The Man on the Mount

CHAPTER 1

THE LIFE

Long, long years ago, in a small village of Western Uttar Pradesh named Saspur, there lived a young boy called Subhash. He was a very brave boy. His father was a poor farmer and mother, a housewife. Their house was kind of old, made of mud and straw. Subhash does not study in school. His father told him that he will also do farming when he will become an adult. But due to his behaviors', the villagers loved him. He was a child of about 7-8 years. Even at that young age, he made a group of friends comprising of five boys of the same village. That group was a benefit to the village. That group of chums helped people to get rid of different situations and works. Subhash was very intelligent. No one can tell that he doesn't know the value of education. Even his parents didn't know that he knew studies. Subhash helped many people and acquired knowledge from them in free times. But then also his parents told him that he can't do anything in his life. But Subhash had such powerful willpower and determination that a knowledgeable person even can't compete with Subhash concerning studies and intelligence. At the age of 19, he started private tuition under the shade of a big banyan tree. He used to buy many books on Geography and Mathematics by spending the fees that he got from the parents of his students. Slowly, he became popular and his name can be heard in the mouths of many different people for his fame in teaching. His name even went too far off places like Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, etc. Many people would now send requests to Subhash to teach in schools, colleges, etc. But Subhash told that he will not go anywhere by leaving his parents and the village, that he saw from birth. His cousin, Shyamal, lived in a village called Durpur, which was 3kms away from Saspur. Shyamal was also very intelligent as Subhash. Shyamal's father was an adventurer and mountain trainer, who went to the far off Himalayas for an expedition. One day Subhash came to Shyamal's house for meeting him as Subhash had not seen Shyamal for half a year. He had arrived at Shyamal's house at 9:00 am. While having lunch at 2:30 pm, Shyamal's father told Subhash about the expedition that he underwent. He went to the mighty Himalayas. He said to Subhash, "Subhash when you were nearly 3 years old, I went on an expedition to the Himalayas. I and my five old friends went there. We started from North Lopa village, from there, we climbed the Himalayas. But the full expedition had not been completed because of a problem and we faced a danger. I don't know whether I can solve that mystery or not?" Subhash was listening to him carefully. He completed his lunch and went to bed with Shyamal for a nap. But he couldn't sleep because of a question that arose in his mind. He questioned himself, "But what were the problems and the danger that he faced?" After nearly 10mins, he slept finally. In the evening, Shyamal asked Subhash whether he will play with him or not. But Subhash replied, "No" Shyamal became sad and went to play with his friends. Subhash went to his maternal uncle's room and asked, "What were the problems that you have faced during the adventurous expedition?" Uncle said, "No, first tell why this question arose in your mind." Subhash said, "No, just as my mind's exercise. I have asked you for sake of my convenience." Uncle replied, "Convenience....what are you trying to say?" "No, no I am trying to tell that my mind doesn't always stick to one topic; it is having a variable position. It wants to acquire more and more knowledge as it can", said Subhash. Uncle said, "Hear me...... When I and my friends went climbing the mountains, a problem knocked on our path, the problem was that an avalanche hit our way and one of my friends fell from the mountain and died. I, including the other four friends, went above. Everything was normal, free, and fine. After traveling extra 8kms, many holes seemed. Those holes seemed to be such mysterious that we feared to pass those. The expedition was failed due to this danger that limited our will power and sharp determination to dust. So we came back sorrowfully. But, I have heard from a renowned historian that there is a mighty temple on the Himalayas where there is a very costly element belonging to about 10 lakh million years ago. But nobody had ever seen it." Subhash listened to his words carefully and told to himself, "When nobody can see that element, why can't I see that?" He questioned himself and finally, he made up his mind to go to the Himalayas and to find the mystery of the element. He said to uncle, "Okay, I have understood the story of your expedition, let's see what I can do now... Uncle thanks for telling this dangerous story." "What have you told just now, I can't believe it? 'Let's see', what do you mean by this?" asked Uncle. Uncle replied, "No, no uncle, I was just trying to say that I am amazed by listening to your words", replied Subhash. Telling these, Subhash went to the bedroom, sat on the bed, and was thinking and imagining about the old temple and the old element. The next day, at sharp 7:00 am, Subhash went back to his own home at Saspur. There, he told his parents about the story that he heard from his uncle. Subhash's parents were also mesmerized after they had listened to that story of risk and adventure. After telling that story, Subhash went to his room, took out the atlas that he bought by spending the payments that he got by doing tuition works. He searched for the mighty Himalayas and noted down the map from North Lopa village to the Himalayas. When his mother came to his room, calling for lunch, she saw that Subhash was looking madly at the map of the Himalayas. After calling five-eight times for lunch, Subhash replied to his mother's call and said, "I will go to the dining room after a couple of minutes." Subhash, now open his diary and wrote the names of villages that felt in the path from North Lopa village to the Himalayas. And, after two minutes, he went to lunch and after eating, he came back to his room. He now slept there for one hour and after waking up, went to nearby ground and was thinking about the story of his maternal uncle's expedition. Subhash sketched the map and kept it inside the showcase. During dinner time, Subhash was eating and was thinking about how the expedition will occur if he will go on the expedition. But, Subhash was not thinking about his life, he was only thinking about the adventure that will occur. Subhash was very brave. After dinner, he went to sleep and was thinking about the mysterious hole on the Himalayas that his uncle saw. He told himself quietly, "What was that? Is it a religious material or natural material?" He questioned himself several times, but he could not find an appropriate answer to his question. Thinking and thinking about the mystery, he slept as he was too tired to think of the answer. But he did not leave from finding the answer. The next day, at the dawn, he went to a nearby shop and saw a rich man coming out of a costly car. Subhash asked the rich man, "Can this car go to the mighty Himalayas?" The man replied, "Don't say nasty, you are poor, and be like a person who always loots the prestigious things of the rich." Subhash felt extremely angry. He answered with pace, "You are having a lot of money, so you are selfish. I understand your problem. But, do you know that poor were not in this world, can you do agriculture to feed the country?" The man kept silent and after a moment he tried to kick Subhash, but during that time Subhash's friends came and saved him. Subhash went back home and he questioned his mother, "Mom, why do people become so selfish when they have money as power?" His mother replied, "See Subhash as all the fingers of your hand are not equal; similarly all people of this world are also not equal." Subhash nodded his head slowly and quietly went back to his bed. He sat on the bed with a diary and a dictionary. He wrote a short poem on people: