Sunday, March 27, 2016

SHORT STORY: REAL VICTORY

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi





    Once there lived an arrogant farmer in a village. His name was Sher Singh. He was as dreadful as a tiger. Even for small reasons he used to pick up big fights. He never spoke to the people of the village in a polite manner. And he never visited anyone nor did he wish anyone he came across on the way. The villagers also found him arrogant and avoided speaking to him.

    In the same village one day a farmer named Dayaram came and settled from a distant location. As compared to Sher Singh he was extremely simple and helpful. He spoke to everyone in a very polite manner and he always tried to help the villagers. Soon every villager started respecting him and also started seeking advice from him.

    One day the villagers advised Dayaram—‘Brother Dayaram! Never visit Sher Singh at his house. Try and stay away from him as he is a big fighter.’

    Dayaram laughed and said—‘If Sher Singh tries to fight with me I will kill him.’

    Some villagers laughed at this. They knew Dayaram was very kind. Forget killing he couldn’t have even abused anyone. But someone went and sneaked about Dayaram’s comment to Sher Singh. Sher Singh on hearing this got very angry. And since then he started making attempts to pick up a fight with Dayaram. One day he left his bullocks in Dayaram’s fields. They grazed his crop and even destroyed some; but Dayaram quietly drove them out of his fields.

    One day Sher Singh damaged the drain to Dayaram’s fields with the result water started flowing in the wrong direction. Dayaram without any confrontation quietly set the drain right. And in this fashion he kept harming Dayaram; but Dayaram with his cool nature did not give him an opportunity to pick up a fight.

    One day a relative of Dayaram sent him some Kharboozaas (melons) from Lucknow. And as a good gesture he decided to distribute them in the village. He sent one to each farmer; but Sher Singh refused to accept and sent it back saying, ‘I’m not a beggar and don’t accept alms from anyone.’

    During monsoon, one day, when Sher Singh was returning home from the market in his bullock-cart loaded with grains, on the way it got stuck in a mire near a nullah (watercourse). His feeble bullocks were unable to pull the cart out of the mire. When the news reached the village everyone felt—‘Since Sher Singh is a crook, let him spend the night by the side of the nullah alone.’

    But Dayaram with his robust bullocks immediately left for the nullah to help Sher Singh. People tried to stop him, they advised—‘Dayaram! Sher Singh has troubled you quite a lot in the past. And you used to say if he fights with you, you will kill him. Then why are you going to help him today?’

    Dayaram replied—‘Today I’ll definitely kill him. And you all will be able to see that in the morning.’ And with that he left.

    When Sher Singh saw Dayaram coming with his robust bullocks to help him, he arrogantly yelled—‘You please go back. I don’t require anyone’s help.’

    Dayaram didn’t slow down and continued walking towards him in the same pace and said—‘Abuse me if you feel so, beat me if you wish to, but right now you are in trouble. Your cart is stuck and it’s getting dark. So I just can’t agree to what you say right now, and I must help you.’

    Dayaram quickly released Sher Singh’s bullocks from the harness and installed his own. And thereafter his robust bullocks pulled the cart out of the mire. Sher Singh then drove his bullock-cart home and realized the goodness of Dayaram and started saying—‘Dayaram you killed me with your kindness. And now I am no more that arrogant Sher Singh.’ And thereafter Sher Singh started dealing with everyone with extreme love, kindness and humbleness. To win over evil with goodness is the real victory, and Dayaram achieved that.

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