Herenow

Jayant could see the media frenzy at its top as he stepped out of his Mercedes. “Will your party finalise its candidates in this meeting sir?”, “What are the decisions expected to come out of this meeting sir?”, “Mr. Sinha is having a personal meeting with you first, what is the purpose of this meeting sir?”, “Sir, are you going to become the next Prime Minister?”

In response to all the flashes, the leader only said, “You will be informed after the meeting is completed… I cannot tell you anything right now!” As he walked into the fancy hall of his party head-office, Jayant smiled and said to him-self, “Everybody knows what is going to happen. Yet, you make news out of it, when somebody says it.” Statement of fact…

That day was to be the culmination of Jayant’s glorious political career. The party leaders were to meet ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and the call for the next Prime Ministerial candidate would be made. He knew that the party wanted him to take the lead – the people wanted that, the nation wanted that… He wanted that. Like a fairy tale, he had carried the dream all the way from school to college, from college to the Party’s student’s wing, then on to the head of the youth wing, MLA, state committee leader, Chief Minister and now… All by the age of 42. Nobody questioned that spectacular rise. Jayant was indeed a formidable leader, just, honest and ambitious.

“You wanted to meet, sir?” The Party’s grand old master, and Jayant’s political mentor was saluted inside his room. “Welcome comrade. Welcome, welcome… Very big day indeed, huh? Come sit…” Mr. Sinha greeted him. Jayant could barely sit. Like a little boy, his face was all lit up, hair all over his body stood upright, so did he. He was about to hear the news from his own mentor, the man who made him what he was - the very same master was about to crown him.

“You are not going to be the Prime Minister!”

… “What?” Jayant’s brain tried hard to delete the word ‘not’ from that sentence. But the Master was clear, and specifically clear about the word ‘not’. The reaction on Mr. Sinha’s face was in cognizance with what he had just said. “I don’t understand”, Jayant actually didn’t.

“Son, I understand your pain. But you have to understand that this pain, this is the very reason I cannot let it happen. You have to trust my wisdom on this as you always have.” Sinha ji was 80 years old and was the Founding leader of their party. The frail looking man, wearing a loose kurta was the Master who had taken the party from its incubation, all the way to becoming the Single Largest Political Party in the World’s Greatest Democracy. And most importantly, he took the party to every patriot’s heart. “Why?” the master’s child asked, anger and agony spluttering in his eyes.

“Because you want to…”, Mr. Sinha gave a deep sigh and said, “The one advice I keep giving you… Tell me Jayant, what is that one phrase, one word I keep telling you?”

Jayant looked at him confused and mumbled, “Be honest? Be true to the people? Never let your voters down?”

“No, no, no… I stopped giving all that advice ages ago… You have followed it so obediently after all. But there was one thing, only one thing that I have had to repeat? Tell me child, what is it?” Mr. Sinha always looked like Oogway in Kung Fu Panda, and now he started speaking like that.

“Be herenow!” Jayant said looking at the small man who was standing next to him. Mr. Sinha put his arm on Jayant and said, “Exactly!”

***************************

“Hey, did you know? Jayant will not become Prime Minister”, Ashok’s wife told him over phone as he signed the attendance register at office. “The meeting got over so soon?” Ashok enquired, quite interested in the subject matter, but unable to devote more than a fraction of his mind to it. “No, but Vidya Akka just called me. Apparently Jayant had a personal meeting with Mr. Sinha before the Party meeting and Mr. Sinha asked him to step down. Jayant called his wife right away, obviously! Akka is very upset by it”

“But Mr. Sinha’s word is not final, is it? I think the other leaders will still want Jayant to take it up. Who else is there?” Ashok pulled out the laptop from his bag, set it on his table, occupied his chair, and pulled out a file from the shelf behind him. But he did not open the file, the telephonic subject matter had finally caught his full attention as his wife started speaking, “But Jayant does not want to -”

“WHAT? Anu, I have known him for quite a few years now. It has been his Ambition since forever. That is what makes him breathe! What is he crazy!?”

“Vidya and I felt the same thing. But - Jayant will not keep one step ahead of Mr. Sinha’s word. And it seems Jayant Bhai was rather convinced about the decision. He will take up the responsibility for the election campaign. He is not bothered about Prime Ministership for the moment.”

“God save him!” Ashok cut the call and opened the file. The Balance Sheet of Balram Automobiles Ltd was to be signed that day. Just another cursory look at the numbers and he would place the file on the Partner’s table to get it signed. “Share Capital… Reserves… Long term…” He whispered to himself, but not a single digit registered in his mind. “Non-sense!” He slammed the file on the table and rest his head back on the chair, “I am the one who is to sign this Balance Sheet. Me!”

Ashok had been the Senior Manager at Hariharan & Co, Chartered Accountants, for over 8 years and Partnership was just an arm’s length away, eluding him year after year like God’s cruel joke. His career dream, for some reason remained so – a dream that throbbed his head with agonizing pain every time he sat on his chair. Rubbing his forehead with closed eyes, he pulled out his phone and called his wife, “Anu… Did Vidya tell you why Jayant decided to step down? What did Mr. Sinha tell him?”

“Vidya told me something, but neither of us understood. Mr. Sinha said, ‘Be herenow’”

***************************

Vikas entered his house, tossed his shoes away, walked into his room and slammed the door shut behind him. Anu barely noticed her son enter the house. Half an hour later, Gita’s scooter stopped outside the house and she rushed inside, “Sorry madam, got 5 minutes late. Was a little busy – “

“Don’t worry Gita”, Anu told her son’s tutor, “Vikas just reached home, some half an hour back I guess. And he seemed a little upset I think, why don’t you go and have a look?” “Oh sure!” said Gita and carrying her bag, which was rather heavy for the slim figure, entered Vikas’ room in the first floor.

“What’s up kid?” Gita taught maths, but she was so much more than a tutor to every one of her students. Just 24 years old, fresh out of college, pretty and always wearing a smile which people could rarely see in a metro city, this teacher was loved by boys and girls alike.

Vikas who was lying with his head down on his table, got up to Gita’s voice, rubbed the tears off his face and returned Gita her smile. “Ummm… terrible day!” The boy was wearing the football jersy, so Gita deduced it had something to do with the school team selection. She pulled chair next to him, held the boys tightly by his arms and said, “Tell me…”

“I had been attending soccer classes for the past three months – Everyday”, he started sobbing and his words were not audible. Like re-tuning a radio, Gita patted the boy and he continued speaking, “You know how much I love football. I don’t miss a single game – EPL, ISL, whatever it is… There is nothing that makes me as crazy as football, and to get into the school team, it was my dream every since I joined school. I tried two years back, didn’t even make it close. Tried last year again… And this year I took special classes. Every day, three hours of training after school – and again!” the 13 year old boy burst into tears. He continued, “My knees hurt so badly everyday. I don’t even have school bus after training, I have to come by cycle, after that. And then all the homework, and preparation for exams. I haven’t even watched TV for 3 months now, because I have no time. I am also controlling my diet to stay fit, no chocolates, no ice-creams, for the past three months! All this pain and still…” Vikas burst out again. “Next year I will be in 9^th Standard. I don’t think mom and dad will allow me to play. I wanted to make it to the team so badly. And I played so well… I HATE THAT COACH!”

The young teen turned around to look at his teacher’s face which was staring at him in… “So?” That kind of look! Vikas didn’t understand her expression and Gita started explaining, “Mokku Fellow! Vikas, I can’t understand what is there to be upset about this? You are not a good player and hence you didn’t make it to the school team!”

Vikas widened his eyes in disbelief! “Listen kid, learn this mantra very carefully – Be Herenow! Here’s the trick, if you want something, don’t want it. Don’t even think about it! Focus on the game, love the game and don’t you dare think about the team. Don’t discontinue your soccer classes. Go on, play the game, play the game without wanting to make it to the team. And trust me, you will!”

“Yeah right! Anyway, thanks for the lecture sis. Shall we get started, I have wasted enough time with football, haven’t prepared a thing for my tests next week. None of this will work Gita!” He told his tutor with a smirk. “I finish this class and walk out of the room. And at the hallway - you will believe in me”, Gita announced and started the class.

One and a half hours of Mathathon and the exhausted student-teacher duo walked out of the room – student would drop any minute and the teacher was jumpy as ever. Vikas walked his teacher to the door and at the hallway, his parents announced, “Gita! Congrats!”

“Oh! Thanks sir, thank you Ma’am” she turned towards them and said cheerfully. Vikas looked stunned. “When did this happen?” Ashok asked – “HOW did this happen?”

“Uhmm.. I have been around for a lot of social activities and charity and all that. A few months back one of the Party leaders saw me give a speech at the Agriculture workers and Environmental Activists seminar. He asked me if I would like to volunteer for Party work – you know, they do a lot of socially relevant activities. So I joined, I put forward my own initiatives also and… some of them very quite impressed it seems. It was totally unexpected though, I was glad with the work I am doing right now!”

“A ticket for the Lok Sabha election! That is big!” Anu exclaimed.

“Well, as I said Maam, I never wanted any of it. I was happy doing my work… Well, I guess you get only the things you don’t want huh?” Gita gave her student a wink… Ashok made a long face at that comment.

“So, will you continue classes?”

“Oh yeah, I will. Till the exams get over! Anyways, I have to start! Bye!”

Love     

Bloody Blundaleomite – forgot two things. One, to say that and two, to wish my dear friend a very Happy Birthday!