Sunday Snippets
Following is an excerpt from the opening scene of the book
‘The Second Chance’.
…
The community hall in Vasant Kunj’s Radhe Sham Colony was
abuzz with excited voices. It was an extra special occasion for the residents
of Radhe Sham Colony. Three of their children had appeared for the tenth grade
exams that year and all three of them had passed in the first division with
good marks. The three families decided to collectively host a party to
celebrate their children’s unflinching efforts. The stars of the party were of
course the three diligent children– Arvind Malhotra, Vinod Gupta and Shekhar
Bhatia. They almost felt like celebrities at an award ceremony.
A 5-kg cake had been especially ordered from ‘New Cake
Palace’ to mark the special occasion. The children’s favourite teacher, Ram
Prasad Sharma was also present.
The topic of discussion drifted on the future career of these
three friends. Vinod’s grandfather, Shivaram Gupta asked the three children
about their career aspirations.
Shivaram advised, “Dear children, remember one thing. Choose
a career path that will make you happy. Identify your passion. Confucius
rightly said, ‘Choose a job you love and you will
never have to work a day in your life!’ If you select a career that you are passionate about, you
will enjoy life. However, if you make a mistake and select a career path that does
not interest you, you will suffer throughout your life. This is your life…live
it well!”
At that point, Arvind’s father, Akash Malhotra spoke in a
tone that was indicative of worldly wisdom gained with years of experience.
“Children, have you thought about it yet? We don’t want to push you towards
anything today itself. All we want to do is to set the thought process rolling
in your minds, so that you don’t end up with an eleventh hour decision. So
please speak out what interests you have. We would like to hear from you about
your dreams and ambitions.”
The pressure further increased on the children, when they
were asked to speak out their mind. The tension was palpable on their innocent
faces.
Finally, Vinod cleared his throat and started speaking with
unflagging enthusiasm. “I want to become a journalist. I believe that
journalism is the fourth pillar of democracy. The first three pillars are the
legislative, which makes the law, the executive, which implements the law and
the judiciary, which protects the law. Journalism aims to ensure that these
three pillars function efficiently, by working as a watchdog on them. After the
movie stars, cricketers and politicians, the journalists are the most popular
category of people in our country. They influence the opinions of millions of
fellow citizens with effective presentation of their viewpoints on important
and sensitive topics of national interest. I wish to be an influencer…
Arvind said in a firm voice, “I want to be a lawyer. I
want to be instrumental in giving justice to the common masses. I am impressed
with the manner in which eminent lawyers put forward their clever arguments in
courtrooms, in order to explore the finer and hidden elements of truth. Apart
from God, who operates from heaven, the courtrooms are the only place, where
justice is meted out to the people’s pleas. It is a very powerful position and
I want to use that power for the benefit of the society. I want to be powerful…”
Shekhar said in a very balanced voice, “I want to become a
doctor. A doctor is nonetheless God in human form. Doctors save the lives of
people. They treat you when you are sick. Without good health, one cannot reach
far in his life, and the doctors facilitate you in leading a healthy life. They
are the most blessed people in this world. I want to experience the magic of
healing people and see the feelings of genuine gratitude in their eyes. I want
to be a savior…”
At that point, Ram Prasad Sharma stood up and congratulated
the boys for having decided their goals in life. He said, “For any teacher,
the biggest happiness comes from seeing his students stretching their wings and
savouring the sweet taste of success. Being a facilitator and guiding a child
to realize his potential is a teacher’s greatest joy! Seeing a child turn from
a young student to a mature adult making positive contribution to the world is
a feeling that only a teacher or a parent can truly understand. Today, I can
blissfully say that I am riding the crest of a wave as my three students have
not only made wise career choices but also elicited their desire to walk in the
light of creative altruism. So step out into this glorious world and inspire
and catalyze others to be good!”
Ram Prasad Sharma’s positive emotional overwhelm left the
gathering speechless. The deep look of contentment was writ large on his face.
He continued with his string of stellar advice, “My dear
students, on this momentous occasion, I would like to offer one important piece
of advice to you. Always remember one thing in life - On your path of
professional advancement, occasionally you might be tempted to digress from
your originally intended path. Pangs of greed might start gnawing at you. And
unfortunately, greed is a powerful motivator. However, in such situations, let
your conscience be your guide. Please remain undaunted in your approach. Do not
compromise your ethics and moral values at any cost. Always ask yourselves,
whether you truly deserve the money earned by you. A good character is one’s
most valuable asset, which no one can purchase at any cost. You have to toil
and work hard for it and it is the foundation for success in life. You are
still very young to understand the gravity of my statements, but at some
appropriate time, you will know the importance of what I am saying now. Best of
luck…!”
…
‘The Second Chance’ releases in May 2018.
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