Rohan sat on the patio of his parental cottage in rural Kerala watching the rain beat down on the brownish sand. Thin strands of the water hit him mildly adding to the solemn comfort while the steaming cup of coffee that he held with both hands helped regulate his body temperature.

The house was bounded by thick vegetation composed of coconut, betel nut, banana and jackfruit trees and they waved in unison following the dictates of the strong breeze which is traditionally the rain’s constant companion in this part of the world. 

Rohan was no romanticist and was not particularly enamored by the flora or the fauna. In fact he was in a contemplative mood, mind racing through his immediate past as an array of events went fleeting by……

Rohan was young, a high flier and set to rule the world!!!

Armed with a management qualification from the IIM and an engineering background, this tech savvy executive was a trend setter who steadily rose in the hierarchy in a manner that was unprecedented. Shrouded with success in almost all his initiatives, Rohan had the world under his feet!!

With authority the responsibilities multiplied exponentially and Rohan’s life revolved around plotting and planning in a bid to meet targets for the organization. As his rate of success grew the objectives too soared as did the bulge of his wallet.

While the fringe benefits did raise the bar of his life style drastically the cognitive mind thus acquired had its bearings on personal and family ties. The age old values lost its sheen when seen through logical and pragmatic filters. Idealism and compassion could not find its moorings in a practical and realistic milieu.

Rohan distanced himself from home his parents and siblings, albeit inadvertently. He could no longer relate with their thought process and did not want to condescend to their levels. Fulfillment of his duties towards his parents was limited to just transferring of funds to their native bank account and this was accomplished through the use of technology, unfailingly.

Bonding for him was solely with an ulterior motive and all his official and social interactions were with an eye on gaining a business advantage. He had little friends but a lot of acquaintances. His smile was synthetic and words never heartfelt. He trusted no one and held his cards close to his chest.

The head was supreme and all pleas from the heart were ignored, unnoticed.

A disregarded and neglected heart could take the toil no more and finally ceased to function one day.

Rohan was rushed to the hospital and rested in the ICU.

The high flier was finally caged!! The shrewd and calculating mind was forced to take a reprieve. He could no longer preside over the proceedings but had to humbly comply to the medicos instructions.

The time spent within the sheltered confines of the ICU may well have been the most anxious period of his thirty years of living. Death did not deter him as much as the thought of remaining away from office. Long absence from office could unfavorably impact the sway he held and cherished as also his indispensability in the functioning as perceived by the top management…a thought that was inculcated by him through deft planning and machinations.

His endless endeavors to reach for his mobile and remain updated with the office affairs were in vain as the multitude of tubes attached all over his body resisted all such moves. The stress could have claimed his life but for the sedatives administered by the hospital which induced a state of semi consciousness on a highly agitated mind.

Scores of well wishers and peers walked past his bedside, but Rohan viewed each of them with suspicion. The affability and compassion was a disguise to veil their contempt for him. The visit was a subterfuge and the intent diabolical and evil.

The top is always very lonely …so goes the axiom and Rohan could sense that well now.

 As he sipped the coffee in the midst of torrential rains, he could sense a chill run down his spine!!

Undoubtedly he was living dangerously!!!

Wealth and power is truly alluring but once you get the high under its influence it becomes an undesirable obsession. The desire to sustain the clout, affluence and increase the sphere of dominance dents into your happiness quotient so much so that it opens up avenues for depression and melancholy.

A paradigm shift in thinking needs a change in the environs including people.

Rohan attained enlightenment in this rustic countryside, a venue that his father chose for him to de-stress. He saw happiness writ large on the countenance of all the inhabitants as they bonded without reservation, fought their battles in the open and joined hands in leisure.

Help always came extempore and never carried a price tag.

The neighborhood was an extension of your own home as the natives entered each other’s dwelling at will, intervened in the affairs, and aired their views candidly with the honorable intent to help.

Lines of worry was conspicuous by its absence!!

Happiness is a state of mind and not the sum total of the power and materialistic comfort that you wield.

The ultimate state of bliss is when the mind is free from fear and fury.

Rohan finished the coffee and rose.

He has finally experienced bliss!!

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written by Administrator, June 15, 2010

Sad state of affair for today's working class.......

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written by umbrella, June 16, 2010

This is the real, true state of our lives! but..the problem is how to come out of it's grip. This life is too taxing..too stressful...but..still we find it hard to leave this kinda lifestyle. we all somehow become workaholics!

It's indeed a real pleasure to read ur post. keep blogging. Happy days.tc

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written by Santosh, June 16, 2010

Thnx Umbs!! I feel the same about your blogs too. Hope to hear from you soon.

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written by Santosh, June 16, 2010

@ Admin, thnx for the comment. The idea is that industrialization in India should not impact the ppl the way it did to the western world or it is doing to Japan.

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written by Administrator, June 17, 2010

That is true but the temptation of money and power is too overpowering to resist.

We are blind followers of the western world. Its bound to happen in future.

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written by Pavalamani Pragasam, June 17, 2010

An absolutely truthful portrayal of modern generation! Saddening and thought-provoking! How much are the parents responsible for such wrong order of priorities in their goals when they aspire to achieve?

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written by Santosh, June 18, 2010

@ Ma'am PPmani, you have touched a very vital area of concern. The parents push their offsprings beyond a point to achieve all that they never could.
Thnx for the input.

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true religion outlet
written by true religion outlet, October 15, 2011

This is very fascinating, You are an overly skilled blogger. I’ve joined your feed and look forward to in search of more of your fantastic post. Additionally, I have shared your website in my social networks!

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