Echoes Of The Past

 Mr. Ranjan Kumar Gupta, had worked in a government organization in a senior post, and it was his wish that his son, Ramesh, become a doctor or a lawyer. Ranjan and Ishani were the parents of four children. His two daughters were married, and his youngest daughter was in her final year of graduation. Ramesh was the youngest and the most pressurized. He neither wanted to become a doctor nor study Law. He wanted to become a Professor of History.

His father was furious that he wished to be a professor, and he pressured him to study in the science stream. Ramesh had no other choice but to give in and unwillingly pass his higher secondary examination, securing a 2nd division. Further, he couldn’t pursue a medical career, and after his graduation, he joined a private company.

Ramesh had the habit of looking down while walking as well as when speaking with anyone, whether his friends, colleagues, seniors, or parents. And even with his wife and children. Right from his birth, he had obeyed and had ‘no say’ in his life. The others described him as, ‘bland’.

This is a gripping part of the story. One winter holiday, a section of the office decided on a two-day visit to Digha for the employees. They had to pay some nominal amount, and the maximum would be taken care of by the office.

Most of the people agreed, and in this section, Ramesh was also there, but strangely, he was quiet. Mr. Sinha was doing the collection, and finally, he gave the names to the organizer. The MD was an understanding man, but when it came to office administration, he was strict and never tolerated nonsense. He was a gentleman with a great personality. The others were okay with Ramesh and his family not joining, but the MD found this strange, and more so because he always found Ramesh’s character different from the others.

So, he told his office staff to call Ramesh to see him in his room. Oh! God, Ramesh was so nervous and kept asking if he had made a mistake. Fearfully, he knocked on the door of the MD. The gentleman was smiling, and he asked Ramesh to sit down. Twice he tripped, but somehow, he controlled himself and made himself sit down. As usual, he was looking down. The MD softly asked him to look up, but Ramesh was afraid, and as many times as he tried to look up, he looked down.

The MD asked, ‘Ramesh, who is in your family? ‘Sir, my parents, wife, and two teenage daughters. The MD further said that when all are going on holiday, is there any reason that he is not joining them? Ramesh was mumbling and his words were not clear, and he somehow managed to say, ‘Sir, I hand my salary envelope to my father and am sure that I would not be allowed to go’. The MD looked at his face and just couldn’t believe what he heard. The MD asked him, ‘Ramesh, how old are you?’ ‘Sir, I am one month shy of 57’.

Now the gentleman became serious. ‘You will retire after 3 years and still, you do not know how to handle your finances?’ Ramesh, as usual, had his head down. Then the MD said that when he was a 6-year-old boy, his father had given him a certain amount and told him to manage his requirements as needed for the whole month. When he and his sister grew up to be 8 and 10, they were given a little bit more. The brother-sister bought small pieces of wood and made little toy carts, and when there was a fair in the small town, they put their toys up for sale. They got sold, and the children doubled their money. So, the children learned the art of business and how to make a profit. They knew how to manage their finances.

Along with their studies, their parents had instilled in them the ability to manage finances.

All said and done, Ramesh and his family did join the group for the outing, but all seemed to be somewhere lost. When all the other children laughed and played, Ramesh’s daughters were neither friendly nor happy and seemed withdrawn. They preferred to sit in a corner.

Time goes by quickly, and one sunset, the office bade Ramesh, farewell. In the intervening period, Ramesh got his elder daughter married to an IT professional, and she shifted to another city.

Sonali said

Sonali said that after a few years, while going for a morning walk, she met Ramesh Gupta Ji in a nearby park with a stick. He had a curvature in the spine, and as a result, he had a hump on his back. He lost his wife a year ago, and his parents left before. His younger daughter was a schoolteacher and was not yet married. He had difficulty recognizing Sonali as he had thick glasses.

So, readers, this was Gupta Ji.

Mr. Ranjan and Ishani Gupta were failures in raising their children. All their fake love had gone down the drain. Ranjan worried so much about himself that he thought he would proudly tell his friends, his son is a doctor. His false pride, and coercive measures to control his son had a life-long impact on his health, married life, and appearance.

Often, parents give attention to their own needs rather than having faith and belief and accepting their children's wishes. How shamelessly Ranjan had intervened in his son’s professional life. 

Ramesh was not more than 65, and what a miserable life he was leading. And for whom?