From the narrator
One day in Kerala, I went out with my friends. everyone was talking about their problems they were facing. Some about divorced parents, others about broken relationships, and still others about not getting a job. I too joined in telling the tales of being a loser but there was one guy named Yashwant in that group who just sat there listening to everyone with a smile. As time went by everyone started to leave and soon it was me and Harsh. I continues to harp on my problems, but he just smiled and listened. Then I asked him, ” Bro, you have only been listening all the while and did not say a word at all, are you so reserved or is there a reason,” He replied, ” Bro, I was listening. Fact is everyone has problems and everyone has their own way to manage or fight with them. You believe that talking to people will help, I don’t. Even I don’t believe in problems.”
I was confused. He continues, ‘Unknowingly everyone here was competing to superiorize their problems, their motive seemed to show who has more problems.” I could not disagree with him, that was exactly what we all were doing.
“Okay bro, You want to see my “problems”, as you guys call it, would you mind dropping me home on your bike?” I agreed and started the bike.
In few minutes we were in front of his home, which was nothing than more than a little shack made of coconut wood. He invited me inside, I followed. Suddenly he started screaming out, ” Amma…Appa…”, I was scared seeing him turning around and screaming for his parents repeatedly.
Then he looked at me and smiled, “See they never answer back. I have been doing this for past three years and you know why? Cause God took them away from me.” I was silent. Then he said,” let’s go to your home now.” I was confused and could not think of anything, I nodded and we moved on.
When we reached my house, he asked me to stop and look around. I really saw my house with same eyes but new outlook. It is a two storey building with an out house. Then he asked me to put my phone on speaker while making a phone call to my mother and said, Tell her you will be late,” he said.
The phone rang and my mother picked up and enquired,” Where are you?” I replied, ” Mom, I will be late, I will come after some time,” in a sad voice,, she replied,”The food is ready and we are waiting for you, come fast dear.” The call ended. We both remained silent for a while. Then he said, ” God’s great bro, life is always great, you just don’t realzse it.”
