. I couldn’t stand up. I couldn’t eat anything. I couldn’t drink anything. I was bedridden for many days. I felt like my body was dying. I had no energy and no strength in my body. I didn’t know the cause of my illness. My two men nursed me day and night. I sent one man to the town hospital to fetch me some medicine for my illness and the other man stayed back to look after me.
The first day was passed, the second day was passed, and then the third day was about to passed, but there was no news about my one man. I believed that my end would be arriving very soon. I was almost given up my life.
I asked my man, “Take me to get the last glimpses of my land so that I could apologize to my place that I failed to fulfill my dream to change my place into ‘New Wonderland’.”
My body didn’t support me any longer. I felt the last moment of my life.
My man took me in my jeep to show the last glimpses of my place. I got all the glimpses of my place. I recalled my dream again and again and wept for my helplessness.
I asked the above sky, “Why do you want me to leave this world before I could do anything to my birth place. I will die proudly if I’d fulfill my dream. What sin I had committed that you wanted to punish me?”
I started praying, “O, Heaven, if you hear me, then, please give me some energy and strength and give me that much of time so that I can change my place into ‘New Wonderland’. After that I will be ready to leave this world whenever you ask me.”
I asked my man, “Lead me to the place where I had seen the trashes of Dry River.”
“But, sir!” My man hesitated to take me there.
“You don’t want to fulfill the last wish of a dying man?”
“Don’t say like this, sir,” my man replied while sobbing.
“Please, take me there.”
My man led me while holding my falling arms and falling legs. I couldn’t hold anything with my hands. I couldn’t walk with my legs. But I tried to hold and tried to walk the last footsteps of my life.
As I reached the place where I had seen the trashes of Dry River, I felt like I was recovering from my illness. I felt like some energy was injected inside my body. I felt like I was regaining my strength. It was like my prayer was being heard by Almighty.
By that time, my other man was arrived with medicines. He told me, “Sir, sorry for delaying. Actually, I met with an accident.”
He gave me a tablet of medicine to take. But I didn’t need any medicine. I was getting my energy and strength. I didn’t know what was going on with me at that time. I didn’t know whether it was a miracle or blessings of Almighty God.
I didn’t hear him anything.
I was hearing the voice of my inner soul. It was asking me to dig the place where I had found the trashes of Dry River.
I lay down on the trashes of Dry River and tried to listen something. As I started concentration, I heard something. It was a sound of flowing Underground River.
“Yes-Yes-Yes-Yes…..it is existing here…..Yes, it is here……”
“Come here,” I called my two men.
They both came and lie down and listen.
“Yes-Yes-Yes….” They too heard some sound.
“Dig a deep hole from here, immediately.” I asked my two men.
They did as I asked them to do.
Then after some time there was like the magical spell, there were rising fountains of water streams in the place of Dry River.
“Ooooooooooooooooo……….Finally…..”I was mad with joy.
My illness was gone like a flash of thin air. I didn’t feel any illness and weakness. I felt like I got new energy and strength.
“Yaahooooooooooooooo………………”My two men too jumped with joy. They started dancing and singing a song of triumph.
We found the underground flowing river in the place of Dry River. It was the first sight of success of my dream project, ‘New Wonderland’.
I asked my two men, “Divert the flows of underground river water to the canal we had already dug to our place.”
Within a second, the canal was filled with flowing water and flowing to my place.
“Yes! Yes! Yes! Our Mission is accomplished!” I screamed aloud, louder and louder to acclaim my victory.
“Thank you my Heaven!” I invoked aloud. “Thank you my Heaven!”
15
After one week, there were heavy downpours in my place. The downpours, that never fell in ages in my place. It flooded our place and the entire region.
My dry land and barren land was filled with water. The dryness and thirst of my land was finally quenched. Every well was filled with water. Every pond was filled with water. Every canal was filled with water.
I was succeeded in my mission.
With the help of my two men, I resumed the work of my dream project. I saw the glimpses of my dream to change my land into ‘New Wonderland’.
I started planting trees. I started growing crops, vegetables, fruits and flowers. After six months my dry and barren land appeared greenery. Once there was no sight of butterflies and birds in my place, but after six months everything was changed. There were flying colorful butterflies, bees and different birds hovering in the above sky of my place.
Everything appeared colorful, beautiful and greenery in my place. My dream to change my place into ‘New Wonderland’ was fulfilled.
“Thank you so much Heaven!” I said and lay down on the ground.
My two men the only two souls, who were always stood by me, came and said, “Congratulations, sir!”
“You too!” I said. “And thank you so much for staying with me till the end. Without your supports and helps I couldn’t see my dream into reality.”
“What do we call this new place of ours, sir,” one of my men asked me.
“I named this place ‘New Wonderland’.”
“Wow! New Wonderland!”
“Great name, sir!”
“New Wonderland! New Wonderland!”
My two men were repeating the same words again and again in delights and excitements.
I asked both the men to call their families to join in our ‘New Wonderland’.
After one year, I called my wife and daughter with me. They came in new place and in ‘New Wonderland’.
“Papa, is this the same place where we live earlier?” my daughter asked me with great surprised.
I smiled.
“Yes, beta,” I said with glad. “This is the very same place where you’re born and live earlier.”
My daughter was thrilled while finding herself in new environment and in new world.
“I’m proud of you, Sagar,” Sangeeta said and she hugged me.
“It’s a gift for you,” I said.
16
Then gradually, one by one, almost all the families who had once left my place were returned in my ‘New Wonderland’ and joined with me in the development of my place.
They all apologized to me, “We’re very sorry and shameful, Sagar Babu. We had left you alone at the time of your biggest challenge. We didn’t heed your words at that time and we all left our own birth place. We all repent our grave mistakes. Now we want to return in our place. Please, Sagar Babu, accept us.”
“No, I can’t accept you all,” I said very harshly. “You all betrayed me.”
They all remained stunned and silent and they were about to leave.
“Stop!” I said.
They all stopped instantly.
“In one condition, I can forgive you all!”
They all turned to my side with hopeful eyes.
“What Sagar Babu?”
“We can accept your every condition, Sagar Babu. We’re willing to do anything for you.”
“Okay!”
They were delighted and cheerful.
“But, today, you’ve to promise me that you all follow me whatever I ask you to do. And you’ll never leave your own birth place no matter whatsoever happen. Promise me that you’ll work hard for the development of our ‘New Wonderland’.”
“Yes, Sagar Babu, we all promise you. We will do whatever you ask us to do. You’re our master from today.”
All the people promised me in one voice.
I smiled.
“You all are most welcome in ‘New Wonderland’.”
And I accepted them all.
“Say long live Our New Wonderland!”
“Long live our New Wonderland!” They all raised their voices like one slogan.
“Say our New Wonderland!”
“Our New Wonderland!”
There were huge accolades all around.
“…..And you can see the final outcome of my dream into ‘New Wonderland’.”
Thus, Mr. Sagar Singh Rathor alias ‘Thakurji’ concluded his story of ‘New Wonderland’.
17
I was very amazed. I was highly inspired and motivated. Really, if one can dream, he can achieve success no matter whatsoever uphill come on his way. Just we’ve to keep our dream, hope and patience alive.
“Thank you so much Thakurji,” I thanked Mr. Sagar.
“You’re most welcome,” Mr. Sagar acknowledged me.
“Thakurji, can I take one selfie with you,” I requested him.
“Of course, why not?” Mr. Sagar accepted my request with a smile.
“Thank you, Thakurji.”
I took one selfie with Mr. Sagar.
I thanked once again to Mr. Sagar for his interview for our newspaper.
Then I left the palace like house of Mr. Sagar.
Mr. Sagar asked one of his men to drop me to the station where I could pick the train route to Jaipur.
After meeting Mr. Sagar, I was feeling like I was blessed that I had met such a wonderful and inspirational man on earth.
This interview with Mr. Sagar was one of the most memorable journeys of my life as a journalist profession.
After three days journey, I returned to my place. But every moment, my mind was recalling the success story of Mr. Sagar and the beautiful picturesque of his ‘New Wonderland’. I wished to go there once again and stay there forever.
The next day I reported to my Boss, Mr. Chaudhury. He was eagerly and impatiently waiting for me in his cabin.
“Arun, show me your interview report of Mr. Sagar Singh Rathor alias ‘Thakurji’,” Mr. Chaudhury said breathlessly.
“Oh, sir, you remembered his name?” I said.
“Arun, no time for any joke!” Mr. Chaudhury said. “I’m very excited to see the interview of Mr. Sagar.”
“Wait for a second, sir,” I said.
“Here it is….” I handed the entire story of Mr. Sagar. Actually, this was not an interview but a complete biography of a man who dreamed to change his land into a ‘New Wonderland’.
Mr. Chaudhury started reading instantly. He was so engrossed to read the entire interview report of Mr. Sagar that he had forgotten to sip his coffee.
“Sir, your coffee,” I said in order to check his concentration. But there was no reply from him. He was lost in the success story of Mr. Sagar.
I left him alone.
After one hour, I re-entered in his cabin, but he was still engrossed in reading. He was completely lost.
I waited for him.
After sometime……
“Wow!” Mr. Chaudhury exclaimed. “Arun, you’ve done a great job. Keep it up!”
“Thanks, sir,” I said.
“Here is your pay cheque, Arun.”
I was delighted.
“And your leave for one month is granted.”
“Oh, thank you very much, sir.”
Then the very next day, I took my wife in ‘New Wonderland’ for one month holiday trip.
___________________________
