The Journey

Mahesh stood in front of the bus, staring at it, as if it were some time machine. He was fidgeting uneasily, unsure whether to board the bus or not. Finally mustering the courage he slowly boarded the bus. He took a seat at the back and kept his suitcase beside him on the seat. With a spluttering awkward noise, the engines roared to life as the driver started the bus. It was 5:00 am and in about 4 hours he would reach his destination, Mangalpur. Mangalpur is his hometown and it had been 6 long years since he had been to this place.
Mahesh took out a crumpled Rs 100 note as the conductor approached him.
“One ticket to Mangalpur”
The conductor took the soiled note and examined it minutely like an archeologist examining a prehistoric stone. Mumbling some words to himself he finally put the note in his bag, punched a ticket and handed it over to Mahesh along with the change. Mahesh glanced out of the window as the bus sped towards its destination. Soon he could see farms and villages on both sides of the road, which meant that they have left the city of Hyderabad far behind. He leaned back on the seat as he thought about his home and his parents whom he would be visiting after a long gap of six years. His thoughts raced into the past…
Mahesh was a rebel in all ways. He used to live a life the way he liked it and the way he wanted to live it. Neither force nor pressure could compel him to do something, which he didn’t believe in. He studied till 10th at the local government school and then he stopped studying because he didn’t believe it added any value to him. The long classes were boring and cumbersome. He disliked mathematics, hated science, geography sounded like greek, history was boring. So one day he finally announced his decision that he was going to quit studies amidst vociferous protests from his family members. He brushed them aside with the typical rashness of a rebel.
“Mahesh is Mahesh, and I will not do anything for the sake of it unless and until I enjoy it”, he would reply to his parents.
Even his parents had to finally accept defeat in front of his stubbornness.
With lot of time to spare Mahesh took up his hobby of painting and drawing with a vengeance. He may be a dummy with the books but with the brush and the sketch in his hand he was a wizard. All the life and lifeless forms around him got transferred onto his canvas with a striking similarity that amazed everyone. However his specialty was in sketching buildings. That’s what he enjoyed the most. He sketched every building present in Mangalpur, later on he started to sketch imaginary buildings and monuments. His drawings were magnificient.
Finally one day he stood in front of his father and announced his decision as what he wanted to do in his life.
“Architect”, his father thundered.
“Are you mad, has logic and reason deserted you”
“Father, I have taken a decision. I want to be an architect with all my heart and no one can stop me now.”, Mahesh replied with his head bowed down.

“What makes you think that a dumb 10th class pass out would become an architect, just because you make a few good drawings doesn’t mean that you can become an architect”, his father shouted back.

“Everyone appreciates my drawings and painting, if you do not have the flair to judge my art then please stay away from it”, he replied.

“Don’t you dare speak in that tone to your parents, you are coming with me to our cloth shop from tomorrow and start doing something responsible from tomorrow. Too much of idle time has made you into an ass.”, his father thundered.
“ You need to be good at studies to be an architect. You need to master mathematics and physics, which you cannot do. Try to think about it in a logical way”, his mother tried to reason.

“Father, I have seen dreams of me building great tall buildings and beautiful monuments. Heads of state felicitated me for my work in my dreams. I think it is a premonition of the future. It’s like a prophecy. I was born to do something great. This is my destiny father. I will work hard and become an architect. I know that it is possible”

Mahesh’s father shook his head in disbelief.
“You are insane, you want to pursue something because you have dreamt about something? You need a doctor. You should be in a mental asylum. Things have gone too far. Unless and until you obey my orders you loose the right to live in this house. Either you do as I say or you get out of my home and make a living of your own”.

“Fine father, I will leave the house tomorrow and will return only as an architect”.

The next day he packed his bags and took leave of his sobbing mother and grandparents. He looked at the stoic unexpressive face of his father.
“I am leaving father”

“Son remember, the youth thinks that they have answers to each and every question, but with age you come to accept the fact that for some questions there are no answers”

Not able to understand what his father meant he left his home and made his way to Hyderabad. He was amazed by the sheer size and vastness of the city. There were beautiful monuments and tall buildings. It was here that Mahesh believed that his dream would come true. To support himself he started looking out for some work. Unfortunately for a person who has just done schooling there were not many jobs available. So he decided to be a mason. Atleast he would get to learn something about the construction of the buildings. It was here he came face to face with the harsh realities of life. Not having a place to live and not able to afford one he used to sleep at the construction site. It was here that he got introduced to a friend called Hunger. He bought some books from a second hand books peddler, as he had to continue his studies to be an architect. He used to stay awake for hours beneath the streetlights to master mathematics and physics. However the harder he tried the more difficult the subjects became. No matter how hard he tried he could understand neither head nor tail of what was in the books. The engineer at the construction site took pity on him and used to coach him in his spare time. Still no progress was made. Every time he wrote his 11th class exams he failed. After about two years he had a huge fight with some of his co-workers over a game of cards and they kicked him out of his job.
Not willing to accept defeat he took up a job as a waiter at a local restaurant. He told himself that the strenuous job at the construction site was the reason he couldn’t concentrate on his studies.
Mahesh lost almost half his weight and looked all dirty and shabby. He still dreamed about being an architect.
He worked from dawn to night at the restaurant and used to study till late in the night. The owner of the restaurant used to encourage him and even bought him new books and study material. Still the following year he failed yet once again. The restaurant closed down due to losses and the owner went back to his elder brother in Pune. Mahesh took up a job as a mechanic at a local repair shop. All day he would repair vehicles and by evening he would be covered all over in black grease and oil. The repair shop was nearby a college and he used to watch the students as they made way home in the evenings. He would say to himself that one day too would be one of them attending college. Unfortunately the harder he tried the more he failed.

When he failed for the sixth time he couldn’t take it any more. That morning he looked in the mirror he saw a skinny and shaggy person, a complete contrast to what he was 6 years ago. He just broke down in front of the mirror. The desire to fight had deserted him. He decided to go back home. All his friends might be happily settled and married in life and he was living the life of a beggar here. He took leave of his employer and packed his bags and made way to the bus-station.

“Mangalpur, last stop”, the conductor shouted.

Mahesh slowly picked up his suitcase and got down the bus. He slowly started walking towards his home; unsure whether his parents would recognize the completely changed person that he has become now. What will he say to his father now?Maybe he would say, “I have learnt to accept the fact that for some questions there are no answers”.