One special quality of time is that it does not stop when someone stops it. The second special quality of time is that it does not move forward when it is pushed forward by someone.
Time can be good and bad for a human being, or it can be difficult and easy, but time itself has no such tendency. The time tends to move on. Time neither stops in good times nor passes fast in bad times. Time is neither clumsy in easy times nor does it become agile in difficult times. Time keeps on moving at its own pace.
There was a time when one year of the life of a young man named Krishna Chandra seemed as if a century had passed, yet his sorrows were not ending. Then the time also came when the same young man started running a Gurukul named Uttarasaadhaka by becoming the pradhanaacharya Krishna Chandra Shastri, then sixty years of his tenure passed as if someone had blinked his eyes. Time remained as it was, if the change had come, it was only in Krishna Chandra's thinking and circumstances.
Similarly, the time was the same for the four students of Uttarasaadhaka Gurukul who filled the uninhabited mound with greenery, insects, animals, and birds with their tireless hard work. Time stayed as it was, if it had altered, then the ideology and situations of those students had altered.
Four years have passed since the day four friends passed an impossible test to pursue higher education. They had promised each other that meet again at the mound after four years.
As promised, Jagdeesh came first at the fixed time. It was only a matter of time before he came when Rasik also reached. Both of them met with great enthusiasm. Both were having fun when Dev also came.
All three were very happy and started roaming on the mound remembering the old days.
The whole afternoon was spent talking. Rasik started feeling hungry. Till now they had not eaten anything while waiting for Batuk. After waiting for him for some more time, they felt that Batuk had become a big man, and he would not be able to come because of his busyness. That's why they thought of opening their bales of food.
Batuk was busy but still, he took out time to fulfill his promise to his best friends. Soaked in sweat he had reached the valley where he stopped to take a breath and looked at the mound.
"The cottage is also there and the crops were also standing green...surprising." words came out from Batuk's mouth with surprise.
Batuk forgot his tiredness and quickly moved towards the mound.
After reaching the mound, Batuk saw that his friends' fields were full of crops and his field was looking barren again. He had expected a similar condition on his farm but the greenery spread in the fields of Rasik, Dev, and Jagdeesh surprised him negatively.
Immersed in his thoughts, Batuk kept looking at his farm. The neighing of the horse broke his attention. Three horses were tied backside the hut.
"These horses... oh these two horses had passed by me a few hours ago. If I had known that they were coming this way, I would have come with them." Saying Batuk moved towards the hut.
"Looks like friends didn't get time to come. Come and see that the passers-by take shelter in the cottage made by us... Let's walk and tell these passers-by that this cottage is made by us only... By the way, the condition of the cottage is good... Oh wow! Expensive shoes..." Seeing three pairs of expensive shoes open outside the hut, Batuk peeped inside.
All three had just taken out the food when they saw a man peeping inside.
Growing beard, long-strange looking head of hair, clothes almost in tatters, and barefoot Batuk stood in front of them.
No one recognized Batuk. But everyone realized that the man had appeared to them on the way as well.
Batuk had already seen the horses as well as the shoes and was stunned to see the friends in beautiful as well as expensive clothes. He thought that if the three princes had gone out for a walk, they would have stayed here after getting tired. But these were his friends who had reached here before him as promised.
Batuk was watching everyone when Rasik recognized him.
"Hey, this is our friend Batuk."
All three apologized to the Food and happily received him. Having lots of ifs and buts in mind, Batuk also expressed his happiness.
"Friend, you have come at the right time, take out your food," Rasik ordered.
"Hey, the food of all three is lying in front, yet why you are interested in Batuk's food?" Dev asked.
"Hey, our food is cooked by the helpers, but Batuk's food is special because the sister-in-law has prepared it with great love with her soft hands," Rasik spoke while having fun.
"Did...you say, sister-in-law, Rasik... Batuk, does it mean you got married?" Dev asked surprisingly.
"And he only called this gourmet Rasik. He neither called me nor even told me," Jagdeesh reprimanded.
"What? You also just found out? Batuk, as far as I know, your village is much closer to both of our villages than Rasik's village." Dev said angrily.
"No, friends no...Don't be in the dark, he didn't even call me. One day while roaming in the market I met our friend Kripaasen. Batuk had not even invited him, but he knew about his marriage." Rasik told the truth.
All three glared at him angrily.
"Sorry Friends, please don't be angry. To be honest, I got married the very next day after I left here. Pitaashiri had kept an eye on the girl, had completed all the preparations for the marriage, and was waiting for my return. The moment I reached....how would I have called you? Believe me, Friends, I couldn't invite anyone." Batuk said and apologized from the bottom of his conscience.
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Vardaan 1...The Ultimate Boon
Historical FictionLife is a story and every story has a writer. As the pages of the story of life keep turning, we start to feel that there is someone who is watching as well as testing us and writing our story. He is continuously observing us with sharp eyes. There...
