Strange we human beings are. Everything about us is such an irony. Take for instance, when we decide to part from something or someone.
Have you ever noticed, our decision to part gets firmer with every request for a hold. The more the person says come back, the more we say no.
Strangely, we part only from those which we know we can come back to.
Everyone knows this, in our drive to do complicated things we entangle
ourselves to an extent that we forget and then we become incapable of
doing things that are simple, taking or doing things as they really
are.
I experienced it yesterday and today. I have been looking out for a
job for sometime now. Finally landed up with two offers in hand.
Fortunately or unfortunately, both happened through professional
friends, hence the hesitation if I say no to any of them how do I?
Though I had made my choice, but saying no to anyone was a challenge.
My first response was switching my cell off. I thought I would switch
off the phone and meanwhile think what to say to the company whose
offer am turning down.
Finally yesterday I thought of some safe ‘lies’ to mail them. Just
before clicking the send button, Baba (my father) asked, “what are you
doing with the laptop so late?”
“I am mailing the company that I won’t join them.”
“Oh ok, read out the mail before you send it.”
“Emmmm ok.”
But like any metro kid who thinks she knows it all and that the dads
and moms still have lots to learn, I thought to myself, ah do I really
need to read it out to him…may be I will send it out and then just
tell him the gist. But then the other side said, hell no..if you were
really that wise you wouldn’t have ended up in such mental mess…just
read it out to him..and I followed..I read out all the lies comprising
the mail…
I was done, and he started at me for a while, then said…
“Why are you lying?”
“Ummm baba that’s how it is..you can’t say the truth you have to
maintain relations in the industry..”
“But I hear it’s a modern and free world. What kind of a world is it
that doesn’t even accept the fact that you have all the right to
decide for yourself which job to do and in which company?”
I stared at him for a while and….
“Baba..yes you are right..”
And booo I went….just a small not..I got a better opportunity that
works well with me..am joining that..hope I have your good wishes with
me…
It was so easy and refreshing to not to complicate things…to say out
things just the way they are…it was wonderful…I just didn’t care about
my industry relations and all the big jargons…I felt everything would
fall in place…or…I don’t want anything in place at the cost of that
peace that cleanliness I felt within…
Next day I got a call from the friend whose team I was supposed to
join…I avoided it twice..I didn’t take it ..I thought well I said the
truth now I don’t want to hear their khitpit…but then ma said, “I
don’t want my children to run away from things.”
“Ufff ok ma am calling back them now.”
“Ammmmm he..hello..hi..sorry I couldn’t take your call.”
“Hi Jhinuk what is this yaa…I almost lost 2 months after you.”
“I understand, but the other one works better for me.”
“Yea but what do I do now..”
“I don’t know, I just know you are a nice person and you don’t deserve
to be lied to..so I told the truth..that’s all I have to say.”
He went quite for a moment, then wished me luck and bid goodbye.
Morale: Metro kids might be good with cell phones, smses and
laptops…but mom dads are best with life…I tasted that cleanliness
within and it’s addictive..I can’t give it up at any cost…whatever it
is…
