The Unbearable Summer

I was on my way to my village in my car with some of my friends. It was month of June. Hot summer, killing heat of sun, absolutely unbearable. I said to my friends in car, "Guys, who told you to make a travel plan to village in this hot summer. This is not enjoyment, this is a torture. I cannot tolerate this excessive heat." One of my friends laughed & extending a cold drink bottle towards me, "Hey Piyush, chill man! Have this cold drink." I thanked my friend. We were enjoying talking to each other but the heat was so unbearable, I seriously wished for rain.

As we moved ahead, we saw a shop, selling cold lassi. We stopped there and started drinking cold drink. I said, "Now this is something much better than cold drink." We all felt relaxed after having lassi. As we were talking, suddenly my eye stopped on an old man, working in the fields. His whole body was sweating in heat & his feet were full of mud. He was around 70. We all were surprised to see his hard work. Picking his plough firmly in both hands, he was ploughing the fields. We stayed there just looking at him. For 20 minutes we observed his hard work. After 20 minutes a small boy came to him. The boy said, "Grandfather, please come. Mom & Dad have prepared your favourite lunch. Come on, how long will you work." The old man said, "Your parents are always worried about me. So many times I told them that these fields are my true home.Because of these fields we get food for our families. It's a blessing. I love being here." The little boy again said, "But you will fall ill because of this hot sun". The oldman smiled and said, "This is Sun God. We pray Sun God early morning. We are children of God. God never harms his children." He smiled & started working again.

I was just staring at him with a smile on my face for 20 minutes. He was consistently working. Looking at him I said to my friends, "Summer is for everyone. We spend few minutes in heat & behave like we will fall ill & start demanding glucose drink. But just look at this man. In this extreme heat, with his full body sweating, he is working non- stop with smile on his face. Situations are equal for all of us. How we see those situations, that makes the real difference in our life."

Reaching my home in village, my grandfather and grandmother welcomed me warmly. My grandfather said, "Come with me. You please sit in this room. This is very cool. I will just bring lassi for you." Saying these words, my grandfather covered the window with curtain & switched on the fan. He said, "Somebody please bring cold lassi for my grandson. He is tired. He has travelled a long way. Till he is here, it is responsibility of all of you to take care of his comfort.

Piyush, son, please don't go outside. The weather is too hot. You will fall ill. I am going to meet sarpanch of the village for some crucial task. In the evening, when the weather is cool, we will have an evening walk." He smiled & left.

Sitting comfortably, I was just thinking about that farmer. Even my grandfather, who was an old man, was going to meet sarpanch for some important village task. I thought that living a luxurious city life under protection of my parents, with all the comforts of life right at my doorstep, I was not aware how hard many other people are working to take care of their families. That hot summer day, I received a lesson that will be with me forever. Even old people are not wasting their time sitting at home. They are involved in social causes in the same unbearable summer, in which I just want to relax.

That day I received a lesson that will stay with me forever. Weather conditions should not decided our routine. What needs to be done, it must be done at all cost. Whether it's cold or hot season, work & responsibilities are always priority.