Stories

The True Essence Of Life

By Suraj RajeshChelat, Class : XI, School : Hari Sri Vidya Nidhi School

January 12, 2015

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‘The True Essence Of Life’

The rain was pouring down heavily. Raghu was sitting on a reclining sofa, in his balcony, relishing the voluptuous beauty of the heavy rains. Rain was always his obsession. He associated rain with all the important events which took place in the 65 years of his life. His birthday, the day his father died, the day he proposed his first girlfriend in the 10^th, the day he joined college, the day he went for his maiden job interview, the day of his marriage, and finally the day on which he retired from the prestigious post which he had held for the past 14 years, were all such days. He always considered rain as a good omen, a premonition for some upcoming event in his life which would change him forever……….

Slowly, he got up from his sofa, and walked towards the railing of the balcony. He then stood there, feeling the spray of the rain and observing the surroundings. He was feeling very relieved then, although he didn’t get a good sleep, the previous night-as he was preoccupied with numerous issues which were haunting and hurting him mentally. Those issues were nothing but the deliberate attempts of his colleagues to oust him out, from the position which he had held for 14 years, as the ‘Managing Director’ of ‘J.K Enterprises’. Probably these issues were the reasons which urged him to voluntarily retire from his post, due to which J.K Enterprises lost their ‘Most Successful Leader’. He was a very sincere, noble, humble, honest, optimistic and detached person, who never wished to hurt anyone, either by words or by deeds. That might be another reason why……….

Raghu tried to recollect the best days of his life. The first day which came to his mind, and which still remains etched in his memory, even with the slightest details, was the rainy day on which he attended his maiden job interview at J.K Enterprises. J.K Enterprises was a company owned and founded by Mr. Jay Kumar, a business magnate. Mr. J.K himself interviewed all the candidates. The question which he asked to Raghu, still rings true in his ears-

“What will you contribute to this establishment in case, if you are appointed as the Sales Manager?”

Raghu’s answer which greatly impressed J.K was-

“Sir, the oath which I took before entering this room was that, I’ll answer sincerely and honestly to all your questions, no matter what the consequences are. I am not quite accustomed to flattering or praising others unnecessarily, and I believe that I have always been honest to my society and to my conscience, till date. If I get appointed……..then I will dedicate my soul and body for this establishment’s growth and well-being. I will work hard for achieving the goal of raising this company to the Number 1 position, in all fields.”

Raghu’s sincere reply brought about a smile on J.K’s face, which was a clear indication of his approval to Raghu’s appointment. He saw in Raghu, a dedicated soul, a willing heart, and a sincere and trustworthy worker. Also, Raghu kept his word throughout his career, since the day, on which his first interview turned out to be his last too.

Raghu felt very happy and proud on memorising that particular day. He felt even more relieved. He realised that his pleasant memories are the best medicines which can revive him from his present state. So he decided to resume his travel by the ‘Memory Lane’.

The events which took place throughout the span of his career flashed in his memory in a jiffy. He was a sincere, loyal and efficient worker in his company and was his boss’ favourite. He was also loved and supported, by both his superiors as well as his subordinates. The reasons why he was loved and respected by all, were that he never believed or took part in ‘politics-at-workplace’ and he didn’t support the ‘common policy of humans imposing servitude on fellow humans’. His diplomatic policies and suggestions, which he put forward in the Board Meetings were all unanimously accepted and implemented by the Directors as they were policies capable of establishing and consolidating a healthy relationship between the employer and the employees. Overall, he was a man of ‘intense substance’. He never used ‘the mask of pretence’ during his career and never took part in any group conspiracy. He considered all men as equals, and was of the opinion that ‘Corporate Ranks’ were mere entities, meant to make one realize of the responsibilities and obligations that he has towards his establishment. It never means hierarchy. He emphasised that all employees, irrespective of their rank, should work together as a team, aiming to safeguard the belief and goodwill which their employer has invested in them. Whenever he did something remarkable, he only intended it to contribute to the growth of the company and not to his ‘track record’ or reputation.

These might be the reasons why Jay Kumar considered Raghu, the most suitable person to which he could hand over the charge of the company , before leaving to New York to open his second business establishment there- a venture in collaboration with his friends. Jay Kumar invested his faith and belief completely in Raghu, as he believed that he was a man of great potential and unseen capabilities. His decision was indeed the wisest of all the decisions which he ever took in his life. With the passage of time, the company, under Raghu’s leadership reached the pinnacle of glory. The secure hands of Raghu, who holded fort in J.K’s absence, solely took the company for a magic carpet ride taking it to unrivalled heights of glory. But never, did he act against truth and his own conscience, felt arrogant or envious of others, fell prey to complexes or professional rivalries, behaved in a rude or cold-fashioned manner to his subordinates, and never acted against God’s will.

( Jay Kumar, the founder of the company, had to cross various hurdles in his life to fulfill his ambition,-the creation of the company. He did not give up at adversities but faced them all, bravely. Finally he established his dream project-J.K Enterprises, also without compromising much on his vision. It was indeed a remarkable, painstaking, hectic and noteworthy mission which he accomplished, but at the same time Raghu’s contributions to the company cannot be ignored. Raghu was indeed the caretaker who nurtured J.K’s child with utmost love and affection, in his absence. Under Raghu’s supervision and training, the child grew up to become a handsome young man, achieving greater glories and conquering unreachable peaks. If Raghu had not taken care of him, he might have either died midway or might have been poorly breaded.)

After 14 years of life abroad, Jay Kumar decided to sell his shares in the New York company and to return back to J.K Enterprises. On his return, his loyal servant Raghu offered him the post which he had entrusted to him, 14 years ago with much anticipation. At this moment, tears of mirth filled Jay Kumar’s eyes. Raghu’s simplicity and loyalty, in spite of his becoming a very successful Managing Director, did surprise J.K. Jay told him that his intention was to work in the company as an ‘Executive Director’ for the rest of his life, still leaving the leadership in Raghu’s safe hands. All others welcomed this decision of J.K, with content, except a few who had envied Raghu. Actually they were some of Raghu’s own colleagues, who were reprimanded by him, in the past, for their corrupt exercises in the company. Alex, Ravi, Jeyamohan and Giri constituted this group who hated Raghu to the core, and who wished to witness his downfall.

Alex was the most wicked and villainous of the four, and he was the mastermind behind all their crooked conspiracies. They couldn’t endure the healthy relationship which Raghu and J.K had shared, which they thought might turn devastative to their own existence, and so they decided to put an end to it immediately. Alex framed the plans, Ravi decided their roles in this crooked play, and Jeyamohan and Giri implemented it.

Giri approached Jay Kumar and tried to convince him that Raghu was a pretender and a hypocrit, who wishes to oust J.K out from the company, in order to acquire the supreme dominance over his establishments. Jay Kumar offended and furious on hearing this, initially refused to believe this made up tale, but gradually and reluctantly yielded to the crooks’ cooked up story. Giri along with Jeyamohan, Alex and Ravi, produced fake files before J.K to justify their claim - as a documentary proof to Raghu’s corrupt and unethical practices in the company which seemed pristine and original. They also sanctified their part in the tale, by designating them as ‘Rebels’, who had always tried to oppose and refrain Raghu from practicing unethically and materiously. They also injected a false image of Raghu into J.K’s brain, that of a pretender and a dangerous criminal mastermind, who cares only for materialistic gains and who doesn’t bother in, eliminating others who stand as an obstacle in his path.

J.K asked them to stop as he couldn’t bear anymore of it. The image of Raghu, which he had in his mind, that of-a brotherly figure, a loyal and efficient worker and an intensely noble gentleman - shattered, on his being convinced by the crooks’ tale.

Instead of expelling Raghu, at having heard these shocking revelations about him, Jay Kumar behaved diffrently. Raghu, whom he had loved, respected and trusted, cheated him, and let him his company down. J.K wished to do the same against Raghu. He accepted the advices of the villainous group, to this effect and behaved with Raghu accordingly. He neglected and ignored Raghu’s existence in the office and in public gatherings, utilized all possible opportunities to deliberately let Raghu down by showering insults and complaints on him, accused him of poorly managing the company in his absence of 14 years, magnified the small errors in his decisions and refrained himself from appreciating him for his wise deeds.

For Raghu, the neglection that he had to face, from his ‘Mentor’, was more painful to endure, than the irrelevant insults and complaints that were showered on him. The most painful part was that, he was ignorant of the reason why he was being a subject, to J.K’s wrath. His colleagues too, who had loved, trusted and respected him always, were unaware of the reason why J.K was acting so cruelly.

Somehow, the information regarding the crooks’ backstage play, reached his and his colleagues’ ears. But at this critical juncture, they neither offered Raghu support, nor lamented with him. The reason for this was that, their primary concern was the security of their existence in the company, rather than going against J.K, by supporting Raghu, or on being another victim for J.K’s anger. After all they are humans, pretenders and mere hypocrits, materialistic and selfish time servers, who do not care, to embrace and console others at their adversities. The worst part, is their failure in realizing that, their existence too is transient and that they will also have to confront with the same reality, one day…………

Raghu got hurt, even more deeply, at his colleagues’ neglection. He knew that the truth was on his side, but in order to prove that, he had neither evidences, nor others’ support.

Finally, he came to the conclusion, to quit (to resign from the company). His resignation was not his admittance to the charges, accused against him. On the contrary, it was a decision taken to safeguard his dignity, the company’s dignity, J.K’s dignity and finally his undying spirit of worship and dedication to his mentor and his company. He had lived as a ‘true professional’ and as ‘a man of ethics’, so far in his life. He was also certain that he will die the same. He obeyed his conscience’s orders and decided to give up………… to emerge successful later……in the tally of his life’s contributions……….

Raghu came back to the present. He had intended to recollect memories which might relieve him, but ended up in memorising the disastrous ones, which has now made him, melancholy. He did not seem to be crying, although he was inexpressibly sad. Instead, the Mother Earth herself, seemed, to be weeping at her son’s plight.

The rains got even heavier. Raghu felt uneasy. He felt an intense pain searing upon his chest, which forced him to hold the balcony railings tightly, to support himself. He couldn’t feel the floor for a few seconds, and felt that he was losing on his balance. He couldn’t even call out for help. “Thud”, and all ended.

His wife, who was working in the kitchen, immediately ran out of the house to check the source which caused that deep ‘thud’. She then embraced the shocking reality. She knelt down, looked closer to her husband’s corpse and burst into a cry, all of a sudden.

What you witnessed was a series of deaths - of Raghu, of truth, of the company’s reputation with the invasion of materialistic and corrupt men, of J.K’s true character, of belief and trust, of love and compassion, of respect, of commitments and obligations………………

And ironically, Raghu died on a rainy day………….

********************

No….This is not what happened, actually…………..

Raghu opened his eyes. He was still there in the balcony, holding the railing, gradually coming back to normal….

This was his life’s climax which he envisaged, in his thought process!!!!!

His conscience whispered to him -“You can’t die in such a pathetic and disastrous manner!!!

This is a coward’s way of dying….

Death should be a key for the soul, to eternity….. and not a shameful revelation of one’s cowardice………..

And you are not such a coward. Fear was one of the many kingdoms which you had conquered in your life. And that too, in the distant past……….

No adversities can subdue your devotion to your mentor and your profession.

Truth is immortal. Oblivion can cast a shadow over it, but can never mask it completely.

Truth always prevails, and one day it will come out, like the sun, from a cloudy sky on a rainy day………..