DESTINY BUT 800 KILOMETERS AWAY

He got off the bus, tired after the long 800-kilometer journey. He stretched while feeling the humidity rushing towards him. The chatter and noises of other passengers gathering their luggage reached his ears. One voice stood out among all of them. It was his enthusiastic Kaka waving his hands vigorously and yelling his name.

“ Shankar! Shankar, Shankar ! ” he called out.

Shankar shook his head laughing, and walked towards his Kaka.

Shankar was a simple man from a small village in Maharashtra called Nanded. He lived with his parents, wife, and children. His father was a farmer and so was he. His father owned land when he was young and taught him about farming all his life. His family did not get much money because of untimely and excessive rain. They could not provide education for him. He started taking care of the farm when he grew old enough. His life was perfect until the monsoon season came. During the monsoon period, the area experienced the heaviest rainfall they could ever imagine. This excessive rainfall spoiled all the crops and left Shankar and his family without any money. His luck wasn’t with him at that time. Somehow Shankar earned something for his family. He then decided that he would go to some other place and find work there. So in hopes of finding work, Shankar came to Pune with his family. When he bid adieu he was not sure whether he wiped away a tear or a raindrop.

“ Namaste Kaka,” said Shankar while touching the elders’ feet. He could hear his Kaka chuckle and say, “Jeete raho beta.”

His kaka lifted him up from the shoulders and embraced him. “ How are you ? ” asked Shankar.

“I am alright, where are your wife and child? ” Kaka asked Shankar with the Luggage. Just then someone from behind them yelled, “ SHEKHAR KAKA !!”.They both turned around to see a child about the age of two escaping from the clasp of his mother and running towards them. He was Shankar’s son. He jumps into Shekhar’s arms and he twirls him in the air. Shankar smiles and sets his worries and fears aside for a moment.

Shankar sat near the window of Shekhar kaka’s house aimlessly watching as the raindrops fell to the ground. Most people think monsoon is the season of romance but for him, it was only grief and poverty. He felt an everlasting dull ache in his heart. It pained him to leave his village and family. The same village where he grew up playing hide and seek with his friends. The same mother who fed him food with her own hands. The same loving father who used to give him piggyback rides on his shoulders. The same field where he grew his crops, muttering a small prayer to every seed he planted, hoping that it would grow well. 

 He felt eyes boring into the back of his head. He turned around to see his wife standing near the door. “ What has happened to you? you haven’t said a single word to anybody since we got here ” she asked.

“ I’m worried Kalyani, I’m worried sick. I’m scared. Will I be able to help our family, will I be able to do this? ” Shankar replied looking vulnerable. Shekhar kaka entered the room and sat down and explained to him "Shankar beta, what kind of job are you looking for? Pune is a huge city people have all different kinds of jobs with different wages, there is a job in the construction site, there is one job as a mover and packer, there is one as a house help and finally there is one as a gardener".

 Caught in surprise Shankar asked his Kaka "But how many of these are for an uneducated man?''

"I think that the construction site would be the best out of all those options.''Kaka said and by that time Shankar's wife had come in the room with 3 glasses of Chai.''So what have you decided to do?'' Shankar immediately spoke'' I am going to take a job as a construction site worker."

They started sipping their tea "When can I go there and start my job?'' Shankar asked curiously. Kaka started laughing and said "Beta it is not that easy to get a job. First, you need to go there and see if they have a job that they can offer you and if they don't, you go over to the next place."

The next morning Shankar woke up early for his interview. The first place he went to rejected him. Shankar was feeling as though his hopes and dreams were shattered and his fear was taking over. Then he remembered what his father had always told him ' REJECTION is just a REDIRECTION '.He gathered the courage to go over to the next place and to his luck he got the job and he started going every day.

Once his wife asked him "Should I come with you to the construction site? It will be double the income for the family.'' Shankar immediately said '' No! I will work extra if we need the money but I will not let you work since our kid is only 2 years he needs his mother and since we have another child on the way. His wife looked at him with admiration and hoped that their children would turn out to be like him.

Time flies away and no one knows just how fast the night changes. Now Shankar is the father of two children. He has been living in Pune for the last six years with a job. His family was used to the new surroundings by now. Every morning he wakes up early and makes food for his children and leaves for work. Currently, he is working in Ganga Legend in Bavdhan. His work finishes at 6 o’clock but he works extra hours till 9 0r 10 o’clock to earn more money to provide education for his children. He felt his children should be educated, have proper jobs and not be living their life the way Shankar was living his life. Even after 6 years he still misses his village and everything about it and because of his job he only gets to visit the village once every 2 years. Shankar is content with his life and loves his family and friends. He believes he has found his destiny, too bad it was 800 kilometers away.



STORY BY ~
ANANYA SINGHAL & BHUMI PANDE