A Resolve To Get Cheated

I was swinging between Resolution ( Sankalpa) and Indecision ( Vikalpa).But somehow I decided to make the day a memorable one. None can stop me from my decision except myself.But I did not want to stop myself.So when I got up in the morning I looked at my palms and said,कराग्रेबसतेलक्ष्मी, करमध्येसरस्वती,करमूलेस्थितौब्रह्मः, प्रभातकरदर्शनम

"Lakshmi is in the finger tips,Saraswati is at the center of the palm. Shakti is at the base of the wrist, it is auspicious to see the hands at the beginning of the day" .

So I repeated my resolve, “I shall set out today to get cheated or surrender myself totally for cheating”. To give strength to my resolve ,I sat in my shrine room ,after my bath, and prayed to God, in a subdued manner,saying , “Oh God,I should positively gain success in my resolve made today. You have helped your devotees like saint Tukaram,Narasi Mehta,Meera,Surdas,Kabir etc in this Kaliyug to get cheated, sorry, gave them power not to get cheated as a result they became “Sant Shiromanis”You made them from a very ordinary to very renowned”

Let me be simple and an ordinary devotee to get cheated. You have been cheating many by your pleasing face as Mohini,and all of them could feel your grace even while cheated.”Oh God !, would you not give a poor destitute like me the privilege of getting cheated ?”

I thanked God for accepting my prayer as I could feel the flow of immeasurable energy through me.After finding from the almanac the period of Rahu Kala as 10-00AM to 12-00 noon I set out during that period to get the grace of Rahu in my mission of getting cheated.

I drove out in my car. On my way I found a petrol pump where I stopped to get petrol filled in my car. It was a golden moment for getting cheated as none paid attention to the meter during filling at the rush period and due to constant blowing of horns from the rear.If you had not seen the meter set at zero there was every possibility of getting cheated at the hands of the filler. It had happened many times in my case. Due to my bad luck there was no queue as I was the lone person to get petrol. I felt a little sad because I was not getting my mission achieved. I consoled myself as it was only a beginning. Filling of petrol started in my car. But today it was quite unusual. The filling boy maintained a regular flow of petrol through out during filling and he had not throttled the flow. Also I got more petrol for the same amount. When I looked at him surprised he said, ”Sir, from yesterday night the price of petrol has come down by Rs 2.50 per litre. So you have got more petrol for the same amount”.This was another disappointment.

After the work at petrol pump I went to the bank.Due to want of adequate parking space near the bank, the parking was to be done a kilometer away mostly.But today I got a parking space quite near.After parking the car as I climbed to the second floor through the staircase it was 10-05 AM. I thought of spending some time waiting at the staircase till it opened.But what I found there was something unbelievable.The grill door of the main entrance was open which normally was found closed till 10-30 AM. I swept my eyes and looked at my watch giving it a mild jerk. The watch was working and the time shown was also correct. All babus of the bank were at their seats waiting for the arrival of customers.Earlier, I found the cashier and babus entering the bank ,one by one ,only after 10-15 AM as if they would be sinners if they came early. Today they were at their seats waiting for customers which was quite unusual. Earlier customers had to wait for the babus to come. I was the second or third customer. In a subdued voice I asked the security, “How is it that all babus are ready so early to serve the customers”.He gave a mild smile and an expression to make me accept it as his reply.I thought it futile to ask him any further.

By 10-30AM a substantial number of customers were present when the Bank Manager announced ,” I request all customers not to go anywhere.Our Regional Manager will cut the cake today in your esteemed presence”. I could not make out anything as whatever was happening there had never happened before. A big cake was brought.Just then a dignified officer wearing a tie entered.It was learnt that he was the Regional Head of that bank. He cut the cake and in a few words wished all well to the bank.Only then I came to know that it was the anniversary of that branch today.I too joined in sharing the cake ,biscuits, soft drink etc forgetting that I had gone there to get cheated.

I gave a pinch to myself and asked within myself,” Hi sonny, how is it that you wanted to get cheated today but enjoying the cake, soft drinks instead?” I was thinking seriously how I had spent hours on queues, even with sin

Advertisement

gle window service shuttling from one section to the other till I came to the payment counter. But today everything was going so smoothly which bothered me because I was not accustomed to prompt service. It looked as though we had entered a new age. My God ! I have not got cheated here also by delayed service or red tapism.

From there I went to the Life Insurance Office for payment of my premium..There was no queue in the counter. I came out and read the board. Yes, it was the Insurance Office. Although I knew the process to pay the premium through online service, I followed the instruction of my best friend who said, “You must deposit the premium going to the office not because I follow that practice. But because when you go to the office, either inside or outside the office you meet some strangers- meeting them gives an opportunity to talk. You, being a literary minded person, may come across some interesting points or anecdotes during discussions which may fit into your stories or for writing new stories.

I could not still make out as to whether his proposal was to help me or to inconvenience me. Following his instructions I paid my premium personally going to the office. I got materials for use in my stories or to start a new story.

Sometimes even the wrong advice of a well wisher, given deliberately ,proves beneficial. I was standing at the counter of the Insurance Office where there was no queue .I could not believe that here also the job would be over so soon . Where have I got cheated?I could not get time even to think about it because I was not cheated anywhere. What transformation has come to the world !There is none to fulfil a wish of a poor destitute to get cheated in this world – neither the time nor the people in the offices or queues..

Then I went to a cart vendor to buy fruits with the full guarantee that I would be cheated. It is a known fact that the measurement of weight varies from a cart vendor to that of a shop, There is no need to confirm the truth of this statement. So I thought that my resolve to get cheated might get fulfilled here.With this fond hope I bought from the vendor a kilo of mangoes. I didn't even ask whether it was exactly one kilo. The vendor told without my asking ,” Babu Ji don’t think that I , being a cart vendor, may cheat you on weight.See here, I have a digital weighing machine .I challenge you to get it weighed elsewhere and if found any discrepancy come to me. I shall give you back 2 kilos instead”. I told him politely , “ I have not told you anything.”

The vendor smiled, but I was a little disappointed.. I deliberately did not pick the mangoes myself so as to give an opportunity to the vendor to cheat me in weight or give a few rotten mangoes. Understanding my doubting nature he said, “Babu Ji check the mangoes. If there was one rotten mango, please take two good mangoes.”

His confidence shattered me from inside. Oh My God ! “What is happening?” wanted to get cheated, so I came to the cart vendor to buy fruits. Here also I got disappointed badly.My mission of getting cheated has not been fulfilled. How could this happen? Have the cheaters ended their cheating business?I am unable to believe it.

Oh God! Please see your world. How much change has come in human behavior. Till yesterday those who were cheating have changed their principles and ethics. Now they have become real human.How much change has come to the world and to the human nature. I wanted to hum but I felt as though a bow was pierced into my body. My resolve to get cheated remained unfulfilled.

With a keen desire to get cheated I went to the office , market, bazaar, cart vendor,etc but got tired. Whenever something happens to you that you did not wish , even the good things happening make you unhappy. You start losing energy. For example if a man accustomed to eating all polluted items are served with pure milk, curd, ghee, he might suffer from indigestion and dysentery, losing a lot of vital energy. Exactly the same thing happened with me. With a sad disappointment I came back home, ate my food and started pondering. How does it happen? Why was I not cheated? Is there some good Karma from this life or the previous life which protects me from cheating? Then I decided that even if I desired to do good Karma I would say Tauba.

THE END

Original Story:- ( Thagane Ka Sankalp)- A Short Story In Hindi By Mishra Brajendra Nath In Your Story Club

https://yourstoryclub.com/short-stories-funny/sarcastic-hindi-story-thagane-ka-sankalp/index.html