Purpose of life
Purpose of life
Roshni sat there looking at the pills in the bottle. There were many. The doctor had prescribed her one tablet before going to bed, because she was an insomniac. She needed one to fall asleep. However, today was different. Before bed time, she planned to gulp down all the tablets in the bottle. She was tired. Tired of everything. She looked back at her life. She had been a failure through out. She went back to her school days. Her 10th board exams marks were not the marks she had sought. While all her friends got distinction marks, she had missed that by 1 mark. She went back to her 12th boards marks. She missed getting admission in her dream college because of 8 marks. She looked back at the job offers. While everyone made it big to corporate jobs, she ended up in a teaching job. And today, Suhaas broke up with her. Suhaas had a valid reason. To survive in a big city, it was important for both husband and wife to earn well. Roshni’s job in a private school did not make her earn enough. Moreover, Suhaas was reigning in the corporate sector. He was looking for a girl in the same career light. Roshni could not make it to any technical job where the salary was high, nor could she make it to any government administrative job. She was a failure through out.
After her school got over, she reached home. The pills were safe in her bag. Her mom said, ‘ There you come. Your Papa is waiting to have tea with you. You freshen up, while I make tea.’ Roshni went quietly to her room, checked the pills again in her bag, closed the bag and went to take a shower. After shower, she came and sat on a chair of the dining table. Her mom, Renuka, got the tea and snacks. Her dad Prashant, came and joined. Prashant said cheerfully, ‘ So, Roshni, how was your day?’ Roshni sipped her tea and trying to sound okay, said, ‘ It was good Papa.’ Prashant then continued, ‘ No naughty kids menace today?’. Roshni tried to smile and said, ‘ No Papa. Today all of them behaved well.’ Roshni could not forget the pills in the bag. She knew she was going to gulp all of them today. Roshni said, ‘Papa, you know what, my friend Shriya, she is now the head of the technical team. Her package must be huge, right?’ Prashant said nonchalantly, ‘Could be. Nowadays these companies pay well.’ Roshni then said, ‘ You know Papa, Nikita, is now Dr. Nikita. She is planning to start a nursing home of her own soon.’ Prashant smiled and said, ‘ Aha, that’s good news. So happy to see these little girls doing so well in life.’ Roshni tried to stop her tears. Trying to sound normal, she cheerfully asked, ‘ Now Maa Papa, tell me, why did you guys plan to bring me to earth? You already had Rohan Bhaiyya and Riya Didi.’ Renuka laughed and said, ‘ It was an accident. Nevertheless, an accident with the most beautiful consequence.’ Trying to fight her tears and fixing a smile on her face, she said, ‘ You never faced any problem with Bhaiyya and Di. They were good in academics through out. They are settled with good jobs and life partners. Don’t you think if I was not born, you guys would have been free birds by now.’ Prashant looked at Roshni and said, ‘ Roshni, every human under the sun has a purpose in life. Life is not just about good academics, lucrative jobs. There is more to it.’ Roshni said, again trying not to cry, ‘ But Papa, people like successful people.’ Trying her best not to give her parents the slightest hint that she was not happy, she giggled and said, ‘ Papa, look at me. I could not make it to any big college or office. I am just a teacher. I don’t earn much Papa.’ Prashant smiled and said, ‘ Tell me dear, if everyone becomes an engineer, or a doctor, or an administrative officer, who will teach the little children in school? You are a teacher at primary school. Do you know how difficult it is to manage children? Teachers lay the foundation stone for future citizens’. Roshni then said, ‘Nowdays, boys also look for girls earning well.’ Renuka smiled and said, ‘ Is it?It’s good for those boys then. But the fact still remains, a person who truly likes you, will always like you for who are, not for your job or anything else.’ Prashant smiled and said, ‘Right. Also, I never believed in what one wants. At the end of the day, I feel marriage is all about destiny. Whosoever one is destined to be with, will always be with that person. And I believe, someone, somewhere is made for you.’ Roshni said, ‘ Papa, you said, everyone has a purpose in life. What is my purpose?’ Prashant said, ‘ Your purpose is to make me and your mom happy, which you have been doing very well all through out. Your purpose is to be with us when we need you the most. Your purpose is to help people, the way you always do. Didn’t you take Sarla, our cook, to the hospital when she was sick? With whatever little money you earn, don’t you buy chocolates and cookies for Sarla’s kids? What does it mean? Your purpose is to make people happy. Now, when you go to school, don’t those little children wait for you eagerly either with hand made cards or flowers? Your purpose is to give them a reason to look forward to school the next day. Your purpose to give them a feeling of a cozy safe home away from home, away from parents. This is your purpose sweetheart. Most importantly, you are one reason we smile today. You are one reason, we take care of ourselves because we want to enjoy every moment with you. You are one reason we look forward to next day because you come with interesting stories from school every day. Your purpose is to keep us smiling. Any more questions?’ Roshni hugged her dad tight. Kissed him and said, ‘ No Papa, no more questions. I know my purpose in life.’
Rohini rushed to her room, took out the bottle of sleeping pills, emptied the bottle in the toilet and flushed those. She knew she had a purpose in life. She knew her life was about spreading happiness and that she could do only if she was happy and she knew how she could make herself happy. She stopped comparing herself with others, she stopped looking for flaws in herself, she stopped blaming herself for the break up, most importantly, she fell in love with herself because only then she could love everyone and most importantly her Papa and her Mom.
