A true friend

A true friend

      On that day Nirpur suddenly became alive with a different buzz. The reason for that was Sowmyanand who left the village ten years back to do some business returned to the village again. The noteworthy point here was he did not come to the village with his family. But along with him was a person with very costly clothes, with gold ornaments all over his body. Sowmyanand’s appearance was quite contrast with that person, with ragged clothes and worn out chappals. There was a very pathetic expression on the face of Sowmyanand.

      When he entered into the village, Sowmyanand requested all the people who knew very well, to come to the communication hall in that village. Even those who were not invited also came to the communication hall to know what was happening. That communication hall could accommodate five hundred people and it became overcrowded.

      “This gentleman is saying that he belongs to this village and you all know him very well.” The person who was having that very rich look said looking into the eyes of the people nearby to him. “Is it is right?”

      “Of course, right.” The person who just sat opposite to the rich looking person in a chair said. His name was Damodar and he was the village chief.

      The village chief and some other villagers who thought themselves prominent and considered so by the villagers also sat in chairs. Most of the villagers have to stand as there were no chairs to sit. Sowmyanand stood beside the rich looking person while the same pathetic expression was continuing on his face.

      “Yes, this gentleman’s name is Sowmyanand. He belongs to this village. Ten years or so back he left this village with his family to do some business at a faraway place I don’t know where. We did not hear anything about this person or his family members until now after that day. You may please let us know why you are asking all these questions to us.” The village chief said once again.

      “Sure, I do.” That rich looking person said. “My name is Mukthiraj. I am a rich business man at a faraway place from here. I lend money also to the people in need at a very reasonable interest rates. This good for nothing man…..” Mukthiraj paused and looked into the face of Sowmyanand while saying that and Sowmyanand hung his head in shame. Mukthiraj once again continued his saying “came to me on one day. Even he has no intelligence to do a business and earn, this gentleman is great in telling stories and convincing people. He said that he could do business and earn lot of money. My bad luck, I don’t believe people easily, but believed this person and lent him huge amounts of money. He started some business and lost everything in no time. He has nothing with him to clear my debt and when I press him to give my money back he said that he belongs to this village, he very much intimate with some of the villagers here and they sure do help him.”

      There came an amusing expression into the faces of the villagers who sat opposite to Mukthiraj and Sowmyanand. “And you believed it and came here.” With a small smile Damodar said.

      “You are right.” Mukthiraj nodded his head.

      “Why Sowmyanand is not talking anything at all. I want to hear what he would say.” Another villager Ranjan said. He was the grocery shop owner in that village.

      “What this Mukthiraj said is true. I owed him huge amounts. He is saying he would get me into prison if I don’t pay his amounts back.” There was no change in the pathetic expression on the face of Sowmyanand and his voice was very feeble and weak.

      There was an immediate laughter around. The villagers would not have enjoyed like that at any time before.

      “Sowmyanand you better clear up one thing. We all said to you don’t go away like that to do business whatever it may be. But you don’t listen to us. You went off taking your family with you. Is it is true or not?” another villager Chalapathi asked him. He was the clothes merchant in that village.

      “Yes, it is true.” Sowmyanand nodded his head.

      “We all tried a lot to make you change your decision. You did not listen to any of us.” Chalapathi once again said accusingly.

      “Yes, this is also true.” Sowmyanand was troubling indeed while answering.

      The amusement in the villagers was continuing in the same measure.

      “Then how can you want us to help you, tell me. Once you went on your own, without listening to any of us, do you have any right to ask any of us for help?” Chalapathi was also so much amused and was enjoying the whole situation no less.

      “You may please understand my position. It is not just me, my wife and two children also are working as servants in Mukthiraj’s family. He is saying he would not leave any of us until I clear all his debts with interest. Moreover, he is saying that he would get me into the prison.”

      The prominent villagers who sat just before Mukthiraj and Sowmyanand burst into huge laughter. They could not control themselves easily. “He said the right thing. Why should he remain calm after lending huge amounts to you?” Damodar said.

      “Please help me. Relieve me from this debt trap and I come to this village and live in the way you people ask.” In the most obedient manner, with a pleading look in his eyes, Sowmyanand said.

      Once again the communication hall reverberated with the laughter of those prominent villagers. “So you got your family also into trouble with your foolishness. They have to suffer like this because they belong to you.” Damodar said sarcastically.

      “You people may better clear one thing to me. Any of you do come forward to help him? I have come from a very faraway place believing this good for nothing man’s words.” Mukthiraj said.

      “You have made a waste journey. Why do any of us help him? He went on his own and put himself and his family into difficulties. None of us are interested in helping him. We are not going to clear your debts even a little bit on his behalf.”

      Mukthiraj hissed out heavily and looked at Sowmyanand angrily. “You have not only made me to bear the expenditure of the journey but also wasted my valuable time. You do have special punishment for this.”

      Sowmyanand once again looked pathetically and pleadingly into the faces of the prominent villagers once more and hung his head again.

      The prominent villagers were enjoying all this a lot and did not want it to come to an end. As if to fulfill their wish, suddenly one person making way between the villagers with difficulty, came near to Mukthiraj and Sowmyanand.

      “Sowmyanand, what is happening? Why you are in this way? Why did not you come to this village all these years?”

      “Oh, Ranga you came!” Sowmyanand hugged Ranga. “Whatever money you gave me to do business, I lost it. Then I took money from this gentleman also and I lost that too in business. Now this person is pressing me for repayment of the loan. When I said some of the villagers here do help me, he came here along with me like this.”

      “I sure do help you. Why did not anyone of you tell me about this?” looking angrily into the faces of the people nearby Ranga asked.

      “What! You help him again? Is it is not enough you gave him money before and he lost it with his foolishness?” Damodar surprisingly asked.

      “This person gave money to Sowmyanand before?” feeling surprise Mukthiraj asked.

      “Yes, he sold some of his land and gave money to him. He also believed just like you that Sowmyanand would earn lot of money in his business but it has been turned out like that. What is pathetic here is, he is ready to help him again.” Damodar said.

      “It is his bad luck that he lost his money in his business. What he can do for that?” placing his hand around the shoulder of Sowmyanand, Ranga said.

      “Alright, alright. All I want is my money back. But he owes me lot of amount.” Mukthiraj told Ranga how much Sowmyanand owed to him. “How much of it you can clear.”

      “Not all that.” Ranga said. “But I sell half of my land and give that money to you. Sowmyanand’s family and my family work hard in the remaining land and clear your remaining debt also.”

      “Oh, don’t do that. Don’t sell your land for my sake.” Sowmyanand hastily said.

      “You shut up!” Mukthiraj angrily yelled on him. “Anyhow you cannot clear your debt. You take me all the way here saying someone here would help you to clear your debt and no one came forward expect this man. When he is saying he would clear atleast some of your debt to me, you are going against that too.”

      Mukthiraj paused few seconds and said again “It is better to me to get atleast some of my money back with an anticipation that the remaining would be paid back rather than lost it all. I cannot stay here for long. How much time it would take to you to sell your land and clear some of your friend’s debt?”

      “It may take at the most one week.” Ranga said.

      “You sure did lose your mind Ranga. You do sell your land to help this foolish person! First know what your wife says to you for this. She never agrees to it.” Chalapathi said.

      “I agree to this hundred percent.” None of them saw when Ranga’s wife Leela came there, but she said with a firm voice while looking at Mukthiraj. “I just came to know everything from one of the villagers here. This Ranga is like my own brother to me and his wife is a good friend. I just cannot bear that these good people are working as servants in your home. In addition to the money from the land, I have my jewellery also. It worths minimum five lakhs. Take this also and leave Ranga and his family as fast as possible.”

      “You both have lost your minds! What you are saying that you give your jewllery also to this good for nothing man!” Damodar said with exasperation.

      “In one way they are doing it good. These people encouraged him to go faraway to do business and partly responsible for his state now. Let them help him. Why do we bother?” Chalapathi said.

      “Alright, alright.” Damodar nodded his head.

      Tears were flowing down on the cheeks of Sowmyanand he just remained staring into the faces of Ranga and his wife Leela. “I just don’t know what to say.” His voice choked while saying that.

      “You need not say anything.” Taking his hand into his hands and squeezing it Ranga said. “We work hard in my remaining land, earn money and clear this Mukthiraj’s debt completely. We live happily. Just don’t worry about anything.”

      “Yes, brother. What my husband said is true. You just don’t know how much I am longing to see you, your wife and children all these years. I am worrying myself a lot as I did not hear anything about you people till now.” Leela’s eyes were moist.

      “Oh, how lucky I am, I have got good friends like you.” Hugging Ranga strongly, Sowmyanand said.

      Instantly there was silence for few seconds. None of them there knew what to say then.

      Then suddenly Mukthiraj got off from the chair he sat and looked into the faces of the villagers there.

      “If you all people pardon me, I have to apologize to you for something.” He said with an enough voice to be heard to one and all. In that silence, especially the prominent villagers there, heard it clearly.

      All the heads turned towards him. In fact, the prominent villagers there irritated a little at the turn of the story like that. They did not like Ranga and his wife coming forward in such a way to help Sowmyanand. It picked some interest in them once again when Mukthiraj said so. 

      “Let it out fast, we are not having all the time on the earth to sit here and hear what you people say.” Damodar irritatingly said.

      “Sorry indeed. I did tell all the lies to you till now. But I did not do it on my own. I have done so on the directions of a very great merchant, a very rich person on the earth under whom I am working.”

      Suddenly interest picked up in full measure in all the villagers also. “Who is that rich merchant, what are those lies you told us?” Chalapathi stooped forward in his chair and asked him.

      Mukthiraj started saying as if he did not hear anything. “This Sowmyanand did not take any loan from me. He did not owe me anything. In fact there is no necessity to him take money from anyone since he is the richest person.”

      “I cannot understand even a little what you are saying.” Damodar angrily said. He was indeed in full of confusion.

      “I must say it in full to make you all understand it in full.” Mukthiraj breathed deeply and hissed out heavily. “This Sowmyanand started his business with the money he had taken from Ranga but he did not lose it. He got profits in the business he started and later on he started some more businesses. He flourished a lot and became very rich and famous. I am just an employee working under him.”

      “If he has become that much famous, why did not any of us hear anything about that?” this was equally confusing to Damodar also.

      “This is such a faraway village there is no surprise that you people did not hear about him. But what I have said is true. He is very rich person now and he owns lands and properties at many places.” While Mukthiraj was telling about the details of the properties of Sowmyanand the villagers mouths were gaped with surprise.

      “Once he became very rich and prominent, he wanted to do something to the village where he borne. He just wants to see how do you people react if you think that he lost everything and became poor. He planned this drama and asked me to say like this. I just did what he asked me as I am under his employment.” Mukthiraj confessed.

      Suddenly the pathetic expression on the face of Sowmyanand was disappeared and a small smile embarked onto his lips.

      “Is it, is it what he has said is true?” looking into the face of Sowmyanand, Ranga asked him confusingly.

      “It is as much true as you are the best and true friend to me in the entire world.” Sowmyanand hugged Ranga and kissed on his cheek. Then while looking into the faces of the prominent villagers there, he said. “What Mukthiraj said is absolutely true. In fact I have come to this village to do something to it as it gave birth to me and I grew up here.”

      There was complete silence there once again for some time.

      “On that day itself I thought that Sowmyanand would prosper like this. That was why I did not try to stop him vigorously.” Damodar suddenly said.