Plan of Destiny

I was planning to visit Chandigarh city to meet with one of our prospective client for finalization of an order. I tried to book my ticket in Shatabadi Express, but due to non availability of confirmed ticket, I decided to proceed by car.

I left home early in the morning and stopped at a highway hotel for my breakfast. The highway restaurant was over crowded in the morning hours due to very heavy rush and I had to wait for more than ten minutes to get a seat which I had to share with another family of five members. One middle-aged couple along with an elderly woman and two grown up kids were having their breakfast. I was feeling very hesitant to share the table with them in the beginning but I had no other option except to sit with them and have my breakfast. If I did not do that then, probably, I would not be able to reach Chandigarh on time, which in turn, could cause a delay in my coming back home the same night. Finally I decided to order my break-fast along with a hot cup of sugar-free tea.

An old lady who was sitting next to me interrupted the steward to re-orders her tea without sugar for herself. Later, she gave me a broad smile and said thank you. Immediately, the couple with the old lady also instructed the service-boy to get for them also tea without sugar and all of them started laughing very loudly. The Lady wished me with folded hands and gave a brief introduction about her family member’s with a soft smile.

She first introduced her husband Dr. Ramandeep Singh; Mrs. Surinder Kaur mother of Ramandeep; Ravinder and Parvinder Singh, her twin sons and at the end she introduced herself: Dr. Sukhmani Kaur. Then, I got up from my chair wished everyone with folded hands and introduced myself.

After the breakfast, we were all served tea without sugar. The grown up boys asked for a cold coffee with lots of sugar and ice. I mixed one sugar-free tablet in my tea and offered the same to them also, which they accepted with lot of hesitation. And we started communicating with each other freely over the cup of 'sugar-free-tea'.

The couple came to Delhi airport last night to receive their mother coming from London along with the twins who were studying in senior Cambridge. Now they were going back home to Chandigarh where they are having their own Nursing Home. Dr. Ramandeep is a gynecologist and Dr. Sukhmani is a pediatrist. They completed their Post Graduation from one of the top Medical Colleges of New Delhi and for the last fifteen years or so they were successfully practicing in Chandigarh.

Since Dr. Ramandeep’s sister, who was also a Doctor by profession was settled in London from a long time. Therefore, they decided to send their twins to London for further studies and the old lady was also staying along with the kids to look after them. They came to India to meet with their parents on holidays and will be back to London within next four weeks.

I was wondering, when they are so well settled and earning fairly well in India, why then, they had sent their young kids and an old lady far away to London. May be they wanted to earn more money so that they could also get settled in London or any other country of their choice at a later date and live happily thereafter. It was anybody’s guess. Somehow, I was not comfortable with their present state-of-affairs. But then, since I was a stranger to them, it hardy made any difference to either of us. Moreover, neither I had the obligation nor any right to be judgmental in this case. Therefore, after saying good bye to them, I started walking towards my car.

I was about to start my car when I saw Dr. Sukhmani walking straight towards my car. I immediately came out of the car and waited for her to join me. She first apologized and later forwarded me her business card and invited me to visit them in the evening before leaving Chandigarh, if possible. She was looking very fair, tall and slim with long hairs and brown eyes. Although she was around fifty years of age but she was looking very decent, kind, matured, sober and quiet. Although her face was glowing and smiling but her deep dark brown eyes were looking very sad. I could not make out what was happening to her, and to be honest, it was rather very difficult for me to guess whether she was happy or sad at that very moment.

In exchange, as a matter of courtesy, I also offered her my visiting card and assured her that if I stood back at night in Chandigarh I would definitely try to visit them. She wished me good luck and walked back towards her car slowly with a very heavy heart. I was unable to make out exactly why?

I reached Chandigarh before noon and met with the client but thereafter the meeting continued with the client’s consultant till late evening and I decided to stay back for one more day and leave for Delhi next day evening after meeting few more clients. Meanwhile, I also made a hotel booking for my night stay and informed my wife about it.

I finished my last call around eight in the evening and proceeded towards my hotel. After completing the check-in formalities, I enquired about Dr. Ramandeep’s Hospital and was informed that it was not very far from my hotel. Therefore, I made a call on Mrs. Sukhmani’s mobile number, but she did not pick up my phone. I then sent a sms on her mobile and informed her about my hotel stay. She responded by writing back that she was in the Hospital and would call me back as soon as she was free.

After half an hour or so, I got a call from the reception desk that somebody had come to pick me up from Dr. Ramandeep’s Hospital. I was bit surprised that she did not pick up my phone in the first place and now she has sent me a car, why? It seemed a mystery but never the less, I decided to visit her. Within next ten minutes I got ready and proceeded towards the reception desk.

I saw, one Sikh gentleman nicely dressed up, who on seeing me first wished then handed me a small envelope. It was a brief note from Dr. Sukhmani inviting me for Dinner at her residence at Mohali. I reached her place within half an hour. Her house was near the sports stadium in Mohali; it was a big three storied house constructed with lot of care and concern. At the parking place Audi, BMW and Mercedes cars were parked.

I was made to sit at the guestroom on the ground floor. First, the old lady came and greeted me with her big broad smile. She informed me that Raman and Sukhmani were still in the Hospital, attending one emergency pregnancy case, and they will join us soon. Meanwhile, the house keeping staff came with a hard drinks trolley and offered me a whisky to start with. I very politely turned it down and requested for one cup of tea without sugar.

Within next twenty minutes both of them came rushing to the guestroom and offered their apologies for the delay. Later they shifted me to the drawing room and went back to their respective rooms to freshen up. Finally, Mrs. Sukhmani came first and thereafter the service boy with tea tray and snacks.

Dr. Sukhmani sat with me and over a cup of tea she started unfolding the secrets of her life without any fear, hitch or hesitation. I was almost in a shocking stage and was wondering why such things should happen to good people but I was getting no answer. I spent three hours with her family and also took dinner together but deep down, I was very disturbed, sad and upset but why, I exactly did not know, but one thing was clear, nothing was right in Dr. Sukhmani’s life but still she was performing her duty with best of her capabilities, knowledge and skills but for how long, only my Lord will have the answer.

I was shocked when I came to know that Dr. Sukhmani was suffering from cancer. Although her uterus has been removed but the cancer germs have spread in the intestine and now she has to go for chemotherapy next week. She wanted her kids around during her treatment.

I was dropped at my hotel around midnight but I could not sleep for long. Although I had a very long day, but my sleep had gone away as if she was playing some kind of game with me, in the same manner in which Dr. Sukhmani’s destiny has been playing with her life. During my night prayer, I prayed for the wellness and well being of Dr. Sukmani and her family, but I could not understand one thing why such things happened with me; may be there could be some hidden message or link between us which I could not read and see today at this juncture, it’s all the plan of destiny which only God Almighty can understand.

With Prayers

Gurcharan

Awaiting her arrival with lots of patience and peace

My train, Rajdhani Express was running six hours’ late. In fact it started late from New Delhi station on Wednesday night due to late arrival of the in-coming train and by the time I reached Sealdah station it was almost 4.30-PM on Thursday evening whereas the schedule arrival time of my train at Sealdah station was 10.30 in the morning. I took two days’ leave for Thursday and Friday; Saturday-Sunday being weekly-off, so that the total stretch of the holidays became four days. I also booked my returned ticket for Saturday so that I can reach home on Sunday morning by the same train.

Now, due to the late arrival of my train at Kolkata, one working day was lost and I was left with one and half day only. On Saturday evening, I was to board Rajdhani Express train again for my return journey from Howrah station at 4.50 in the evening. Therefore, I decided to proceed towards my Hotel in South Kolkata for rest.

I wanted to visit my childhood friend’s home in South Kolkata where his mother was living with his younger brother. My dear friend’s name was Jagmohan Singh Arora but we used to call him Jagga. We were born and brought up together in Kolkata as they were our neighbors in the same building, where Biji (full for Bibi Ji, Jagga’s mother) used to look-after us since our childhood. Both of us were admitted in the same School by Darji (short for Sardar ji, Jagga’s father). After completing our Higher Secondary, I went to College and he took up his father’s business.

We hardly met in these 30 years since I left Kolkta. We got married, have our own families and a busy life. Though he had attended my marriage, I was not lucky enough to witness his marriage. But I always used to get updates about him from my mother and younger brothers who were still living in Kolkata.

Last week, when I was out on official tour, I got the shocking news of the sudden demise of my very dear childhood friend Jagga from my mother. First of all, I couldn’t believe it, but since this news came from none other than my mother, I couldn’t raise any doubt on the source. Still, I asked my mother twice if it was true, and in reply, she started crying loudly over the phone. So, I was left with no option but to accept this heart-piercing truth with a very heavy heart.

Jagga, my childhood friend, how can he die so young? He has left back his wife and two kids, both are married and well settled in life. The daughter is married in a big business family of Kolkata and his son tied knot to his MBA class mate and now both are working in a foreign Bank at New York City of USA. He left a big fortune for his family in the form of two flats, four shops, one running business and lots of liquid cash but in spite of every materialistic thing which can give basic comfort to his family was very much there except his physical presence.

I was totally moved with this tragic incident and was in the grip of a shocking state of mind. Not because I was afraid of dying so young but because it reminded me that I am also in the queue now and my turn will also come sooner or later, though the fact remained, I was not yet ready to die at this very moment. Given the choice I don’t want to think about it at all. How could I die so early? It sounds so absurd, impractical and stupid. So many things are left incomplete, pending and unfinished in my life and moreover I am not yet prepared about this particular crises at this point in time. You see; so how the God Almighty could shut my life in between? Oh my Lord, please listen to me and give me a break, will you please? My dear Lord, please try to be more practical, professional and reasonable and act smartly by not saying “Pack-up”. Oh my God, please give me some more time to live, so that I could finish my very important work which only I can do, trusts me.

While sitting in my Hotel room, I started preparing my list of pending work where my presence is very much needed, necessary and required. Therefore, I have made very exhaustive list where more than 52 pending works were short listed, now even my Lord can’t deny this, I am sure of that.

But deep down within me, I was not comfortable with the said list and I thought to scrutinize it one more time to make it more authentic, genuine, practical and realistic so that my Lord may very kindly approve it without raising any objection. Say for example, marriage of my two daughters in fairly decent families; fully furnished flat for my wife; sufficient stock of food items; ready-made garments; medicines for her diabetic, gastritis and sciatica pain; sufficient amount of fixed deposits along with uninterrupted monthly income flow to meet her day-to-day expenses; besides additional funds exclusively for my daughters so that they could also lead a comfortable life even in the absence of both their parents.

After combining everything I came out with such an unrealistic figure that I couldn’t convince myself forget about convincing my Lord with it. Besides, I have one more list of personal works which needs to be short-closed immediately, say for example, due installments of my two flats, one car and personal loan; credit card payments; golf club, health club and social club’s membership fees and due installments of 20 years advance Holiday-package etc.

The whole night I could not sleep properly in my hotel room. I was only thinking about my family and it was so difficult to think of living alone without them and how will I survive of my own alone after my death, this was the biggest question of my life today. Secondly, I have also realized the mess I have created in my life which needs to be cleared immediately so that I could lead my life on daily basis, without keeping anything pending for my family, friends and relatives after my death.

Today, I have realized about those lessons I have learnt through a very hard way in my past life about, ambition, career, future and peaceful retirement life; all these things seemed to me baseless, irrelevant, meaningless, untrue and the ultimate truth remained the ‘Death’ the final destination, which was certain, definite, on-schedule and the final verdict of the Mother Nature which nobody, just nobody could deny or delay.

As soon as I saw Jagga’s mother, I don’t know why, I could not control myself and broke down in her feet and stared crying very loudly. She tried to console me but to no avail. As a matter of fact, I was very scared of dying and was not getting any assurance from the Lord for an extension of my lifespan. The more I thought about my death louder became my moaning. And with lots of affection, consolation and love Biji made me calm, quiet, comfortable, silent and at peace with myself, in-spite of losing her own son recently. Oh my Lord, why all the mothers are like her, so loving, so caring and so godly.

She insisted that I must have lunch with her but I could not eat any thing except a cup of tea; I don’t really know where my hunger disappeared. At that point of time, my only desire was to simply fly back home to be with my family because I didn’t exactly know how much time I was left with me and there were so many unfinished agenda and work left in front of me which had to be completed without any further delay so that even if I go, my family must not face any kind of problem and they live happily thereafter, even in my absence.

My dear friend Jagga was the patient of hypertension and he died of brain hemorrhage at such an early age of 50 plus. I am also having high blood pressure problem. Does that mean I will also …? No-no, how could it be? After all, my Lord couldn’t be so cruel and HE must have planned something different for my exit, I am sure of that, simply because my Lord is so perfect in all respect and HE never makes any mistake, come what may. And finally, I have to wait for my beloved angel of death with lots of patience and peace; but for how long it is anybody’s guess?

With Prayers

Gurcharan