The Art of Living

by Amlandeep Bhattacharya
(Kolkata)

Rashid was very upset.His company has terminated him and his 6 year long beau Sujata dumped him for a rich Marwari tycoon. In the cold night in Bangalore Rashid was shivering,not that much of pain but more from the tension of ending his life which according to him was worthless.

Rashid switched off the mobile and took an auto to UlsoorLake where he decided to jump. He was looking at a loss and went to left the auto by the side of the fences of Ulsoor Lake. He didn't notice that a lady in a white dress of a hospital nurse came out of another auto.

"Hi," she said and Rashid responded with a grim smile. Rashid actually got irritated and thought that who is this lady spoiling his event of suicide. Strangely enough that lady too tried to jump into the lake.

Due to his own amusement Rashid who himself thought of commiting suicide stopped that lady and slapped her. "What the hell are you doing?" he screamed.

"Let me die, my husband is an alcoholic beats me and now wants me to do abortion for a second time."

"Come on", said Rashid and said, "don't worry I will make your husband understand". All the ideas of ending his life,his failures all went over his head and two strangers became friends at dawn of life in the midst of cold waters of Ulsoor Lake.

Next day they Rashid was having breakfast with the drunkard husband of Paula, the nurse of St.Johns Hospital. Jim, her husband thanked the stranger Rashid for saving Paula and became ready to go to a rehabiltation center for alcoholics. Thus the two strangers who met at the end of despair became friends in hope and as they discovered the true "art of living".

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