The Relationships

A young guy Viraj, is frustrated by his failed relationships. He quit his job in thinking about it. He thought, "What is the use of a job when I have no one to care and there is no one to care for me". 

From one of the newspaper articles, he got to know that there is an old sage in Haridwar who has all the answers. To find out the reason for his failing relations he thought of going to him.

He sat out on the journey from further south India. After a few days of the journey, he was out of his money. 

Viraj thought, "I have nothing to lose, let's see how far I reach."

Tired, he sat under the peepal tree, which was on side of the temple. He was very hungry and thinking of what to do. A family just came outside the temple. They sat under the same tree and were eating bananas. Seeing Viraj sitting close to them they offered him a banana. Viraj felt some relief to quench his hunger.

There was another family who had come from MP, to visit the temple on their own private bus. When Viraj requested them to drop till MP, for his surprise they accepted. They even shared the part of their meal during the journey.

 Days passed and on another occasion, he went to enjoy the meal in a nearby marriage hall. Even though they knew he was not on the guest list, they offered him the meal, they thought it was not auspicious to send a person hungry.

Place by place he traveled and finally reached the destination. Old sage was knowing why he had come. 

Smiling he said, "So had Rosgulla( sweet) today, at the marriage party."

Viraj curiously said, " I heard it right, you seem to know everything."

The old sage replied, " If I know everything, I am not a human, I am a God. I know, only that you know. I just read your mind."

Viraj then asked, " So why is that my relations do not work out, Guruji".

Sage smiled, "I think this journey has already answered your all questions".

Viraj asked. "How is that Guruji?".

Sage explained, "Relationships are such that it may last for a minute an hour or a lifetime. The biological relations are compulsion like parents family etc. Rest all you build in your journey of life."

Sage further said, "You create a small relation when you shake hands with a person. You talk to a person on the bus, for that moment you have created a relationship. Some times you want to extend the relations to lifetime. The situations can make or break relations."

Viraj interrupted, " But, Guruji how is it applicable to me"

Sage smiles and said, " Do you know, even though unrelated to you, you were supported by many in this journey. Someone fed you with banana, someone offered you a ride and others gave you their marriage meal. They did not do it because they were related to you, they did it as a part of Dharma. Dharma is nothing but the duty. As a consequence of their duty, you had developed some positive relationships with them. Although that relation lasted for a few moments, it will remain in your mind forever".

Viraj was calm now, he said, "Guruji, you have removed a great burden from my mind. But how to maintain a relationship?".

Sage explained "You cannot maintain a relationship. You can perform only your duties. Duties as a father, as a son, towards your loved ones, towards the society and towards the country. Even in adverse situations, which tend to break a relation, all you can do is perform your duty. Once you perform your duty, relations will take care of itself".

Viraj bowed to guruji and left, he had answers to the whole set of questions that were haunting his mind. 

By the way, hope you liked the story. As a reader, "Do you think you have established a relationship with the author?".