A Collection of Short Stories

Eat your fruit before it decays...

When he was a kid, he used to listen to stories from his grandfather. Mostly it would be of heroes battling demons, or animals outwitting their predators. But once in a while, his grandfather told him stories of human virtues. One day, he told him about Karma. "As you sow, so shall you reap." He ended his tale with these words. The kid nodded and acknowledged his grandfather that he learned the lesson, though he couldn't understand what it really meant. A few years later, grandpa passed away. But the tales stayed behind in his memories.

"Mom! Can you please buy me that toy?" the little kid called out to his mother, pointing at a bunch of toys in a stall in a fair ground. "Not now son. Don't play with these toys. You'll waste a lot of time. First get good marks in the exam that's scheduled next month and then you will get all the time to play." his mother replied back.

"Can I go sit in that roller coaster then?" he moved his finger to a queue waiting to sit in that high-speed ride. His mother repeated the same words again.

He shrugged his shoulders and became quiet. He had gotten used to this reply. When he came back home, he started studying hard, or at least tried to, hoping that his mother would really buy him that toy if he got a good rank in the exam.

Many exams went by like that, each time he was given one excuse or the other. Yet, his hopes to get what he desired, stayed alive. He used to go out and play with his friends. When he reached 10th grade, his parents denied him this privilege too. When he was just going out to play, he saw his parents sitting in the drawing room in a sullen and agitated mood. Naturally, he stopped in his tracks and asked his parents,"What's the matter?"

"Will you keep wasting time like this?"

"Hey! I have been playing this time for the past six years. What happened now?"

"Your board exams are at the corner. If you don't study well and get a good percentage, you'll not get any good job. Work hard now and get good results. Then you will have ample of time to play."

His stamina was just enough for a few more arguments. Then he accepted his defeat and went back to his room. He calmed himself down, remembering his grandfather's lesson about Karma. If he wasted his time now, surely time would not be kind enough to give him what he desires.

Boards went well. He got more than 90%. Now I can finally get some time to enjoy. But he was wrong again, for only a few days later was an entrance examination to get admission into a good college. When his parents came to repeat their charismatic motto, he just raised his hand and stopped them mid-way. "Say no more." and he was back to his books.

He got admission into the college. The level of competition overwhelmed him. His parents didn't need to mention about Karma this time, he went after it spontaneously. But he was already an adolescent. Distractions came in his path no matter how hard he tried to keep them at bay. Sometimes he succeeded, others he succumbed. The difficulty level for the upcoming tests was going to be much higher than all of his previous tests. The next year, he had to give his 12th boards along with a competitive examination to join an undergraduate course. The latter was the mother load of all the tests in terms of competition. It seemed ironical even to him that how in such a crucial period of time that demanded the maximum of his hard work and focus, he was distracted.

He finally convinced his mind and came on the track. He worked very hard, gave hundreds of mock tests, burned the midnight oil and studied and cut out all sources of entertainment. The exams came. Boards were easy, but it was so for everyone else too. The competitive exam, however, took all of his wits to pass through. He finished the exam satisfied that he would get a seat in any of the good colleges.

He worked so hard, surely he must have got admission somewhere right? WRONG! God failed him, thinking that too many successes would fill the boy with arrogance and make him dull. He failed him in all of his tests.

This event made him to believe Karma even stronger. He dropped a year to prepare for the same test again, determined to get a good rank and a good college. He stopped talking with his friends, gave away his phone, reduced his sleep, reduced his appetite. He became emaciated and his posture bent. For six months, he worked so hard that even he felt pity for himself. But this time, he got the fruit of his labour. He went to join the best college in his country for undergraduate courses.

"Finally, end of all misery! Now I can enjoy in peace." He thought to himself. Sadly this peace did not last long enough. The competition again started to show up, now in the form of getting jobs.

"Son, don't waste your time in leisure. What will this singing, writing and watching vain tv shows give? Get a decent job and earn money. Then you will be able to do whatever you want in life with no one to stop you."

He looked at his parents, dejected. "Why don't you sit down, plan all the stuff and finally give me a time when I could finally enjoy?" he thought but dare not speak, for he feared, the act of speaking rudely to parents would bring bad Karma for him. He did what he had to do and got a decent job.

After getting job, "Son work hard and get promoted. Then you will have a good salary to spend lavishly on things that you always wanted to buy."

After earning a good salary,"Son buy a good house. You will have respect in society."

After buying a mansion, "Son, marry as soon as possible. All your friends have married. When you will marry?"

After marriage, "Son, we want to see our grandkids before we die.(Hope you understand what we mean)"

After having kids, his parents passed away after some years. Their role was taken up by his beloved wife and kids.

One day, he finished all his work before time, so he went outside for a walk. It's been a long time since he had a walk alone to reflect on his life. While walking by, he came across the same shop where he once stood and asked his parents. The same toy was still there on the shelf.

He was a millionaire now, had a huge mansion in a posh locality, rode a fancy car, ate at expensive hotels and went abroad for holidays. But he never felt quite at peace even after doing all this. Now, looking at the toy, he once desired as a child, he gave a sad laugh.

No amount of money in the world would buy me that pleasure, a kid would have after buying that.

He looked beyond and saw a group of kids playing soccer. For Karma, he focused so much on work that he made very few friends. Whatever friends he had engaged with him only in formal conversations and meetings. Truly, Karma returned his apathy for his friends by making him lonely.

He went to a bench and sat down, watching the kids play, and pitying the moments he could never live.

A few moments later, he watched a kid tugging his father, asking him to let him ride that roller coaster. "I don't have enough money son. Please understand. Study hard and maybe one day, after you earn a decent salary, you'll get to enjoy the rollercoaster." said the man. The kid nodded reluctantly and accepted his fate.

Seeing this, he went straight to that man who he discovered to be a janitor in his office. The man saluted him but the kid stared at him confused. He handed out a few rupees to that man and told him to purchase the tickets for his son.

"But sir, this isn't necessary. He doesn't need to sit in that joy ride. He must learn to control his desires."

"Just do what I say, don't argue with your boss."

He leaned down and looked at the kid. "Son, remember. Don't waste away your precious present in the hope for a better future. You will never find happiness. Learn to enjoy each moment. Play with toys, make great friends and make good memories. Don't keep the fruit you receive now to enjoy later. Eat it before it rots." The little boy nodded despite not understanding much of what he meant.

As the roller coaster wheezed past. He relived the excitement of his childhood that he never had, in the giggles and shouts of that little kid.