Saturday, August 6, 2011

Dad

Ravi’s flight landed in Bangalore international airport. He is so tired and feeling annoyed. This flight is supposed to land two days ago, but due to some technical problem, it got delayed to today. His work at Paris didn't go through well. He spoke with his manager and told about the situation at client place. His manager was not happy about the outcome. Actually he did his best. But his team was not able to deliver quality product as expected by the client. So, they decided to give significant part of the work in the current project to some other company. He tried to convince the client. However they committed to the earlier decision and gave work to other company. His manager is blaming him for loosing that work. 

Before traveling to India, he decided not to talk to anyone for few days so he switched off his phone. His flight was emergency landed on some other airport because of the technical problem. He stayed two days in a hotel, which is provided by airlines people. During those two days, he was not in contact with anybody.
He took a taxi in Bangalore airport, and told the taxi driver, where to go. While he is on his way to the room, he switched on his phone. The swim card in the phone is enabled to use across the globe. His company provided it. After 10 Mins, he got a call. He saw who is calling. His friend. 

Ravi’s mood is still not good. He thought for some time, whether to attend the call or not. He did not pick it for first time. Immediately his friend called again, this time he answered the call.

“Hello”.

“Hey, Ravi, Where were you man? We all were trying to contact you from past 3 days. We came to know that your flight is delayed, and it was landed in some other airport, but not able to trace you.”

Ravi is listening quietly.

“Sorry yaar, one bad news to you. Your father passed away 3 days back. He got a heart attack. Your relatives tried to contact you to inform this information, but not happened. They waited for you till today, but you did not come, so they took the responsibility and buried your father body. You missed his last moments”.

Ravi is listening with half mind, he did not understand first who died.

“What? Who ?”

“Your father, I know it is hard to believe. But, very sorry yaar. I will come to your room. We can discuss in it”.

Call got disconnected.

He did not believe that his father is dead. He called his relative. His relative confirmed that his father is no more.
Ravi became silent. He could not able to hear any sounds from outside. Outside world appeared so quiet to him. Taxi driver was asking him something. His is seeing his lips moving, but no word from his mouth.

The day before he was traveling to India, his father called him. He did not speak with him properly. That was not first time, that he behaved like that. After joining in this job, he is not speaking much with his father. Whenever he calls him, he talks with him while doing some work on his laptop. Sometimes, he does not understand entirely, what his father told him over the phone.

Few years before Ravi was not like today. He likes his father so much. He has had extremely close relationship with his father. He used to stay with his father in their house.
What caused Ravi to change his life style?
Few years ago…

**********
 May 21st.

Ravi’s father birthday, like in all birthdays, Ravi and his father went to Ravi’s father village. His father grown up in that village. He has so many childhood memories in that place. He will not feel that much happy, if he had been in any place other than that village. Therefore Ravi brings him to that village on his birthday. The coincidence is, Ravi’s birthday is on May 22nd. They will spend those two days in that village. They speak with all villagers. They roam whole village. They play sometimes in old school, where Ravi father studied up to 5th grade. No cake cutting, no party nothing. They do not want to celebrate the party in that way. Instead, they bring some food from the town, and they used to give to poor people in that village.

When Ravi was 5 years old, his mother died. His father took his full responsibility. Though there was a chance for him to marry some other women, but he was afraid that how new women would accept Ravi, so he refused it. Because of Ravi studies, he left his most admired village and settled in the town. From that time onwards, he had become Ravi’s father and mother. Ravi is aware that his father had so much closeness with his village. So, He decided to take him to his village on his birthday and spend two days in that place.
Ravi did PG in MA. He got a teacher job in one of the school in his town. He was a Telugu lecturer. He likes his job very much. While he is teaching, all students listen quietly. He involves entirely, when he is teaching lessons. No student likes to drop his lessons. Other teachers ask him, how did that possible. He used to say, if you do the job which you like most, then you can do wonders in that job. I like this job very much, so I am able to demonstrate lessons heart fully. Students liked it.

The days are going smoothly...

Ravi is going to school, and after school spending rest of the day with his father. One day he met his child-hood friend. He is a software engineer in Bangalore. After seeing him, Ravi got surprised. He was blunt in his studies. Everyone thought; he would ruin his carrier. But, now things are different. He said; he got a car and individual home. His marriage got settled, so he came here to invite all of his friends. He said how much he is earning in his work. Ravi surprised; he is getting 5 times more income than him. He laughed later get to know that how much income Ravi was getting in teacher post. He gave advice to Ravi like, he would get a better job than his current job, and asked him to come to Bangalore, so that he will explore job for him.

After seeing him, Ravi started thinking that his current job is extremely low compare to software job. He slowly started showing his frustration on students while telling lessons. He totally lost his interest on teacher post.

Ravi father worried about him. He was observing that; there is a change in Ravi's character. He is not satisfied as like before. He thought if he gets married then he may change. He started looking for a bride for him. He got a girl for Ravi. She studied degree, and she is a daughter of his friend. Her father is happy to give her in his family.
One day when Ravi was in school. That girl came to school and said, she wants to talk to him for some time. Ravi said ‘Ok’. She said; she does not want to marry a teacher, and settle her life in that town. She wants to marry a software engineer, so that her life will be courteous, and she can enjoy her life in a city. She does not have the courage to go against to her parents. She requested Ravi to cancel that marriage.

Ravi did not speak anything. He immediately went to girl’s father house, and said he did not want to marry her, requested not to ask any more questions, said sorry and left the house.

After this incident, his frustration got doubled on current job. The desire to get a software engineer job increased. He decided to quit the teacher job. He told this decision to his father. His father begged him to re-consider his decision, and asked not to leave this town. But, he refused. He quit the job. Whatever money he saved so far, and some of the money his father gave, he took and went to Bangalore.

He spent six months in Bangalore and learnt few courses. It took another three months for him to get a job. He called his father, and told that he got a job. His father was pleased. He asked him to come to his place, as he wants to see him. He went to town and met his father. After nine months, Ravi meeting his father. His father was happier after seeing him, than when he heard about the news that he got a job. Ravi spent the whole day with his father.

Ravi returned back to Bangalore and reported at his office. First few months, he realized what a software engineer life is. He never experienced that much stress, when he was doing a teacher job. There are no specific timings in the work. One has to work until midnight, if he has unfinished work. Just for name sake there are two days holidays in a week. Most of the time, he has to work on Saturday, and sometimes even on Sunday. His food timings also changed. He is used to eat his food at fast food centers. His physic also changed. Only solace is the income. Slowly, he is adjusted to that environment. He reduced the calls to his father. Initially, he used to call daily, but gradually it became twice in a week, and then once in a week. Whenever his father calls, he speaks with him while doing some work on his laptop. That conversion is also one side. He says “aha, Ok, I’m fine”, then that’s it and says “Bye”.

That day May 21st. He forgot his father birthday. His father called him. As usual, he lifts the phone while working on his laptop. His father asked.

“How are you”.

“Aha! Ok”.

“How is your health?”

“Ok, good”.

“Do you want to say anything to me?”

“No! Nothing, I got to go; I have some work, bye, take care”.
He disconnected the call.

That day night, When he was sleeping, he suddenly woke up. He remembered, that day was his father birthday. He called him immediately. His father attended the phone instantly, as if he is waiting for his call without sleeping. He said “Happy birthday, sorry I forgot. It will not happen again”. He spoke for some time. He understood how his father felt when he said “Happy birthday”. That day, some kind of guiltiness started developing in him. He recognized that; he is ignoring his father.

Next day, His father called him to wish his birthday. He went to office and became absorbed in his work. His colleagues celebrated his birthday.

Days are going so fast. Ravi got a promotion. He became a team lead in his project. His manager decided to send him to Paris. The current project client was not happy with the team performance. Manager recruited all fake engineers in that project. Though Ravi refused at first, because of manager pressure agreed them. They did not have any experience on that work, so client identified that performance of the team is going down month by month. Ravi senior management came to know that; client decided to give most of that work to some other company. Manager asked Ravi to travel to client place to convince him.

His travel confirmed. He started traveling that day. He called his father and briefly told him that he was traveling to Paris.
Despite of his several attempts, the client was not convinced. Ravi was upset. He called his manager, told the situation. The manager was blamed Ravi for loosing that project. He scolded Ravi. Ravi does not have any words, what to say. He deeply upsets with manager words. That time his father called him.

“Ravi, How are you?”

Ravi was not in a good mood to talk. He replied saying “Ya! I’m still alive”.

“Ravi, what happened? What are you saying?”

“Dad, do not irritate me calling so many times. I’m started feeling like; I would live happily if 
none were there in my life”.

“Ravi! Do not say like that. I will not disturb you again. Bye”.
He disconnected the call. Ravi does not know; that day was May 21st. His father birthday.
 
**********
Taxi stopped with sudden break at Ravi’s room. Ravi came back to normal from his memories. Taxi driver told that he reached his room. Ravi asked him to take him to some hotel. He said OK and took him to some hotel. Ravi checked-in in that hotel.
After going inside, he busted with tears. He cried a lot. He shouted like “Dad, I killed you; I killed you. I am responsible for your death. How evil I became. I could not able to see you in the last minutes”.
He fell on the floor. He does not know, how much time he cried. He stood up and went into the kitchen. He decided what to do.
 
**********
Police officer Vikram enters in to that room. A dead body is there inside. He examined the body. He put his hand on body back pocket and removed the wallet. Inside there is a visiting card. He read it. It is written as, “Ravi, Team lead”. He looked around. He found a note on the table. In that note, it is written like.

“I’m committing suicide. No one is responsible for my death. I want my death to be a lesson to all people, who ignores their parents. I request all people who forget their parents due to their busy schedule. Please, you speak at least 5 Mins to your parents daily. Never ever show your frustration on them. When you are talking, you remember that, you are talking with your parents, but not with a stranger. You speak from the bottom of your heart. It makes a lot of difference in their life.”

1 comment:

  1. The story ended with unhappy note. 'Suicide' is not the ultimate solution to the problems human being faced.

    NAIDU KC

    ReplyDelete