DESTINED TO WIN (Short story)

DESTINED TO WIN 

Kochi… People call her ‘The Queen of Arabian Sea’ and a part of my life belongs to her. During my vibrant youth, I was working for a corporate firm in Kochi, dealing with all kind of Automobiles. I had to sell all types of capital equipment, for a living, with a price tag starting from rupees one million to hundred millions! Imagine, just one man to manage the entire sales in Kerala and that too he had to achieve the target! Otherwise, incentives would remain as a dream! What a hectic life!

I was staying in a lodge, that too in the heart of Kochi, with so many dignified drunkards and I used to go home only once in a month, even though the distance is less than two hundred kilometers. On one Sunday, we were watching a live Cricket match on Television…A match between India and Pakistan and tension among spectators were growing up in geometric progression per every ball! Suddenly, Saji announced sad news.

‘Princess Diana is no more’

‘How do you know that?’ I asked.

‘From BBC… Princess and her boyfriend Dodi-al-Fiad…they both got killed in a fatal accident… somewhere in France’

‘Sure…it could be a well-planned murder,’ I told my opinion…. ‘a secret plot’

‘May be,’ Sethuvettan announced his support for my argument.

‘Were she pregnant?’ Saji asked.

‘God knows.’

‘Her numbers were totally against her. Unlucky 12… and she was victimized,’ I told.

The arguments heated up, Cricket too… O.’a lightening four’ by Yuvraj Singh… We won the match… it was a day of great loss for the world and great victory for India. Suddenly telephone started ringing and Saji ran to his room.

’Please don’t do that…please don’t commit suicide…your life is so precious…you have no right to kill it,’ same stereotype dialogues of a counselor; Saji was desperately trying to save a life… Always, I respected his integrity.

I used to help him to stick posters in public places and place stickers in transport buses during free time. He was a member of some Charismatic group and had been running a twenty four hour free counseling center for years. We friends helped him to manage it without any break. Saji was such a nice guy that he was not having any bad habits…

‘Smoking, drinking and masturbation… I will not commit all these sins during my life,’ he told me once.

‘Better, you commit suicide! Idiot… a life, not worth living!’ I laughed aloud.

♥

That day, we had an official party… Expensive liquor was flooding in the party! A Keralite will drink even acid, if it is given for ‘free’! I was totally out of senses when someone dropped me back! I slept off immediately, not even aware of the cloud of mosquitoes which were ready to lift and leave me on ‘her’ lap! My sweet….…!

Somebody knocked on my door at around midnight. I wanted to kill that bastard… just one unexpected stab will be enough to…

‘Who the fuck is that?’

‘It’s me... Saji’

‘You… senseless bastard… What the hell do you want?’

‘Premji… Just open the door…man..,’ he kept on knocking.

Rusty hinges… The door creaked, just like my mind, while opening. Saji was standing there in the darkness, only his teeth were visible…

‘You… soul of darkness… What do you want?’

‘Lock the door and come with me.’

I followed him to his room. Suddenly he started wearing fresh clothes…

‘Where the hell are you going?’

‘Now, listen Premji… My girlfriend’s brother… he had met with an accident…. Drunken driving… He is the only earning member of her family… careless idiot.’

‘Every idiot has a girlfriend! Calling a drunkard ‘an idiot’ is a sin… Indirectly, you are calling me an idiot! You... ‘tea-bag’… how can you understand the pleasure of drinking?’

‘O…please don’t eat my brains.’

‘So, you want my blood?’

‘No, Man… If I take you for blood donation, you know, what will they say? ‘There is only meager amount of blood in ‘alcohol’… and that too inseparable, even by God!’ we laughed.

‘Good assessment! Now, what should I do?’I was feeling more and more sleepy.

‘Give me your Bike key… and tonight you are sleeping here…If anyone calls, please attend’

‘OK. Done… if I vomit here?

‘You can clean that in the morning,’ he vanished in the dark.

‘Your Dad will clean.’

♥

I thought of removing the receiver from the cradle so that I could get some sleep without any interference.… But, who prevented me from doing that?

I slept off again.When the telephone started ringing frantically, I was floating over a dream… acting as hero in a love song with my office receptionist… We were not at all in good terms as we had a fight earlier! I was not at all interested to blow up her ego…

‘O! God! Which bastard is that? Not even allowing me to enjoy an impossible dream,’I started grunting while getting up.

‘Hello,’ my voice was not clear…

‘Hello…Is it ‘flame of hope’ counseling center?’ (Flame… what a name for a counseling center!)

‘Yes, May I help you?’

‘No… I got your number from a local bus’

‘So? What is your problem?’I was getting irritated.

‘I am going to commit suicide,’ he told in a tired voice. ‘right now’

‘Brother… You decision is wrong… Life is the gift of God, and you have no right to kill it,’ I started counseling him like a parrot, that too in drunken voice.

‘I have taken the right decision… I will die within ten minutes…Cyanide is ready… Now, I will not listen to anybody’s advice,’ he started laughing. Idiot… spoiled my dearest dream…

‘You, son of a bitch… go and get fucked up somewhere in the hell,’ I slammed the phone, raging with anger… A drunken night had become sinking night … ‘Saji, I will show you my charisma, if you won’t get me another full bottle tomorrow...’

Within five minutes, telephone started ringing again.

‘Hello,’ he was on the line.

‘Bastard… Are you still alive?’

‘I have dropped the plan to kill myself.’

‘Why? Bastards like you are burden to any family… And to the Earth also... Better revoke your decision’

‘When a stupid counselor like you, doesn’t even value my precious life, why should I commit suicide? I know how to lead a life of honour… Understand Mr. Counselor.’

‘Counselor? Who is your counselor? Me? Ha...ha...Ha... Bastard, I am just a drunkard! Now, leave me alone and go to sleep.’

‘Sorry Boss… I will give you a treat, tomorrow… You taught me a simple lesson...'

'What is that?'

'Man is destined to win... Thank You... Good night Boss...,’ he laughed from the other end.

Premji