SELF CENTERED

SELF CENTERED

It was mid summer. The weather was cloudy, hot and sultry. I was returning home late at night from Amar Mahal after visiting a friend. I noticed the time was past 11.30 pm. As I approached Eastern Express-Agra highway, I saw a crowd of people standing near a public carrier. Out of couriosity, I asked a passerby "kya hua bhai, ithna bead Khun hai". He said " Arre Saab, ek admi us larry ke nechye kuchal gaya hai".

I just nodded and proceeded further home. On second thought, I turned back and went to the accident site, got mingled with the crowd and went close by to see who is the person met with the accident.

I was stunned on seeing the victim. He was Vijay's father, Jagadeesh. Vijay was my close friend and college mate. His father laid on the road beside the truck's left tire, his limbs eagle spread. There was blood all around him. He was still. His two wheeler was lying behind the truck, few meters away. He was thrown off his two wheeler, when he was hit by the truck. Unfortunately, he was not wearing helmet. The driver of the truck, ran away after the accident, leaving his vehicle there.

Vijay's father, Mr Jagadeesh age 66years was a retired person from a reputed trading firm, where he served for nearly 45 years.

Vijay had his own real estate consulting business. He was doing quite well even though his father Mr. Jagadeesh, was very much against doing business. His father was a very conservative person and was against doing any business. He used to say, doing business is a very risky option. If the business fails suddenly it would become very difficult to run the family. 

He wanted Vijay to take up a job in any firm which can guarantee him a regular income but my friend Vijay was not inclined to work under anybody. He wanted to have his own business employing some few persons under him.

Soon after graduation he joined a real estate firm and was doing marketing, introducing clients to new apartment's, and projects of new construction work wherever it was going on.     

The company had a huge clients base for buying and selling of apartments, plots, etc.etc.

He worked in that company for two years and after gaining experience he wanted to start his own real estate business.

His father was very wild when he started the business. He said who will give a girl to you for marriage, if you do not have a steady income. How you will manage if your business fails. How will you able to run the family. His father was heaping all negative aspects of business and was trying to impress Vijay to take up a job which will provide regular income month after month.

Vijay paid no need to his father and went a head with his venture. He opened his office in a place where lots of new construction work was going on and also appointed two young boys for marketing and a personal secretary to keep him updated with all the official work, while he was away meeting builders and clients, introducing each other and convincing them to book an apartment in their on going projects.

His business slowly picked up well. His personal secretary ms. Anita was very efficient and gave quite a lot of suggestions to Mr Vijay. The two marketing employees were also sincerely worked for Vijay and they boosted his business to a great extent. 

He will visit the office everyday in the morning by 10 am, brief his personal secretary on the days work and leave to meet the builder's and clients with whom already he had fixed appointments. Evening again he will visit his office by 5 pm get all the information of the days work from his secretary and brief her for the next day. He and his secretary would be in continuous communication over the phone throughout the day. All these helped the business to flourish and slowly he and Anita developed a liking for each other which later developed into love and they decided to marry. 

His father again went against his wishes as Anita was not belonging to their caste. He just blasted Vijay for showing interest in marrying Anita. He lamented who will marry your sister if you marry outside our caste. What all our relatives will think and what the neighborhood will say about us.... He was very upset with Vijay and told him if you are going to marry Anita, get out of this house, you look after yourself, I will have nothing to do with you and don't expect anything from me.

Initially Vijay could not make any decisions. Later he had a long discussion with Anita and decided he will book a flat and shift from his parents home. As decided, he booked a flat with a well known builder getting good concession and additional facilities exclusively for his flat. He paid the initial amount and applied for loan through his bank for the rest on EMI. He kept the matter with himself and his father was not informed about his decision to shift away from the family.

He and Anita decided to marry once the flat gets ready, so they can directly move to their new dwelling soon after marriage.

His flat was ready with in ten months and the keys of his flat was handed over to him. With the keys in hand he and Anita planned to furnish the flat.

They furnished the kitchen with granite cabinet to keep all the utensils and other sundries. They purchased a gas stove and a grinder, juice maker, a washing machine, fridge etc. all that is required to start a family.

The bedroom was furnished by a double cot, with soft bed and pillows and two steel cupboard to store their clothes.

The front room was furnished with a sofa and four cushion chairs. Anita decorated the front room walls with some of her art work, which she herself did during her college days.

They now decided to get married and settle down in their new, own home.

Slowly, Vijay opened up with his father on his decision to marry Anita. His father was wild, he started shouting at him, if you marry her you will not live in this house. Vijay said he already purchased a flat and he will be shifting there once he get married. His father shouted, you are bothered about only yourself. What about your sister, have you thought anything about her marriage. First look for a good alliance for your sister and get her married, then you do whatever you want, but listen to me , I will not give you anything from my asset's, everything will go to your sister.

Vijay did not protested for a share in his father's assets, he only said if I look for an alliance for her, you should approve it. His father said first bring in a good alliance I will approve. 

In the mean time his sister Reema was protesting against her marriage at this young age. She was only 21 qualified in biotechnology and wanted to study further. Her father was very stubborn. The earlier you get settled down the better it is. As you get aged, it will be very difficult to find a suitable boy for you. But Reema was also stubborn and said she was not ready for the marriage now.

In fact Reema was in love with one of her fellow batch mate Rakesh and knowing well of her father's behaviour, planned for a registered marriage before revealing the truth. 

Now due to the change of events, her father's pressure and her brother's urgency to get an alliance for her at the earliest speeded her plan to elope with her love Rakesh and go ahead with registered marriage.

A month passed by one day Reema did not returned home from her institution where she was working on a project for jaundice patients.

Her father was panicky and looked for her every where. Next day morning one of Reema's friend whom her father contacted the previous day called up her father and told that Reema got registered marriage at the registered office yesterday. she said Reema called her up and gave the message and also wish to come home with her husband to take blessings of her parents and brother.

Reema's father got into a shock, dropped the mobile down with out speaking a word. He never expected, his little pretty munni will do such a thing. She was silent all along and was postponing her marriage for higher studies.

 Now all of a sudden, this news of her marriage with a stranger put her father in a dilemma. He felt ashamed and disgusted with both his children. He was just muttering how will he face his neighbours, relatives and his friends. He was literally crying loud with his wife comforting him. He started blaming his wife for not bringing up both the children properly. Now they are going their own ways. He was feeling like killing himself instead of facing the society. He was just thinking how people will talk about him and his family. He could not bear the humiliation. He was very disheartened  with what his daughter has done. He never expected this from his daughter. He just kept on brooding. Slowly he was getting into depression.

Here Vijay was very happy about his sister's marriage. Now his father can't say anything against he marrying Anita.

 Since he lost the courage to disclose his wish to marry Anita to his father in the present situation, he took the bold decision to marry her like his sister, Reema's way. Yes get registered in the marriage bureau, with few of his friends and slowly break the news to his parents later.

One fine morning he dressed up neatly and went directly to the marriage bureau. Anita and his friends were waiting for him. The moment he arrived, they approached the registrar and signed on the dotted lines confirming their marriage. The registrar declared them husband and wife and they exchanged garlands bought by their friends. Distributed sweets and went to their office, celebrated their marriage with cakes, snacks and tea and then left for a good restaurant for lunch.

That evening he did not go home. They both went to their new flat which was fully furnished for their first night. They both decided to live there from then on.

Next day morning, he called his mother and disclosed the news to her. His mother became tensed immediately. She was very much worried how to reveal the news to his father. Already he was upset with his daughter's marriage and now this.

Mr. Jagadeesh, felt something amiss looking at his wife Yashoda. He realized something was wrong and prodded his wife to come out with the truth. She could not resist and disclosed the news to him.

He raised both his arms and said, let them go, they both have become very self centered that they take their own decisions. No respect for their parents. If they do not want me, I also do not want them. I have nothing to do with them. I will think I have no children. 

Vijay wanted to come home with Anita to get blessings from his parents but his mother dissuade him as his father was in no mood.

That evening his father went to meet one of his close friend, who was very caring and used to give him valuable advises. He poured out all that happened in the last few days and was literally crying for the way his children has treated him. He was feeling unwanted and was lamenting everything to his friend.

His friend consoled him and gave sound counselling. His friend told him to accept the reality, since they are not in your control just accept them. Call them and bless them and let them lead their life, their own way. His friend advised him not to bother about what others will say or think, every family faces umpteen problem with their childrens. He councilled him for hours together and late night Vijay's father left for his home relieved a bit. He was proceeding towards his home on his two wheeler when the truck hit him, ending his woes once for all.