IT IS WRITTEN

The apartment building in which I live has 4 floors and I am the tenant of the topmost floor. The first floor is occupied by Mr.Sarma a retired bank executive. I am myself a retired officer of a shipping company but Sarma is elder to me. That morning as I came down I saw Sarma mop in hand standing near the lift well. I wished him when he said laughing “I suppose you’ve come down to stretch your legs! Can’t go anywhere with Covid raging!”

I said “True.”

He said “I wanted to dust the lift cage. I choose minor jobs to kill time. Come in if you’re free. We could talk. I can do the dusting later.”

I went in with Sarma and was seated facing him. On the table I saw a heavy book with attractive leather binding and said “Mind if I take a look?”

“Please do. It is the Fitzgerald version of Omar Khayyam. It is one of my favorites. I chose this leather bound gilt edged book with illustrations as I like the thoughts expressed. It was expensive.”

I said “My reading is very limited. What does it say?” The book was very heavy and I put it back.

Sarma asked “Do you believe in destiny?”

I said “Not particularly.”

Sarma said “I’m a firm believer in destiny. Let me tell you one incident I know. I worked in a bank and it was once robbed. Two fellows, one with a gun walked in and threatened the teller. The regular teller had missed his train and so I had posted another to do the job. The gunman shot at the teller and wounded him in the arm. But before that he- I mean the teller- had managed to stuff the bulk of the currency in the waste basket. Now there was a quarrel between the two robbers and the gunman shot the other dead and fled. He was apprehended after a manhunt t and I came to know that the gunner was given a life sentence.”

I said “Very interesting.”

“I believe the dead thief was destined to die that day. The regular teller escaped as destined by missing the train. I forgot to tell you that the wounded stand in teller was given a promotion for his having hidden currency from the thieves by stuffing it in the waste basket. That was also driven by destiny. As Fitzgerald says “It is a chequer board of nights and days/That destiny with men for pieces plays./Hither and thither moves and mates and slays/And then one by one back into the closet lays.”

I said “I follow.”

Sarma continued “Fitzgerald follows up: “The ball makes no question of ayes or noes/But right or left as strikes the player goes/And He that tossed thee down into the field/ He knows about it all, He knows.” As a firm believer in God I believe in what Fitzgerald has said. God has cast us predestined into the world.”

I said “I suppose what he means is we’re each fulfilling preset goals.”

“Quite right. In the bank robbery case God created the gunner with the desire to seize money. Fitzgerald further says “Oh Thou who didst with pit fall and with gin/Beset the road I was to wander in/ Thou wilt not with predestination round/ Enmesh me and impute my fall to sin.” Fitzgerald blames God.”

I nodded. Sarma said “The stand- in teller recovered from his wound and was destined to get a reward and a rise in status. It was preordained. The gunner killed his associate.  As a poet has said “If God in His wisdom has brought close/The day when I must die/That day by water or fire or air/My feet shall fall in the destined snare/Wherever my road may lie. ”He paused and said “I hope I haven’t bored you telling you about my belief in destiny.”

“No, no. It was quite interesting.”

At this stage Mrs.Sarma served us coffee with biscuits. As we partook of it Sarma said “The seal of fate is firm. Fitzgerald says “The moving finger writes and having writ/Moves on. Nor all thy piety nor wit/Shall lure it back to cancel half a line/Nor will thy tears wash out a line of it.” Destiny is fixed.”

I said “It’s clear. We’re architects of our predetermined fate.”

“Fitzgerald  in the end feels bad and wishes it could be different: “Ah Love could thou and I with fate conspire/To grasp this sorry scheme of things entire/Would not we shatter it to bits/And remold it nearer to the heart’s desire?”

Sarma continued “Gangsters exist. They shoot people dead. Since it is preordained we can do nothing about it. There are many cases where we’re unable to help. A house was on fire and a man was rescued with many burns. He was rushed to hospital in an ambulance which over sped and hit a bus. The man who had been injured in the fire accident died. He was fated to die in the ambulance. It has happened after road accidents as well. Take a plane crash where there’re several hundred people on board. A man who went to see if a close relative who had been on board was alive suddenly saw the body of his kin and fainted. There were many fatalities and some died while in hospital. It was divine vengeance to kill or maim so many. It could be due to sins committed in the past.”

I said “A man I know was in the habit of collecting bribes. I didn’t take action on the man though I had paid. But not all accept things lying down. Someone exposed the wrong doing and the man went to prison where he died while undergoing imprisonment. I suppose that was predestined.”

Sarma said “In these days of increasing cyber crime several hundreds, perhaps thousands are cheated. Say by offering  jobs or citizenship and so on. Law courts are there for solving their problems. Take the case of a marriage gone sour or a bride or groom dying soon after the wedding. These could be deemed to be predestined. They say the barrenness of a wife could also be due to destiny.”

I said “We’ve spoken so much about destiny and we’re being locked up in our homes due to covid.”

Sarma said “You’re right. Covid has caused much damage. The sudden deaths of so many people due to covid could also have been predestined. The message is the fury of the gods towards erring mankind.”

I said “I seek a little help. I’ve been caught with certain shortages in the kitchen. I don’t know when the shops will open.”

Sarma said “Bring me a list of shortages and I’ll try to help.”

I thanked Sarma the man of destiny! He was predestined to help!

END