As you sow…

It was 11:30 PM on a fine Tuesday at Tidel Park, Chennai. Sridhar was sitting at the 11^th floor, conversing the plans for the new proposal they were going to make. Being a project manager for an organization of international stature is no sinecure. He often forgets that there are two members in his family who are dependent on him and waiting for him. Nowadays, Savitha, Sridhar’s wife and Akshay, their eight year old son and the apple of their eyes are used to the late timings Sridhar returns back from office.

Till a couple of months back, there were two more souls waiting at home for Sridhar, his parents. It was a serene life for Sridhar until he got married. He found his life partner through a matrimonial site, sought his parents’ permission and got married. Right from the first day of his marriage, the understanding between his wife and mother was never good. Even petty things were projected like hummocks and Sridhar was clueless on how to bring a solution for that.

Sridhar has never been disinterested in the issues between his mom and wife. He has always shown a predilection towards his wife and advised his mom to adjust with his wife. It was all going fine for 8 years though altercations were part and parcel of his family life. Savitha constantly kept pestering him for sending his parents out of the house. Sridhar somehow was dilly dallying it till 3 months back. But when he was forced to take a decision, being a good husband than a son, he has decided to send his mom and dad to an old age home in order to prevent them interrupting from their life.

The most affected person was Akshay. He loved his grand parents so much. They taught him virtues that his school teachers couldn’t. His grandpa used to tell him stories from old epics and history before he sleeps. His grandma used to make delicious dishes when he comes back from school. He missed them so much. The lachrymose kid, being just eight years old, was not able to do anything apart from weeping.

Sridhar promised his parents that he will visit them every week. Being a project manager himself, giving promises that he cannot keep is a routine for him. As days passed by, he started visiting once in a month, then once in 2 months, and slowly started visiting them only if they call in case of any urgency. Years moved ahead. Sridhar is now leading the Bangalore division of his organization. His wife is still the same Savitha who is arguing for each and everything. Sridhar’s parents are no more. Akshay is working for a MNC.

One fine day, Akshay was surfing Internet in his laptop. Seeing his father entering the house, Akshay called him up. ‘Dad! There’s a residential enclave for retired coming up in outskirts. I want to choose one for you and mom. Come on dad. Choose the one that you like. I don’t want to send you to an old age home like how you did. I want to make sure you lead fag end of your life happily’.

The words were venomous enough to pass a thunderbolt into Sridhar’s heart and bring out tears from his eyes. Of course, as you sow, so shall you reap.

Repercussions…

The blue colored cuckoo came out opening the doors of the nest and screeched six times. Fifth whistle was coming from the rice cooker. Shyamala is not in this world to react to any of them. Her heart, mind and thoughts – everything is about Arvindh, who is yet to come to home from School. Its 6’O clock. The school gets over by 3 and ideally he should have been at home by 4. But he is yet to come. Arvindh has never come late in the past 6 years. She was meandering on the hall with her eyes glued at the gate and with horrendous hallucinations filled in her mind. When she seen a hazy structure like Arvindh coming at some distance, she started running towards that.

Arvindh is the only son of Shymala and Sankaran. Sankaran works as a manager in a nationalized bank. Shyamala sits at home and watches mega serials most of the time and calls herself a ‘home maker’. Arvindh born after 5 years of their marriage life. So he was like a much awaited treasure for both of them. The 5 year gap had already made them prepare ambitious plans for the unborn kid. The plans started executing once Arvindh started talking in his puerile language.

Arvindh was pushed to the school at the tender age of 3 like most other kids in the nation. Arvindh was a born brilliant. Unlike other kids, he was able to assimilate things pretty quickly and amazed his school teachers. All his teachers, neighbors, friends and relatives were in praise of the wonder kid. What else can be more joyous for parents than this? Sankaran and Shymala were literally floating in air with supreme feelings.

When Arvindh turned 6, he was loaded with too many things which were difficult to endure. Every day he has to wake up by 5 to catch the 6’O clock bus to school. Life was miserable at the school as well. There was only one Play hour every week and that was also utilized(wasted) by some or the other teacher. If he returns back to home by 4:00, there will be 30 minutes to get refreshed and have snacks. Sharply at 4:30 an auto-rickshaw will come and take him to the tuition center. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, its straight to Sloka class from Tuition. On Tuesday and Thursday and Saturday its Hindi class.

After six days of endless excruciations, half of Sunday is occupied by Chess class. And the remaining part is occupied by Carnatic music class. Though there were many Carnatic music teachers in their locality, Shyamala made him travel 10 miles as she wanted her kid to learn music from the best available Guru in town. Both Sankaran and Shyamala wanted their kid to get whatever they couldn’t in their childhood. What can be said wrong about that?

Arvindh liked Cricket a lot, but hardly got any time to play. And more importantly, both Sankaran and Shyamala were against cricket. Whenever Arvindh hesitates for something, the only thing that Sankaran and Shyamala say is ‘If you are not doing what we say, you will become like Raja. Come on make it fast’. Raja is living in their next house. He has just crossed his adolescent age but has all possible bad habits. For past 3 years he is trying to complete his 10^th standard but still he couldn’t. For most of the parents in their vicinity, Raja had already become an exemplary of ‘how not to be’. Raja’s parents tried all ‘sama, dhana, bedha and danda’ methods but none of them worked out.

When Shymala rushed and got near that hazy structure, she realized that Arvindh it is. Before she could ask anything, Arvindh uttered ‘Special class’ and went inside the house. There were no further interrogations as they believed that they raised their kid to a level where he will never conceal anything from them. Days passed by. Arvindh continued to come late. Shymala wanted to go to his school and check with his teacher but somehow her busy schedule with the mega serials didn’t allow her to do so.

It was 3:30 in the afternoon on a sunny Monday. There were few children playing gully cricket in a park. They cannot exactly be defined as children as they shown much maturity for their age. Their clothes were dirty with grease and oil. They must be working in some near by factory. The bowler had taken a long run up and when he bowled, the ball was hit hard to the square. ‘Come on, stop it’, shouted the wicket keeper. With a cigarette smoking in his left hand, Arvindh picked up the ball with his right and thrown it to the wicket keeper. Another Raja in making…

Dollar Dreams $$$

It was a snowy day in New York. ‘Arun, Arun, Dei Arun’, even the neighbor would have responded if his name was shouted like how Amit did. Arun was not in this world. Though his eyes were glued to the window, his mind was rambling off around an apartment near Kutchery road in Mylapore where his home is. His wife is about to deliver his first child in a day or two. His heart was wishing to be there with her, caress her, walk in the corridor of the hospital with much apprehensions hovering over the mind, feeling the warmness of the baby in his hand, enjoying the proud of being a father with his family and much more. Those feelings cannot be verbalized. But his mind was saying leaving New York now is the stupidest thing he can ever do. If he leaves New York now, he doesn’t know when he will be able to come back.

Unlike most of us, it was an ordeal for Arun to get into STC, one of the leading IT companies. He did his bachelors in Mathematics in one of the less known colleges of the country. He knew that he has to put his and heart and soul in making it to his dream college to get settled in life. He did so and completed his MCA. But life wasn’t easier as he anticipated. He completed his graduation during the time when many were getting expelled from IT industry. Some how he managed to get a job in a company with 200 employees and located in one of the busiest streets of Teynampet. His income was not even enough to take a decent house. So he had to accommodate himself with 5 more people in one of the mansions in Triplicane.

After 4 years of struggle, Arun managed to get into STC through referral. He was given a good joining bonus and good emolument with perks. Life was becoming luxurious. It was a steep transformation from Kumar Shirts to Louis Philippe, Bata to Red Tape, Sonata to Swatch, White board buses to Pulsar DTS-I, Akka Mess to Sangeetha and from a congested mansion to a posh apartment in Velachery. After getting all that he wanted, he was missing something which he got from his previous employer. He was kept in bench (idle) for 3 months before he half-heartedly a role which is nothing for his caliber. Arun was one of the irreplaceable resources in his old company. Here he is just another EP (Experienced Professional) amongst thousands of others.

Human appetite for money is insatiable. When he was working in a small firm, Arun’s ultimate aim was to get into a bigger organization like STC. But within one year time after joining STC, his interest grew to get an overseas chance. Though so many things attributed to his desire, peer pressure was the vital reason. When he was about to sweep a chance to go to London, his marriage got fixed. He was already 28 and didn’t want to delay it any further. He was aware of the growing demand for brides. He tried his level best to postpone the travel by two months. But with so many waiting in the queue for such opportunity, Arun eventually had to give up. He was confident he will get some other better opportunity after marriage.

If things go in line with our expectations, life will be a boredom. His wife was the only daughter of her parents. Another mollycoddled kid. She was not even aware of how to boil water. Her frivolous attitude and continuous pestering made Arun shift their house to Mylapore near their in-laws’ house. Break fast, lunch boxes, dinner – everything used to come from their in-law’s house. Life had become so easy for him. But still, he was not able to get the overseas chance for which he was starving. The day finally came. He was asked to go to New York to work for JPMC. A golden opportunity. Like how ‘Success is counted sweetest by those who never succeed’, for Arun this opportunity meant much more than just an abroad chance. A week before his travel, they got to know that his wife is pregnant. It is the time, during which he needs to pamper her, get her whatever she wants, share her pains, take her for regular check-ups and show her the meaning of a husband. But, if he turns down this overseas chances, its not sure whether he will be offered one again. After a long discussion, he decided he will take up this offer and his in-laws will take care of his wife. He assured that he will come before the travail and be with her.

Back to NYC, Arun was traveling in Metro to reach his office. He came to this world at Fulton St station when his friend reminded that they need to get down at the next station, Wall St. His office was located on Wall Street, a place which is always busy all around the year. It has made so many millionaires and billionaires like Warren Buffet and brought many more to streets. He started walking slowly from the station towards his office. His heart was still in those messy lanes of Mylapore but mind was debating with heart. His manager had already told that due to ‘dependency’ it is not possible to move Arun to offshore at the moment. He advised Arun not to be too emotional and carry on with the activities for next week’s release.

What will be the repercussions if he goes back at the moment his mind was asking. His dreams of buying a flat in Chennai will have to be deferred. He has to continue with his Pulsar and cannot think about a car at the moment. Sudhakar who is eagerly waiting for Arun to come back to offshore will replace him immediately. Above all, he might not be able to come back after creating an animosity with his onsite manager. Due to depreciated dollar, already he was not able to attain his target savings each month. And at this juncture if he leaves to India, he will have to be in Chennai and pay EMI each month to buy a house and lead a budgeted life.

The message from his home was ‘It will be done before End of the day tomorrow’. Arun was introspecting himself. Taking the newly born baby in his hands or buying a flat in Adyar? Caressing his wife when it is needed most or buying a Santro? Being with his family to share their happiness and joy or saving money for leading a grand life? His heart finally won over his mind. When he was about to book the tickets online, there was a call from Steve, his client manager who was working from home as his wife was pregnant. Arun was silent for 3 minutes when Steve was explaining some vital change to be incorporated in the release. ‘No Probs Steve. It will be done before End of the day tomorrow’, said Arun and cut the call. Tears oozed out of his eyes…

P.S: As this is my first attempt in writing a story, there may be several blemishes. I solicit your suggestions for amelioration.