AADHUNIK KARN (PART – 2)
ENGLISH TRANSLATED
As I was Busy in taking a look at that old man, who used to sell his colorful Handkerchiefs. The Boy who brought me the Masala Tea, interrupted me and served me the cup of Tea.
“what are you thinking?” Ramesh asked me in a while.
“Oh! Yes the Tea.” I held the cup and continued talking to Ramesh. “Can I ask you a question? Who is that man, selling Handkerchiefs right over there? Why he is here working so hard to sell a few of those Handkerchiefs, Even when it is so difficult to sell even two or three of them.”
“Don’t you know him or are you pretending? He is Dinesh Kaka.”
I was totally confused and asked him again about the person A.K.A Dinesh Kaka.
“Are you kidding me? Everyone in the market knows him. He is the father of Mahesh Kaka.”
I didn’t uttered a single word. For me it was hard to swallow pill, my mind was not ready to accept whatever I heard right now. A person, owner of such a Big and well doing Shop, having such a big fortune; and his father was right there. Selling handkerchiefs on road. Working so hard to earn his livelihood.
“I think you have no idea about what series of events took place in his life.”
“Please tell me in detail about whatever happened.” I asked him.
He started narrating.
“After the death of his wife, he was left alone among a family of three persons. Loud Shouts and screams used to came from his house. It was his Daughter-in-law, whose words they were. I remember hearing a few of those words – Till when I will handle this all burden at my own. The Old person is of no domestic use. Moreover, it’s me who have to do all his work. Why don’t you bring him with you at the shop, so that I can relax at home?”
Engaged deeply in his talks, I was curious to know the whole incident.
He continued, “Tired of hearing the taunts daily, He was fed up. And he started to spend most of his Day at the temple. Loneliness became the worst part of his life. He started avoiding going to home. Many times, he even used to sleep at the temple itself, while his family didn’t cared at all for him.”
I was totally engrossed in the story flow that he was narrating well. Absorbed in the story, I forgot my work that was still pending. All that I could think at that moment was about that old man and his story.
Ramesh further narrated, “After a gap of few days, a big quarrel took place at their home. Those words are still echoing in my ears when Kakas own Daughter-in-law said those words to his husband for real – I can’t tolerate this anymore. You better take him to any Old age home, or I will leave this house forever. To protect our relations is now in your own Hands. This News went viral all over the Society. A few days later, we all came to know that he has went away from here for his hometown. Both Mahesh kaka and his wife were happy that they were finally able to live freely. But we all were amazed to see him selling handkerchiefs for a living, after we all believed of him to have gone. We offered him to stay at our house, but he refused to do so. For him, his Self-respect was most important.
Only so that his son don’t feel ashamed of it, he sales his goods at the very end of the market and not at the start (where his son owns his shop). I really feel sad for him. Only god knows whether his hardships will end or not.”
After listening to the whole incident, I was shocked. I was not in a condition to say anything further. With a heavy heart; full of sympathy and sorrow, I asked for his permission to go now.
He did greeted me with kind words and said, “Don’t forget to comeback soon. Meet me again. I will be waiting for you.”
I departed the place with a smile. Before leaving the place, I had a glance at the old man again for the last time. He was there selling the things, that were the only meaning of livelihood to him. He had no complaints from life; for the circumstances and series of events that took place in his life. He did not seem to be angry at his son though, or who knows whether deep inside his heart there might be existing a big cascade of sorrow and pain. A man can withstand any difficulty, if he have his loved ones on his side. But what him whose difficulties were a result of his Son’s well deeds and behavior.
Why do we do all the good deeds and charity? To attain heaven in afterlife. But here, there was no meaning of all the charity that Mahesh kaka did. For a life of leisure and to appease his wife, who was dear to him; he forced his own father to leave the house. A father who was the very reason of his existence. He left the house that was result of his own hard work and dedication.
Such actions of Mahesh Kaka brought his place down to the lowest ground in my heart. All the respect I had for him was faded and vanished in a short period of time.
The irony was that we based on donations, entitled him as ‘Aadhunik Karn’. I was left with a simple question after knowing all this incidents – whose mistake it actually was?
Mahesh Kaka who didn’t supported his own father for the sake of his wife. His wife, who became so rude and showed no sympathy for his own father in law. Or it was it the old man himself responsible, who without any Objection or Confrontation left his earnings of whole life behind for the sake of his child?
What do you think?
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Thanks for reading my story.
Here I complete this story and will post other ones soon. Also sorry for the delay in posting.
Suggestions, feedbacks are welcomed and appreciated.
Thanks.
Jay Mata Di
- PRATHAM SHAH
