An enigmatic tale, in three parts, beginning this week, by Monalisa. An exclusive for Different Truths.

On the eighteenth floor of a high-rise Condominium block down the High Street, Sachin woke up to a dismal and cloudy sky. He cursed the world. He did not feel motivated to go for jogging. He turned off the alarm and cuddled up to his blanket as he sat on his bed. Even after waking up from sleep, he did not feel cheerful. He grumbled why life is so merciless to him and why he is unable to find happiness in his life. Since he left his job in India and accepted a job offer in Toronto, he found himself obsessed with his work.

As the Director of Information Technology is one of the most reputed banks of Canada, he was always under the pressure of his workload. The challenges at work kept on getting bigger and bigger and as Sachin was not the one to back out from a new challenge, he pushed himself harder and harder. He was consumed by his hunger for more, more money, more prestige, and more power. Things never seemed to slow down at work. Eventually, his marriage with Neha failed. He had no time to speak to his close friends. At forty-five, Sachin constantly complained that he was ill. He never seemed to laugh anymore.

He was consumed by his hunger for more, more money, more prestige, and more power…. Eventually, his marriage with Neha failed.

Sachin came back from his thoughts and struggled to make up his mind to go for a walk to nearby harbour-front. Finally, he found himself walking towards the waterfront at the Toronto harbour with a suicidal tendency, as if he had a death wish. When he was just a foot away from the water, he stared at the flowing water, the abyss of the water looked deep and inviting. All of a sudden, the wind brought the fragrance of Jasmine so intoxicating that he looked around to locate the source of the fragrance. To his surprise, he found an elderly man with a turban just behind him, smiling at him intently. His look was so intriguing, Sachin felt like as if the man knew Sachin from a long time.

“Hello! how is life?” Asked the stranger in a voice as deep as limestone.

“There is no ‘life’ in my life,” Sachin said with frustration.

How is life, by the way? Sachin asked a courtesy question.

“My life is a fragrance of jasmine in the gentle spring breeze.” The man said with a smile.

The man in turban told certain things about Sachin, which Sachin never told to anyone. He was shocked to find that the stranger knew his life in-depth.

“I can see that you are in tremendous stress, what happened?” the man asked. The man looked deep into his eyes with so much tenderness and love that Sachin almost melted under his gaze. Then something magical happened. The man in turban told certain things about Sachin, which Sachin never told to anyone. He was shocked to find that the stranger knew his life in-depth. After asking a few questions, Sachin has to learn that the man in a turban is a famous yogi from the southern part of India, who was able to see his past.

“Close your eyes”, Sachin heard him say. The stranger touched Sachin’s forehead for a moment. Sachin felt as if he is going into a deep sleep. The man handed him a piece of paper. Sachin stayed with his eyes closed for a few minutes and when he opened his eyes, the man was nowhere in the sight. He looked around just to realize that the Indian yogi had vanished. He opened the piece of paper which read:

You are carrying the burden of debt for long and the burden has now become very unsettling for you.

“You owe someone a debt of gratitude from one of your previous lives. You are carrying the burden of debt for long and the burden has now become very unsettling for you. If you want happiness back in your life, meet Leena and serve a meal to her satisfaction. She lives at Sunrise Homestay & Banquet Hall, Goa, India”

 A week later in Goa, India

Sachin arrived in Goa airport and took a taxi to his destination. It took the taxi driver for almost two hours to reach the property. It was huge and clearly titled, “Sunrise Homestay & Banquet Hall”, Sachin had no problems in identifying the place. He entered through the large iron gate and crossed the lawn to reach the entrance of the banquet hall.

He is looking for a girl, who does not know he exists or the story that has brought him here.

Standing there, Sachin was lost in his thoughts. He is looking for a girl, who does not

know he exists or the story that has brought him here. He has no reasons to be discreet but still, he has to be careful. He is standing near the doorway and surveying the golden banquet hall, filled with refined bodies in saris, suites, and beautiful young women with straight hair. He saw a teenage girl coming out of the banquet hall, derailing his thoughts. He asked for Leena and the girl pointed to a small two-story building adjacent to the banquet hall, which showed the way to “Sunrise Home Stay”.

(To be continued)

Photos from the Internet