Chapter 10
Buddha’s Lamp
“Sir Courier!”
Ambadi opened the door hearing the sound. A courier boy was standing out there with a sealed . envelope. When he looked at the from address, he was amazed. It was from Mohan’s Trading Corporation. He opened the envelope. It was a call letter for an interview!
He did not know at that time that this call letter was going to change his fate. A total change from what he has planned already from the dream of becoming a journalist to something else which no one could predict.
It was for an accounts officer job.
The salary and offers were more than five lakhs per annum.
May be this is what Kalidas has said about a change in my life? Ambadi thought.
Ambadi’s Roommate Naren entered as Ambadi was putting back the letter in to the envelope.
“What Ambadi, Where is that letter from?”
“Interview from Mohan’s Trading Corporations.”
“Wow...Big company. Great.”
“I didn’t expect it.”
“That is life,bro.”
“So, Shall I attend this Bro,I don’t believe in all these. sometimes these people already fix someone and conduct the interview for the name sake. Are you sure I have to attend this?”
“Why is this crazy question? Go and attend it first,bro.”
“Not like that… I don’t know what to decide, I am a bit confused in choosing between my current career option as a journalist and this.”
“You can write an article or story anytime,bro,but you will never get a chance like this again.”
“But I am not sure whether I will get it or not.”
“Be positive, Ambi. Why you are so suspicious about everything?”
Ambadi decided to attend the interview..
A bazaar road in the city!
Buses, cars were moving very fast. Autos were passing through the available small gaps zigzagging. The road was thickly crowded.
On the sides of the road there where a number of platform shops with items spread out ranging from ten rupees and more. Ambadi found it very difficult to walk through that narrow foot path.
He was walking with mixed thoughts in his mind. Seeing a vendor from Kashmir he stopped.
Woolen shirts, woolen blankets, different kinds of lamps,handicrafts,wooden dolls and a lot of other stuff were spread out there on the platform.
He got attracted by it for a second.
The vendor was trying at his level best to attract the attention of the passersby.
“Sir...What do you want? Sweaters, Chinese Antiques, all are very cheap. Look…” he said in a local slang.
Ambadi looked at everything without answering. A lamp which was kept in one corner looked very attractive for his eyes..
The vendor observed his interest in the lamp in a minute and took that lamp. He cleaned it with his hand towel and said,
“Sir… This is a very special type of lamp for worship. You can lit eight wicks at a time. It’s also very cheap. Buy it, sir, good luck will come to you…” he said.
“How much? Ambadi asked
“Just five hundred rupees.”
“Five hundred...My god! I am not that rich, leave me.” Ambadi walked.
The vendor stopped him.
“How much will you give, sir?”
“No Bhai. Leave me…”
“Sir….Tell me, sir.”
“Hundred rupees...Okay?”
“Give me two hundred sir…”
“No, not even a single rupee extra…..”
“At least give one fifty, sir.”
“No chance… Leave me..”
“Sir...Sir…”
He didn’t leave him!
Mohan’s Trading Corporation!
Mishra came to meet his old friend Mohan.
They were talking with excitement.
“It was like in a dream even if I think of it now. I could not believe it.”Mohan was talking about his experience with the monk in Leh.
“Is the matter over? “Mishra asked.
“No, Mishra. Not yet. But one thing, that Rajesh is very selfish. Even after his death, he remains the same.”
“How?”
“He tried to use me to fulfill his wishes without answering my question.”
“So…you’ve talked with Rajesh’s spirit.”
“Yeah...But also I have got a doubt.”
“Doubt?”
“Yes… I suspect that sometimes the monk has written the answers by himself when I closed my eyes…”
“Your suspicious nature will never leave you…”
“My problem is not over yet, right? I’ll even doubt myself till I find who my son is.”
“Oh god…”
“I don’t know whether that monk is dead or alive now. I sent my P.A to check.”
“That is too much. I sent you to that monk because I trust and respect him very much.”
“Okay. But my son has not yet come to see me.”
“So much has happened in your life my friend, that also will happen automatically…See.”
“If that happens, I’m the luckiest person in the world.”
“By the by. When your son comes with the lamp, don’t change your mind. You should be very careful and has to follow all the instructions given to you by the monk.”
“No Mishra…when I gave the promise, I said in my mind that only for once I will break the promise to use it for a personal purpose. But however that monk is never going to know anything about this.”
“Oh my god…”
“Yeah...What will I do, if that monk send someone else from his gang posing as my son to snatch away all my properties using his black magic?”
“So…”
“So, I’m going to call Vanaja’s spirit using that lamp. She has to confirm that the young man coming with the lamp is my son. That’s all. After that, I will never use it for any other purpose...”
Mishra was shocked when he heard what Mohan said.
Meanwhile, G.M Balu entered.
“What Balu?”
“Sorry for the interruption, sir. We have selected twelve candidates from the lot of five hundred. The appointment order is ready. If you can give the appointment order to them, they will feel very happy...”
“Okay, wait. I will come.”
Mohan looked at Mishra,
“Okay, I’ll take leave...”
“Okay.... Mishra, I’ll call you once this matter gets solved.”
“Take care. I feel that you have to deal this with extra caution. You are playing with the fire.”
“Mishra, I know how to handle this don’t worry!.”
“Did you discuss about this with your wife?”
“No. Let my son come first.”
“Okay. All the best!”
Mishra left shaking his hands with Mohan.
Mohan walked towards the meeting hall from his room.
Selected candidates were waiting in the hall.HR Manager and General manager were seriously discussing the ‘involvement’ of the candidates in the interview. When Mohan arrived, they stood up and remained silent.
Selected candidates greeted Mohan standing in a line. Ambadi was also there among them, with a shoulder bag.
“Please take your seat,” he said and looked at them casually. The general manager handed over the appointment orders to Mohan, he gave it and shook hands with each one.
Then it was Ambadi’s turn.
He stretched out his hand in a hurry by keeping his shoulder bag on the teapoy.The lamp which was kept inside his shoulder bag, slipped and fell down.
He bent down and took the lamp by his hand.
He looked at Mohan with the lamp, shivering.
Mohan was stunned.
“Balu, Come to my room with this candidate.”
No one could understand what was happening!
A month passed.
A car arrived and parked in front of Kalidas’s hut. From the car, Ambadi came out wearing a blue colored suit.
Kalidas looked at him with a smile.
“Everything happened as you said Kalidas Ji. I am not an orphan now. I’m the son of a very rich businessman. You might have known about it…”
Again Kalidas smiled.
“Everything is a mystery to me. At the same time, I don’t know how I am going to handle such a huge responsibility… I feel ashamed of myself when I think about the arguments, I had with you…”
“Why all that now? Is your dad’s rituals are over?”
“Hmm…”
“Where is that lamp now?”
“Lamp… That was the turning point in my life. Dad was doing some worship with that lamp and after that when I met him he was lying down on the floor with his hands and legs paralyzed.
He was crying saying, ‘I deceived you, Vanaja. Please forgive me.’ I couldn’t understand what happened. After sometime he called the lawyer and give some instructions. It was only when the lawyer came and spoke to me, I knew that I’m his son. But when I went to see my dad, he was lying dead. How…? What is in this lamp? Can you tell me?”
Kalidas laughed.
“I’ve brought that lamp with me now…”
He took that lamp and showed it to Kalidas.
The next moment Kalidas felt a lightening effect on his body.
“Please place it at the lotus feet of Maa Kali. Let it be there hereafter. You need not know anything more than that now….understand one thing…some sins cannot be atoned…and some spirits they wait and take revenge upon the people who have deceived them. Son, do not commit any sin. I am also not interested in this area of witchcraft anymore. You construct one temple for Maa Kali. I will spend the rest of my life worshipping Maa Kali and this divine lamp here…”
“What, Kalidas Ji. Tell me in detail...What is so special about this lamp?”
“Truth is there, Honesty is there. Above all the divinity is there. Don’t ask me anything more than that. You won’t understand…”
Kalidas bowed to him with folded hands.
Ambadi didn’t say anything….,he couldn’t ask anything also ,,,!
