Inspired by Mr. Sapre’s post “the logical Indian”--- A short story published in Hindi story magazine ‘Sarika’ during my college days. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As it was in those olden days; ‘pan shops’ in any small city and town used to be the center point for people to gather at, and especially for youngsters making their ‘ADDA’ (Camping). At one such shops in a town, a young man, who was usually sitting and gossiping there with his friends; saw some old person limping on his way. He knew that the old man was normal till yesterday; may be this could be due to some minor injury. But when he saw old man limping for many days; one day he couldn’t control himself to ask this man about the cause of his limping. The old man’s reply that it was nothing but one nail coming out of his shoe giving this pain to limp; really amused the young man. He told “baba why don’t you get it removed. Take off your shoes right now I shall get this nail extracted by cobbler sitting here”. “No, my son, I don’t want to get it removed.” Old man replied. This really perplexed the young man. “Baba, Sit down on this bench, and tell me what’s wrong and why you continue to wear this shoe in spite of this nail giving you so much of pains.” “O.k. my son, once you insist so much, let me narrate my story to you” old man replied. “You see, I was a worker in this textile mill, which has been permanently closed down by the owner. In my family; I have my ailing wife, young son like you and a marriage age daughter. What little money I received from my previous employment on retrenchment; got already spent for the treatment of my wife and I’m presently under a lot of debt. My son is a graduate but he is not having any employment for last three years and doesn’t want to do menial jobs like me. He is simply idling and worrying everyday sitting at the home and picks up quarrel whenever being asked. I am unable to get marriage of my daughter due to my inability to give any handsome dowry and she is almost crossing her age of marriage. All these things as well as her own sickness have made my wife also very nagging and quarrelsome. Whole day I walk on to look for some work in the town; someday I get some day don’t. That is the only means of support for living of my family. You see, my life has become full of pains, frustrations and sorrows. Wearing this shoe I walk whole day around the town in search of some menial work. It gives me constant pain but somehow also distracts my mind from brooding over mine pitiable situation. In the evening when I return to my home after whole days tiring work, wearing this aching shoe, when I remove it… oh……it gives me pleasure…..may be of few moment… but that is he only pleasure I have left in my life with. And I don’t want to lose this.....
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 11:20:45 +0000
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