Choices

CHOOSE!! Right or Left!!

Uttering this for the millionth time Janus was tired, It was not helping that Janus to the right was not cooperating, he was flicking their hand, making humans forget momentarily what they were doing. It was one of his all-time favorite tricks."Stop it", he snapped in irritation, Janus right jerked his face upwards in surprise, Well he was usually mild-tempered but today was not one of the days. Well do you have that feeling when choosing anything a general feeling of haste and 'let's just get it over with'

well, that's all thanks to this gentleman or rather God, Janus who ranges his domain over choices, transitions, gateways with one head to the left and another to right his unique appearance plays an equal role in his godly turf. We can't see him but he is always the one helping us through our choices. "Choices are easy. To choose right or left, What's there to deliberate?", Janus to the left(Let's call him JanusL for our convenience) muttered. You see he was helping out this mortal girl transition between college and job and she is taking forever. He should know that since he is immortal. It was not as if there weren't longer decisions than this but with the advent of the Internet his patience waned away and this mortal was taking way longer time than normal people would. Suddenly JanusL lightened up. The decision was made then, she would continue with her college which was " A very bad decision really", JanusR drawled " She's over-estimating herself and It will end with a...nervous breakdown", he predicted lazily preening his hand. Did I mention that one head sees the future and the other past? I guess not...well, now you know! 

" This is interesting, let's move on then?" JanusR asked then they got into his car which was modeled after his appearance with a hood to front and back and named aptly after him too...Janus.

  "Choices! Choices! Life is full of them isn't it?", Mrs. Sharma wondered as she was making coffee for herself. She certainly needed this caffeine after the tense showdown today at lunch between her husband and her children on what to do with HER money that she saved up for years after leaving her career successful one at that, as a lawyer for her kids. Not that she regretted it, no, she didn't right? Her inner voice did her no favors today and kept its calm. She sighed what was she expecting laurels? She was told every woman had to leave her career behind at some point, She was warned continuously but she was stubborn did not heed anyone's advice. But she couldn't bring herself to take upon her practice again and to leave her second child right after he drank disinfectant due to lack of supervision. Sure their grandmom took care of the children but she was growing old too, how much really could she take at that ripe age? So the answer was her leaving her career. Then when she did, she took the remainder of the money she saved after all of the expenses and fixed deposited it all in the bank for a rainy day. And when Mr. Sharma came back from the bank yesterday morning, he gave her the news that her deposit matured and was due to be drawn. The whole family was to meet for lunch today as it was the weekend. Her elder daughter, Damini now married lives in the same town, teaches English at some NGO, and visits her every weekend. Her son, Sandeep completed his engineering and was upset when he did not manage to snag any job relating to his stream and when he did manage to get a job as a manager in some relatively new factory soon left it as he was dissatisfied with it and now is prepping for competitive exams living with his friend. He too visits at weekends. So tonight at lunch her husband came straight to the topic of her money and proposed that they buy a new house in a remote location full of peace and quiet. Sandeep seemed to be offended at that proposal and counter suggested that they buy a car for easy commute and emergencies and hinted 'subtly' that remaining money should be invested in his friend's startup. " No one owns a bike these days dad. ", Sandeep claimed, "and you are speaking of leaving a town full of amenities far away from us to that remote location at this age?", he demanded. That struck a nerve. Ever since Mr. Sharma retired he was touchy about his age. After which they took turns shooting each other down and stormed away.After which they dumped the responsibility of the decision on her as she was well the "decision-maker" except that choices weren't hers. But well, the decision had to make and she weighed her options, she drained her mug of coffee but didn't land on anything. " That's it", she said to no one in particular " I'm going for a walk to clear my head".

   "WELL, that didn't help", she thought. She came to the park to clear her head and probably take gulps of fresh air. But the afternoon and aftermath haunted her and the decision weighed upon her. As she was mulling over her choices, She began pacing at an isolated area in the park. " If you walk any faster you will set the grass on fire, dear", Her husband called as he approached her. His face seemed peaceful and calm no doubt due to the nature walk. She was about to reply when she saw a mixture of confusion, horrified, amazement all at once on his face." What's the matter ...?", she questioned him as he gestured wildly at the sky. " That's not a sight that greets you every day", was the only thing she could think. A UFO was floating in the air, wait...no that looked nothing like UFO no that looks like a funny car with two hoods, She racked her brains for the name of the car. It floated near the ground and landed with a bump and out rolled an even a stranger sight a man an albeit normal one except that he had two heads each facing opposite side and seemed to be in a bit of an argument." The stupid car should have forsaken it decades ago", the left one seemed to be saying " You and your stupid fascinations!" It was supposedly cursing the right one, which is weird, As the other one was equally cursing both its face and the car, which is getting weirder by the minute. "It's all your fault, you didn't take the one I first liked, being all honorable and taking this dingy piece instead" It argued. Seeking an opening her husband muttered " who...who are you?" he asked while still shaking like a leaf. It seemed so shocked that we spoke to it, it dropped its argument and the left face looked shocked while the right one did not seem that affected. " You mortals can see us?" It questioned ."Yes...?", my husband replied with apprehension.

Then it started conversing among itself and ignored us completely." they can see us", one demanded and the other one drawled back" So what it's not a big inconvenience many mortals used to see us all the time before."

"Yes,' used' to but how can they?", it demanded furiously." How do you expect me to know?", other snapped back " I can see the future, You can see the past you should know." Though shaken by this, Mrs. Sharma can't help but glance an amused look at her husband. He looked more shaken and shocked than the time when their daughter announced that she was not 'feeling it' in her studies and would like to discontinue and get married.

After a whirlwind of crying, cursing, threats, and more tears she agreed to finish her studies and then get married. Shaking herself out of the memory, she reprimanded herself. What's with today and why is she sitting around and recollecting the past? She gathered her courage approached it and demanded what was it? what it wanted. At first, it looked furious and then calmed itself and bowed and one side said," My Lady, I am Janus the Roman God of transitions, gateways, choices, beginnings, and endings. I believe you have a choice to make?" she faltered" A God...like God God?." "Very much at your service." She did not want to believe it well, him but not every day a man with two heads bumps into you randomly with his two-headed car and claims to be a God and seems to know that you have a choice to make. She looked at her husband and he was opening and closing his face like a fish, meeting a god makes you that she stifled a small smile. Then she turned to God and asked him hopefully," Then will you help me make this choice?" God smiled ruefully and answered, "I'm afraid not you make the choice and I just guide you ." "That's helpful" I murmured. Then suddenly God boomed, "CHOOSE! RIGHT OR LEFT."

Her husband who seemed to have recovered laughed, "No Pressure or anything." She boiled with anger, " why does this man find everything funny?" she thought furiously. Then sighed heavily and composed herself "All of this is not helping, she had to think straight." She mulled over and over again on her choices on one hand a brand house away from the hustle-bustle but it would mean no weekly visits from her kids and losing all her friends and neighbors and also all the work oh, the work she did not have any help and insisted on doing all the work herself to give her a sense of usefulness at that time she left her practice and her husband though in early days insisted she have a house help but afterward did not bother asking her again, If he had, she might have agreed to employ someone and she didn't ask him either, she prided on fact that she was a good homemaker and didn't intend to break it.

It did come to bite her in the back and lead to many health problems.

She did not want to go all over that again at this age though her husband seemed to illusion them in youth they were not what they used to be.

On the other hand, she had the option of a car. Well, she did wanted a car when she was young once but now she was quite happy with the bike they had and was quite used to it. When they did need a car they loaned it or took a cab. As for the investment, She knew clearly that she wasn't giving a penny of her money to Sandeep's friend and his idiosyncratic ideas he has one every month and weasels money off his friends. They tried to warn Sandeep but he told them not to worry and he is an adult not a child anymore and understands this better than them and we let him be. They trusted him so they let that matter rest. Her brain was muddled.

"I need a break", she cried out loud then she intended to startle the two men near her. Her mind started racing it's her money, isn't it? She can do whatever she needed with that. So steeling her resolve she said, "I want a break, I want to go on vacation preferably overseas." The God looked shocked he was shaking his head and looked confused. She finally stole a glance at her husband who melted his face into a smile and said," That would be nice Surya. You deserve it and it's your money after all."

She cast a relived smile and opened her mouth to explain, her husband cut her and said, "You need not explain. I'm ashamed for what happened today at lunch, we did not ask your opinion at all and started arguing among ourselves. I'll explain things to kids if they are upset." She felt her heart bursting with gratitude and held hands with her husband. 

"Awww, That's sweet", the right side of the god who had been quiet all this conversation said. He then added as an afterthought, " I need a vacation too". Then after they thanked God for his guidance and bade him bye. She added," I need house help."

 As the car rose from the ground, JanusL looked at the old couple who held their hands and looked blissfully in love. "Hecate would be proud. She would go on bickering millennia trying to explain to me that choices are more than right and left. I think now I see it", he said to JanusR who seemed most disinterested. When their car was landing in their office JanusR asked with a perked-up voice," So...about that vacation you want is it for a decade or millennium?"