Back To Bliss: A Journey To Zero - Santosh Jha (best authors to read .txt) 📗

core trouble-makers for humanity. But in a particular state of time and space, the same five senses tend to become less reactionary and become receptive, capable of attaining wisdom. The positive, if we can make of is that we will someday have a world where humanity will attain this particular mode or state of things greatly amenable for overall wisdom. We need to accept the fact that as civilized beings, we humans have just grown and matured above the state of animalism. This world we live is still very nascent. Four or five thousand years of civilization is a tiny bit time frame in the overall clock system of the cosmos. It is really pity that we die in less than 70-80 years but the cosmic time-scale is huge, in billions of years. We humans in it are in a world which is a just born, in the cosmic time mechanism. I am very sure that in coming few hundred years, humanity will mature and its senses would reach the stage where an individual reaches when he is 70 or 80. If you study the evolution of living beings on earth, you will find how a time frame of a few thousand years is just too little to effect any substantial change. But humanity today is far better off. We have reached a stage of evolution where things are happening real fast. The next few hundred years will do things to humanity which the previous one million years could not do. We have the technological edge now that holds the potential for future. But, if you think things will be there for your kids and their kids, we can see nothing but doom. This transition, humanity is in, shall take some time to wither away and this shall lead us to the era of sanity. That’s why I told you earlier that a desire coming true in a lifetime is a bad idea.”

“Okay Monku, no thanks for giving me a solution that even my imagination cannot foresee. I really thought we have something, even a tiny bit for my generation and my kids. Are you sure we, in the meantime cannot do anything?”

“God…! Why should you sound so pessimistic Utta! Everyone has a chance to understand the wisdom and lead his life according to that. Millions of people in the past have acquired this wisdom even when they were kids. And, we all can work towards a better future for the humanity by attempting to bring about a positive change in the world view which we currently hold and suitably change the faulty mental training that makes our senses not understand and accept the wisdom. We and our kids certainly can opt our truth. We can at least refuse to be part of this world view and opt for an alternative mental training for our kids. The charity must begin at home.”

“Is this all we can do?”

“Yes, this is the only thing we should do. There is a famous story. A great man was dying and his close acquaintance was by his side. He asked him to say something so that he could learn from the great man. The dying great said, ‘when I was young, I thought I would change the world. When I grew a bit older, I realized I could do nothing so I decided I would change the society. I grew old to understand that nothing could change and that is why I thought it would be easy to change my family. Now when I am about to die, I realize that no one even in my family changed and it would have been ideal had I decided in my youth itself to change only myself. That probably would have been possible but I am dying, I even cannot do this.’

Utkarsh did not say a word more. First time in many years, he felt he was alone in this planet. He could not remember his family, his friends or his own being. But he felt light. He felt a void inside him. He realized the zero shaping inside him and usurping all space.

**

CHAPTER 13

“Can’t you be on time for anything important”, Mayank complained lovingly to Ashish as he entered late for the meeting.

“Monku, clear off, don’t say anything to me. Let me have a drink first. After all I am a human being; I can’t handle my idiot boss, this chaotic traffic, Utkarsh’s wife and you all at one time!”

“Why do you curse my sweet little wife, what she has to do with your already troubled life”, Utkarsh asked smiling, understanding quite well why Ashish was referring to his wife for his troubles.

As Mayank helped Ashish in arranging the food he had brought with him and got the glass and ice cubes for his whisky, Utkarsh asked Ashish whether he was successful in doing the work which his wife assigned to him?

“All women in this stupid world are alike”, Ashish declared with irritation writ large on his face as he settled for making second glass of whisky, gulping the first one in one go.

“Brilliant discovery…”, Mayank teased him.

“Monku, don’t pull my legs, I am already in deep trouble because of you.

“Oh God, what I have done wrong?”

“Don’t act innocent. If I love a girl, I tell you the next morning, don’t I? And this stupid Guddi…why should she be losing her sleep if Monku does not want to show her girl to the world! She has made my life hell…how can I find this girl, nobody else on earth knows about her but she does not take this for an answer. Oh my god...how stupid I am...is Monku’s girl around?”

“Relax Ashu, she is not around and don’t be troubled, I will tell you everything and will also take her to Guddi very soon.”

“Thank God. I thought for a moment this meeting was for introducing her to us. So, you are marrying?”

“Yes, I am. But we are not discussing my marriage and my girl tonight. The agenda is different.”

A confused Ashish looked at Mayank and then turned to Utkarsh for help.

“Don’t look at me Ashu, Monku hasn’t even told me about it. We were waiting for you. Monku has said he has something in his mind and before he makes up his mind, he would like you and me to share with him our opinion on that. I think you make a large glass of your drink and we should move to the talk.”

The three settled on the carpet of the living room. Mayank made large glasses of lime soda for Utkarsh and himself. He asked for a cigarette from Ashu and Utkarsh asked him to share it with him. Ashish anxiously waited for Mayank to start the talk even as Utkarsh remained relaxed, stretching out on the floor.

Mayank briefed them with the latest developments in a matter of fact manner. He talked about the options he had in career front and also acknowledged that he had been in love for the last many months and now he was marrying. He then took a pause to gauge the reaction of Ashish and Utkarsh, especially the former.

“Now what you wish to do and what you want us to do”, asked Ashish.

“I am not sure what I want to do and that is why I want you two to give me your opinion about what I should ideally do.”

“If you ask me, I would say you should grab the offer of the rival newspaper. Take the opportunity to enjoy the editorship and do what you could not do so far. I cannot think why you ask me what you should do. Always look ahead and above in life and especially in career. Editorship is a definite promotion and no doubt they will pay you better. Utkarsh would get his transfer in the new place you will go and I will quit my job to get a new one in your new place. Anyway, I am fed with this boss and the company. May be, I will find a suitable girl in the new place too. I now need to marry to keep pace with you.”

“What you suggest Utkarsh?”

“I am not suggesting anything. I believe, Monku has always had different priorities in life and even in his career he values things more than the money and position. If Monku feels he can find better purpose and peace in his existing job, he might well think of remaining where he is. Anyway, the owner has assured him proper audience, so he might be in better position to find his purpose here than going to a new place where he will have completely new set of people to deal with.”

“What purpose…! Jobs have only one purpose; the money that comes with it and the position of greater power. Editorship is bringing him both so the purpose is clear as anything. Utkarsh, we were taught in eighth class that one should always chase what is certain. Don’t you remember a bird in hand is always better than two in the bush?”

“Ashu, media is not a job as yours and mine. Monku is in media not for a living but for a purpose.”

“So you say working for a living is not a purpose? And what is the other purpose? Changing the society? Improving the ways of the incorrigible idiots of this ever-so-in-crisis nation? Making this world a better place to live? What more?”

“My God Ashu, why do you always take things in their extremes?”

“I am sorry Utkarsh...you know I am not good with words. But believe me; I sincerely cannot understand where the dilemma is?”

“You don’t need to be sorry Ashu. Utkarsh and I value your views and your inputs have always helped me see the larger rationality, especially the popular one. I would always want that you should stick to your views.”

“Yes Ashu, Monku values your views very much but I wonder he didn’t call for them when he settled for his life partner”, Utkarsh teased him.

“He consults me only when he is in a dilemma”, Ashish said with innocence. “Now he will need my expertise as your dilemma starts only after you fall in love.”

“Dilemma is not the core issue Ashu. I and Utkarsh believe you are a mainstream person. Your world view accommodates most of the popular perceptions and we also believe that they are very contemporary. When I am seeing things and create a perception about things affecting me, I am led by my own set of ideas which are not mainstream ones. That is why, your opinion counts for me. It sort of balances me. I must declare it that though at times you sound offensively obsessed by your views but Ashu, you are always true to what you feel. Honesty and transparency has always been the hub of the wheel of our friendship. I expect the same from you today.”

“Go ahead Monku, tell me what you have in your heart. Anyway, after I am down three glasses of whisky, I always speak from my heart.”

Mayank paused for a while to pick up the right words for the start. He also repeated his resolve that he would not commit himself to a decision before listening out to Ashu and Utkarsh. He also realized that his words must also reflect his objectivity.

“I think, before I tell you what I have in my mind, I must seek your concurrence on a notion which basically defines what I wish to do. There is a popular theory in political philosophy which says that people enter into an agreement with society under which every person agrees to surrender some of his individual rights so that he or she could enjoy a set of rights in collectivity. There is however also a view that says, rights exist only in collectivity as individuals cannot have rights in isolation. This is one side of the coin. The history however, tells us that collectivity always has instinctive corrupting tendencies as power rests with collectivity