RIGHT TO CHOOSE

CHARACTERS

Max: Middle aged businessman

Pinto: Max’s younger brother

Balarama: Family friend

           ‘ I’ve never seen such a selfish person like you in my entire life…even my enemy should not have a younger brother like you….and i am even ready to fall on your feet…but, please go away from this house’…. Max cried uncontrollably in the living room and simultaneously staring at Pinto.

Pinto grinned his teeth and clenched his fingers as if ready to hit someone but, controlled his anger.

‘What!….u want to hit me….come on….go ahead…..for all that I have done…only this is left for me…..u r getting ready to punch me’…Max cried even more loudly and other family members ran towards the living room sensing something went wrong.

‘Mmmmmmmmmmmmm…………..oh no ….i can’t handle him anymore…he is 37 years and still dependant on me even for his bread and butter. ….please ask him to go away wherever he wants…i can’t have him anymore’…Max grieved about Pinto to the rest of the family.

Pinto was hearing to all these and standing still like a ‘rock’ on the sea shore which doesn’t react…no matter how hard the waves of the tide hit it.

There was a brief period of pin drop silence following that as if the moment had been frozen.

‘Thuddd thuddd’..…All of a sudden the door bell rang.

Max started to wipe his eyes which was filled with watery liquid from tear glands and commanded Pinto to open the door.

Not saying a word Pinto obeyed his bro’s order.

‘Welcome Balarama Anna’…..Pinto opened the door and smiled at him.

Seeing Pinto smiling, Max’s anger went out of control and he yelled at Pinto in front of the Mr. Balarama.

‘Look at him... he’s acting as if nothing happened till now….. in front of you ……just to pretend  as  if he is a universally  good fellow….Max complained to Balarama about Pinto.

‘Cool down….calm… leave it to me...i’ll solve it’….Balarama convinced Max with his words.

Since, Balarama witnessed such scenes often times…… he could understand everything without having anything to explain about the situation.

‘What did u do now, that your brother is so tensed?’ Balarama asked politely to Pinto.

Pinto didn’t reply for this…and instead, started staring at Max with his tempered body movements.

‘He won’t speak about all these….because he knows that nothing is right with him’ Max said to Balarama.

‘It’s ok….ok….just leave it…..he’ll change….but what happened today… I’ve never seen u so much infuriated…till date’….sympathised Balarama.

Max banged his head with the nearby wall and started to explain ‘U know the whole world is in disaster with Corona,....,people r dying everywhere and even I had gone to work in spite of lockdown …but, looking at him after coming back tired from business meeting made my blood boil……..he’s actually sleeping wearing a blanket… that too at 6.00’o’clock in the evening……

Moreover…as soon as I came he woke up from his bed and asking me ten thousand for his personal expenses this month.

Who on earth can tolerate this’…..?

Balarama took charge of the situation and asked Pinto to leave that place immediately expecting disaster to happen.

Pinto left the place to his bedroom putting his head down….as if in grief.

Rest of the family members witnessed the scene without uttering a single word.

Balarama waved his hand  to the family members as if hinting to leave the place.

‘I did everything for him even, after our Dad reached heaven 8 years ago. Initially, I invested 5 lakhs for his own business and he put it under utter loss…next spent around 16 lakhs for his marriage and he screwed up that also….although he didn’t give a single penny….and now he is sleeping like a Mysore Maharaja at home. I am fed-up…of all these…..he is such an irresponsible pervert , dependant, self -centred, lazy buffalo….Max murmered to Balarama who was sitting next to him.

Following that Max closed his eyes almost for 25 minutes….until his anger and breathing came back to normal which had gone beyond control for a brief moment.

Balarama put his hand on Max’s shoulder and sighed only with his eyes as if he was saying….Don’t worry I’ll talk to ur brother and solve this issue.

‘Go and take rest……u need some relaxation’….Balarama told Max in a feeble voice.

Max left the place with a heavy heart towards his room and fell on the bed instantly with a big bang after switching on the fan with full speed.

 After a while Balarama left to the living room towards Pinto’s bedroom as he had promised to Max.

Pinto was covered his head with a towel as if he was some seasoned criminal…escaping from media who is trying to capture his pic.

Balarama thought Pinto might be weeping in shame and removed the towel but, for his astonishment he couldn’t see a single drop of tear.

Even Balarama thought to himself….’Is he made up of some stone…who seems absolutely undisturbed by all these.’

Balarama started slowly to Pinto”….Whatever ur brother said is for ur welfare… no one in this world will support his brother soo much….u r gifted in that way…isn’t it?

Pinto nodded his head accepting that.

Balarama continued….’As far as I know, the things that he spoke was 100% truth….what do u sa?’

Pinto shook his head up and down in affirmation without speaking, before putting his down temporarily.

‘Then do something…if I was in his place.. I would’ve probably  thrashed u and made u  bleed to death…for being so immature and irresponsible. At ur age he had bought his own house and u r  still dependant on him for daily expenses…..shameless….ur brother is such a gem…..u r fooling him’. Balarama blasted at Pinto

After a while…. Balarama pleaded holding both his hands and continued…’Plzzzzz plzzzz …I am sorry for being so rude but, I am like your elder brother……and even if u mistake me I don’t mind….just solve this problem and give him some mental peace.’

Pinto stood up for a moment, threw his towel and locked his bedroom from inside in privacy with Balarama.

‘Anna.. I’ll answer to all this accusations about me but, before that just listen to me atleast once…the complete picture…and please don’t interrupt’…Pinto told Balarama while lending him to sit in a chair comfortably.

Balarama was shocked at Pinto’s attitude but, shut his mouth as he had told him.

Pinto opened up “ First of all, 8 years ago after our Dad left this place we were totally broken…and I wanted to start my own health care business in the area of my choice which was flooded with population. But, it was my Bro who decided the inappropriate place….and I couldn’t say NO because he funded everything..

Henceforth, I couldn’t pull the business because of certain Ethics to be followed where we have to treat people as ‘patients’ and not as ‘customers’...i can’t provoke patients to spend for their health unless they feel it’s necessary….we can’t do ‘door to door’ marketing in this.

Secondly, talking about  marriage..…I was totally not interested to marry the girl of their choice…. I repelled for almost a thousand times and still ultimately they made me do it.

I had my own personal reasons for this but they never validated that…..So, even after marriage I couldn’t change my mind….and my better half felt neglected and left me for a brief period.

‘U r listening na’ Pinto stopped in between to question Balarama.

Balarama nodded his head and Pinto continued.

Thirdly, I could’ve bought a house atleast taking loan but they said not to take because if I didn’t pay the EMI on time…it’s the family members who would have been burdened with this and they didn’t allow me to take risk.

Fourthly, today I slept at home in the evening because I was frustrated that my family didn’t allow me to work in hospital treating COVID patients fearing that I might spread it to other family members. I would have had the satisfaction of serving people and even get paid Rs 50k for this…and even that idea collapsed.

Finally, they said there are cases where Corona spreads through ATM vending machines so I couldn’t go there to take money and asked my brother for it in a hurry.

Now u tell me… my Bro argues that I am irresponsible, dependant….and what not… but, I just feel like a void where I feel that I am deprived of the RIGHT TO CHOOSE which is stopping me to work….Pinto bursted  without taking a break .

And one last thing… I smile oftentimes just to please others…. It’s my habit…and don’t cry for anything because it’s my nature to supress my feeelings….now u tell me…we both have a different wavelength….and what’s your judgement and what I should be doing right now…..and he won’t lend his ears to all my justification.

Balarama was dumbstruck by his point of view and explanation….although he couldn’t say a word but, patted on Pinto’s back and walked away towards Max’s room for a better solution ….may be , ..after explaining Pinto’s plight.

                                                                                                                       THE END.