An Affair with Life

Discussion in 'Jokes' started by hasa, Jan 7, 2008.

  1. hasa

    hasa New IL'ite

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    Sadanand was on his deathbed.
    An ailing Sadanand struggled to make sense of the blurred shadows that flashed before his eyes. Every breath was a struggle for him now; his ears could barely hear the dull sounds in the room. He’d hardly spoken in the past hour: he seemed lost in a world of his own making. Finally, he whispered to his son, Lokesh, who sat next to the bed on which he was born. The whisper was barely audible, though Lokesh strained his ear next to his father’s toothless mouth.
    “What Appa?”
    “Open the windows.”
    Lokesh signaled his wife to open the window. He was too busy counting his beloved father's last breaths. He had no time for such mundane things as opening windows
    A cool wind blew through the open window. Sadanand seemed oblivious to the pitter patter of the rain though his four poster bed was next to the window; it overlooked the huge mango tree in the courtyard. A wayward droplet found its way on the man’s sallow cheek. For the first time in many days, he smiled the carefree smile that his wife had fallen for many moons ago. After Lokesh was born, she’d told him about how it was his smile that had helped her make up her mind. Their meetings by the beach in the pouring rains came to his mind. How he missed her now…
    Sadanand, a scholar of all Vedas, had spent his entire life doing noble deeds. A staunch believer in god and destiny, he used to read the unknown destiny hidden behind countless lines in hand or forehead very clearly. Most of his predictions came true. He had predicted a natural calamity and it came in the form of tsunami. People used to come from far away places to know their future. He was a man of principles and never took a single penny for this. He used to spend half his day in his grocery shop and rest in the near-by temple worshipping Lord Shiva.
    Now, he could sense the Yama approaching quickly. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for few moments, like one does in meditation, perhaps thinking something profound. He breathed hard and opened his eyes. Resting his head on Lokesh’s hands, he mustered all strength and said, “Lokesh beta, I am as good as dead, so listen carefully.”
    Appa, don’t say this, you will be alright,” Lokesh tried to be stoic, but his voice choked as the naked truth raised its head.
    “No son, I want you to do something for me, consider it my last wish, so promise me that you will do it for me,” Sadanand pressed Lokesh’s hand gently with a persuasive look in eyes.
    “I promise, tell me,” Lokesh replied assuring him by gently stroking the dying man’s head.
    “I have seen my next birth. Tomorrow morning, in Hasanpur village, Murali Chamaar’s sow will give birth to six piglets, and the third piggy would be me.”
    Ji Appa,” Lokesh mouthed as he struggled to hide his bewilderment.
    “I don’t want to live a filthy pig’s life and wander into dirty nallahs,” Sadanand continued in a low voice, as if talking to himself, “So I want you to go to Hasanpur, buy that third new-born piggy and kill him immediately.”
    “But Appa,” Lokesh tried to intervene.
    “No beta, you have to do this for me before my funeral, it will free me from all the punishment I am going to bear because of my bad karmas in this birth,” Sadanand almost pleaded, “promise me!”
    “I promise, I will do as you tell me to do,” Lokesh replied like an obedient son.
    “May God give you all the happiness you deserve,” Sadanand gave a relieved smile and said, “please bring Gangajal.”
    Lokesh’s wife quickly brought Gangajal and handed it over to her husband. Lokesh poured few drops of holy water in his father’s dry mouth.
    Rain had stopped. The sun was struggling through the heavy clouds. Sadanand’s dead body was lying on the bed. Lokesh covered the body with a white cloth and with damp eyes, left for Hasanpur village immediately.
    Hasanpur was not too far from his village. It took him around three hours to reach the place. He enquired about Murali Chamaar in the village from some villagers. As he reached Moosa’s home, the cobbler was busy scattering soft straw for the newly born piggies in the pig-shed.
    “If I am not wrong, your name is Murali,” Lokesh asked the fortyish swarthy man. Murali looked at the intruder with empty eyes, and went about his work.
    Haanji, I am Murali, tell me what can I do for you?” Murali replied with a surprised look in his eyes.
    “I got to know that one of your sows has delivered six piggies today, is it?” Lokesh asked.
    “Yes, how you know?”
    “That’s not your concern, I want to buy the third number’s piglet from you,” Lokesh came straight to the point.
    “But…S..ir…” Murali fumbled, “what will you do with a barely one-day old piggy? It’s of no use for you right now,” Moosa asked and told in the same breadth.
    “Whatever I do with it, you just tell me the price,” Lokesh was not in the mood of wasting any time over silly queries. He had to kill the piggy and then arrange the funeral.
    “Well, if I sell a full-grown pig, I fetch one thousand rupees, so you tell how much you will give me?” Murali shrugged and smiled for a moment.
    “Take it,” Lokesh brought out a bundle of notes from his pocket, counted one thousand rupees and handed it over to Murali.
    Murali was stunned. He used to get that much money for a pig which he would feed for 4-5 years properly. But here, he was getting it for a tiny pig which was barely born few hours back.
    “Why don’t you take all six of them, I would charge very much less than the usual price,” Moosa wanted to make the full of the golden opportunity available.
    “No, I just want the third one,” Lokesh replied harshly, “I don’t have much time, so please hand it over to me fast.”
    Murali brought down a small pig whose eyes were so small; one couldn’t guess, whether they were open or closed.
    “Are you sure it is the same which I want, I mean the third one,” Lokesh asked cautiously. He didn’t want to take any chance.
    “Yes-Yes, this is the third piggy, I am sure,” Moosa grinned.
    “Okay,” Lokesh took the piggy in hands and moved out.
    He searched for dense bushes outside and found them easily. He put down the little piggy on the ground and took out a two feet long rope. Before strangling the piggy, he glanced around secretively to ensure no one is watching him.
    Sadness was trickling down from his face. He was a nice and docile man on the whole. He was not very keen to end a new born life but he had promised his father on his death-bed to fulfill his last wish.
    He stood staring the piggy for next few seconds. His face held a quiet intensity that dug its way into his soul.
    Taking one last look, he placed a long rope around the piggy’s neck.
    “Stop son,” a voice fell into Lokesh’s ears.
    He looked around with fear. At first glance there was nothing to draw the eye to him.
    “It’s me, son,” again the voice echoed in Lokesh’s mind. It was his father’s voice. As he saw towards the little piggy, he was filled with sudden shock. The voice came from the piggy.
    Appa, is it you talking to me?” Lokesh was almost trembling with fear.
    “Yes son, Thanks for taking so much pain for fulfilling my last wish,” the voice continued, “but now I don’t want to die.”
    “But…you only said to do this to me,” Lokesh regained his wits.
    “Yes son, I did ask you to kill me,” the voice said, “but now I really don’t want to die since I am in love with this life, and I am pretty happy.”
    Appa, will you live a dirty pig’s life?” Lokesh asked with obvious concern in his sound.
    Beta, today I came to know how much life is dear to all creatures, life is god’s best gift given to anyone. Whether it’s good or bad, I am in love with my existence and that’s what really matter to me right now, I just don’t want to die; want to live this life,” the voice reasoned.
    “Oh…Can I take you with me to home? There you can live a better life than here,” he asked.
    “No son, now I don’t want to leave my mother and brethrens here, so please do one more favor to me, hand me over back to Murali,” the voice requested.
    “Okay Appa,” Lokesh agreed. He was relieved that he didn’t have to end a life with his hands. His father had saved him from a sin he was going to do reluctantly.
    MuraliMurali,” Lokesh called Murali holding the piggy softly from his courtyard.


    Yes Sir,” Murali came out from the pig-shed.
    “Take it back,” Lokesh handed over the piggy back to Moosa.
    “But Sir…” For one moment Murali’s mind went blank, his face covered up with worried ex-pressions thinking about the one thousand rupees.
    “No-No, you keep the rupees with you and this piggy too,” Lokesh smiled and turned back towards the door. Moosa kept looking at Lokesh.
    All of them were happy,Murali for his thousand rupees, Lokesh for not murdering an innocent life and the new-born piggy for falling in love with his new-found life again
     
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