‘Let’s go to Sunvala’ the next morning, papa asked me to join him for visiting our religious temple at Sunvala Village.
The village is almost hundred kilometers away from Ahmedabad. My parents used to visit the village twice in a month to worship our Goddess ‘Brahmani Mataji’. The temple was the best place for me to get peace when I was in India. I also used to visit the temple with my family twice in a month but I, I never attended after returning from Dubai. Therefore, maybe Papa thought it would be better for me join him, it was the first time when, I was not excited to join him, as my mind was not in peace. However, Papa took a day off from his work so that I could not say NO to him.
‘Okay, I will get ready in a while’ I said.
Mother India refused to join us, as she had to finish few household works. Therefore, it was ‘FATHER-SON trip.’
‘Bolo, Shu problem chhe?’ Papa asked me while we were on the way to the temple.
‘Nothing Papa’ I said.
‘Come on! Consider me as your friend.’ He said.
I smiled and decided not to talk about Hritisha. I increased the volume of radio and started listening to my favorite Radio Jockey ‘RJ Dhvanit’ after six years.
Papa too understood that I needed some more time to pour out my heart again in front of him. He started showing me the developments of Ahmedabad, newly constructed buildings, monuments, theaters, restaurants on the highway etc. We reached Kadi Village where my father had spent his childhood. Although I knew the stories of his childhood memories already, he recited them again just to cheer me up.
When we reached Sunvala, I noticed many changes at Brahmani Maa’s temple. Papa told me that the new saint of the temple, Shri Nitishgiri Maharaj, was very active and sharp minded. He changed each and everything to make the temple more beautiful. I could feel the magic again when I entered the temple.
We worshiped our Goddess Brahmani Maa. I asked for the happiness of, my entire family, and Hritisha.When I looked at my dad, he was also praying very peacefully, maybe for my happiness.
Papa and Nitishgiri Maharaj started a conversation regarding the present situation of our family, regarding my past and me. Nitishgiri Maharaj blessed me. I felt relaxed and no negative feelings were coming in my mind. There were positive vibes everywhere.
‘Let’s go to Amrit Restaurant, it has been years since we visited it’ I asked my dad to have lunch at my favorite Amrit Restaurant on the highway.
We ordered our favorite Palak Paneer and butter naan along with masala buttermilk.
‘Papa, I want to say something’ I said while eating.
‘Hmm. Say’
‘I still miss Hritisha and I guess she is happy with someone else'
‘That’s why you are sad?’ He asked.
‘Of course, papa.'
‘Don’t take it as negative sense Siddhant. Think that she is happy now.
‘But, I wanted to see her happy with me papa.'
‘It’s not possible every time Siddhant that whatever you think, you would get that. Do you want extra Naan?’
‘Yup,’
Papa asked the waiter to bring two more butter naan.
‘See. Everyone has their life Siddhant. You cannot force anyone to be with you. I agree, she loved you, but that time has gone. You cannot hold back good times always with you. She has moved on. What do you think? It was easy for her to move on?’
‘I guess yes.’
‘Of course not, she had some other issues in her life. She could not go against her father’s will. She chose her family over her love. She was a brave girl. I respect her decision.’
‘Hmm,’ I said.
‘Listen, everyone in the world is born with their shell and they have their limits.
Some people’s shells are huge who has the power to do many things in their entire life, but within their limit and some people’s shells are small who thinks that their family and friends are only their worlds, just like the frog in the well who thinks that the well is its entire world. They can do anything for the happiness of their own people. We should respect both kinds of the people.’ My father said.
I passed a Naan to my father’s plate and another I put on mine.
‘Again, you are no one to judge anyone’s decision whether it is good or bad. Let me give you an example. There are two types of people in this world, Pacifists and terrorists. Terrorist spread terrorism around the world. It’s their way to get peace; their way to live in this world; their way to survive. On the other side, Pacifists also have their way to live and survive in this world. Therefore, you cannot judge anyone’s decision for the sake of your happiness. Terrorists may be correct on their way of living, and Pacifist is also right on their way.’
I nodded.
‘But papa, I loved her truly; unconditionally, I crossed all my limits to convince her. Still, she left me, why?’ I asked.
‘Siddhant, tell me one thing, have you been able to convince each member in our family before each decision you have taken in your life?
We wanted you to study science after your 10th board; did we succeed to convince you? No.
You wanted us to allow you to join Film Making course, did you manage to convince us? No.
You wanted to marry Ruchi, and we wanted you to marry Reema. Could we convince each other? No.
The moral is, you cannot convince the people who are with you since your birth, your parents, your family, then how can you think that Hritisha would get persuaded by you? How long do you know each other? Hardly one and half years? That’s it? Don’t blame yourself that you failed to convince her; you had tried your best, but she did not get convinced, then leave it, move on.’
I gradually started understanding my father’s examples.
‘You think that the life is over. How old are you? Twenty-Seven years?
‘Hmm.'
‘From now onwards, just add prefix ‘ONLY’ before your age. Try to tell yourself that you are ONLY TWENTY-SEVEN years old and you still need to achieve whatever you want in your life. Then see the changes in your life. Trust me.’
‘I got your point papa. But why did it happen to me only?’
‘Nothing happened to you, beta and please stop behaving like a victim. Tell me one thing, why are you always asking ‘WHY ME?’ Question when anything wrong happens to you.’
‘Sorry. I could not get you’ I said.
‘I mean to say why you blame yourself and behaving like a victim when things go wrong. Just as if Hritisha left you, you blamed yourself by saying ‘Why me?’, when you were terminated from your job you again blamed yourself by saying ‘Why me?’.
‘It’s true.'
‘It is. However, have you asked yourself ‘Why Me’ when anything good happens to you? As you were only B.Com, graduate and still you were earning more than your qualification when you were in Dubai. Right?
‘Yes. True’
‘Then why did you not asked yourself ‘Why me?’ It's unfair for any other B.Com graduate who was earning far lesser than you were. You were special beta.
‘Hmmm.'
‘You got an excellent job in a short time after returning to Ahmedabad. Have you asked at that point ‘Why Me?’ God has blessed you with loving parents, have you asked the god ‘Why Me?’ You are a good looking, a well-built person with a brain who earns well too. Isn’t it an extraordinary quality?
‘Yes, it is’ I smiled.
‘Then why you did not ask God ‘Why Me?’
‘I got your point papa, finally’ I smiled and winked at him.
‘Thank God, so the point is, start thinking positive also. Never harm anyone, never do wrong things in your life, forgive the past but never forget. God has his way of balancing everyone’s life.’
‘True’ I said.
‘Raste padeli dhul pan koik vaar kaam ma aave’ Papa said that the sand and dust would be also helpful sometimes. He meant to say that never underestimate anyone in your life.
‘Samjyo?’ papa asked.
‘Ekdum’ I said.
‘Let’s finish the lunch now.'
‘Hmm.'
We finished our lunch.
‘Cheers to Siddhant’s new life’ I tossed the glass of buttermilk with my dad.
‘Cheers.'
‘Cheers.'
‘But papa, something has stuck in my heart, I want to talk to her one last time.'
‘Hritisha already blocked you from everywhere but I guess if you send her the last email, you would feel better.’
‘Wallah?’
‘Haan Wallah?’ Papa imitated me.
‘Hmmm.'
