Secrets Of Happiness

Secrets Of Happiness

4 mins
210


Every year I eagerly waited for the summer vacation at my school, for it was the only time when I would visit my village with my parents, and live there for a whole month with Grandmother. Since my father, who was a school teacher, always remained busy in his school-related work and there were not many long holidays, so we found the summer vacation as the best opportunity to visit our native place and live our life on our own accord for a whole month. It was the best kind of life when there was no tension of any kind.


Neither was there any fear of classwork nor any tension of homework. Complete freedom was there. We had got complete freedom from study. However, we had our books with us, but that was only for show and to escape father's scolding. Sometimes when there was an excess of noise, he would scold us and ask us to sit with our books, and like obedient dogs obeyed his instructions, but we knew that soon he would go out and join his friend, and we would again be free to play.


During those days, all my time got spent in playing with my siblings and friends. We all were very happy. However, sometimes we got disturbed because of our neighbour, Dinesh Uncle's family. They always kept on quarreling on small things. The situation was that if the first half spent peacefully, the second half spent on abusing and quarreling with each other. The children lived in fear. They had given them strict warning to play with us , so they did not play with us. If their parents ever found them talking with us , they would not be spared.


One day when we were playing in our courtyard, they somehow slipped out of their house and came to us. We were very happy to see them and soon we started playing together. They also started laughing and dancing with us. We had never seen them so happy ever since we had arrived at the village. But suddenly their happiness disappeared. They started shivering with fear. Before we could understand anything, Dinesh uncle dragged them to his house and gave them a good beating.


The children cry rent the air. We were too sad for them. Though I wanted to help them, I could not. That day I felt very ashamed of myself. Just then, my father arrived from somewhere. When he learned from us what had happened and heard the cry of the children, he could not stop himself. He directly went to their house and severely scolded Dinesh uncle and his wife.

"If you cannot give them happiness, you have no right to take it away from them, " said he to them.

Dinesh and his wife both were speechless.

"You're worse than demons. Even they don't torture their children as you both do. "

"But Bhai Saab... ! They are not like your children. They always keep on troubling us. " their mother said.

"They're troubling, or you both are troubling them. Since we've come, we daily see you both fighting with each other. You have turned your house into a hell."

They lowered their eyes. A line of tears started flowing from Dinesh's eyes.

" You had better kill them at their birth...that would be better than this tortuous life that you both have given them. "


Each word of my father pierced their heart, and they fell on his feet asking for forgiveness. As if he was waiting for this opportunity, he raised them from his feet and said, "Dinesh, running a family is not that easy if you keep on fighting with each other. What has happened with you, has happened. It will not change now, but you can still try to give a good life to your children. "

Dinesh and his wife seemed to understand him.


He said, "We too want to live peacefully, Bhai Saab. But when she says some nasty thing, I really go out of control, and then... "

"Don't flare up. Keep cool. If you flare up, your house will burn to ashes, not others."

He looked at them. My mother had taken the children to our home.

"Listen Dinesh! You just cut your words by fifty percent, and she will also do the same. In a few days, I'm sure, peace will return to your family, and you will be able to give a good life to your children."


Both were listening to him attentively. Perhaps the magic of father's words had started working.

"The more you ignore each other's mistakes, the happier you and your family will be. "


That evening, Dinesh uncle and his wife, both came to our home and lovingly took their children home. Thereafter, I never found them quarreling over anything. Perhaps, they had learned the secret of happiness.


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