The Potter’s Wheel…

The Raichand family was very rich. Amar Raichand was a very famous business man, but surprisingly, unlike most business men, he was very humble and often silent. Every morning, he would wake up and go to the idol of lord Vishnu placed in the living room and pray. Amar had earned a lot of respect in his community for his nature.

However, his son, Karanveer was a typical mama's boy from childhood. He had a very weak personality. Shortly after his mother died, he got married to a lady called Sheetal. She was from a middleclass family and Amar was pleased by her sober looks. However, looks are deceptive!

Karanveer was a henpecked husband. Sheetal was a very greedy and dominating lady. Sheetal was brought up in a very simple household, and never got the luxuries matching the Raichand house. After getting married, she would not budge for anything lesser than designer item, be it dresses or even a bottle of shampoo. She always wanted the best for herself!

One day, Karanveer asked Sheetal whether she would want to go for a movie.

"Ok, what's the name of the movie?" she asked.

"It's called 'The Potter's wheel'. It's based on a true story and has got a wonderful storyline."

 "Ok. What time is the show?"

 "12 pm"

 "Done!"

The cinema hall was 15 minutes away. They had decided to leave at 11:30. Thankfully, Sheetal was ready on time. The movie was based on a very nice concept.

It was about a potter who loved his job. It was passed down from generation to generation. He had magic in his hands. He had very strong connection with soil, mud and clay. He used to make pots and vessels and face masks out of clay. After the shaping was done, he would put the crafts on a tray and put it in the fire to bake. After the crafts were baked, he would paint and go to the market to earn his living.

He was an orphan and had only his little brother to live with. They meant the world to each other. The young Potter gave his younger brother the warmth of a mother and protection of a father. His younger brother was never interested in pottery. He always wanted to be a successful businessman. However, he didn't have the courage to tell his brother that he wanted to do something else. So one night, he ran away without informing his brother. His brother searched for him everywhere. But he didn't know that his younger brother had left town. The potter kept searching for him for years. Be it rain or snow, he never stopped searching for him. After 7 years, he got news that a body similar to his brother was found near an area covered with grass. The potter was devastated. Without even investigating further, he went into depression. He couldn't focus on his work and soon didn't earn anything and ended up on the streets. After 2 months, he died of starvation. In reality, the younger brother was alive. In fact, he was a very successful businessman. But, he was never happy. Every day he would go to the Vishnu temple in his house and sit there with the same mortified expression.

Eventually, he found out that his brother was no more and he became more subdued. His guilt of never saying goodbye to his brother tortured him from within. He lived with the guilt that he wasn't strong enough to tell his brother the truth……. The movie ended with a moral that, never be afraid to be honest to your loved ones.

Karanveer and Sheetal walked out of the cinema hall. Karanveer was really moved by the movie. Sheetal on the other hand was very irritated. "God! What a cheesy movie! Complete waste of an hour", she said.

 "Wait, you didn't like it? The story was so nice."                      

They were just entering the house when Sheetal said, "I mean can you blame the younger one to want more in life? It's not his fault that his brother wanted to stick to his middle class life".

Amar, who was sitting in the living room, was very irritated to hear this comment. Though Karanveer was surprised, he kept quiet.

"What disgusted you so much, Sheetal?" asked Amar sharply.

 "Oh, it's nothing. We are just discussing a horrible movie your son took me to watch. The name was 'The Potter's Wheel'. It's about this young man who felt guilty for leaving his potter brother behind to achieve something great in life. I just can't understand, what is there to feel guilty in this? What's more? I found a bug on my seat! Disgusting!"

"Well, it's not surprising that a person like you wouldn't understand the depth of the story. Do you know what the problem here is? The younger brother ran away because of the fear of facing his brother, since he wanted something else from life. The younger brother didn't bother to wait to see if the Potter shall support him. When his time came he failed to support his elder brother who supported him all his life. He failed to understand the Potter's love of petrichor and his passion. It is difficult for you to understand. You only look at the sky to frown, when it's raining, and not enjoy the petrichor. These are small pleasures of life that gives immense pleasure, if you have the eyes to see it."

 "Dad you never lose your temper so badly and that too for a movie? What happened to you?" asked Karanveer.

"I wouldn't have reacted had it been only a movie. Do you want to know the real name of the younger brother from the movie? AMAR RAICHAND" said Amar.

You can imagine the reaction of Karanveer and Sheetal after this statement. If I say they were 'shocked' it would be an understatement, for sure. So, I leave it for you to decide.