A cloud that never rained

It’s the weekend and as usual, I made plans to meet friends at coffee day and then for a late night movie.
I got up from bed with traffic sounds buzzing on my ears, coming through window near my bed.

Thank GOD, it rained last night and I was able to catch good long sleep. I just opened my eyes a little and peeped on clock, its almost 12 in the afternoon.

What’s the big deal, it’s weekend and as I stay alone in my flat, my timings of sleep and work would never trouble anyone. Had a long warm bath (I like shower, dnt ask me why J) called for Pizza home delivery, as like any other Saturday.

Down on the sofa, in a semi-sleeping mode, with news paper on the floor, I started to turn each page, to check what’s happening in city.

Many trees were down due to winds in last night rain, its across everywhere in Bangalore.
I looked at one snap of a big tree rooted out and down on road stopping everyone going around in JP Nagar.
Suddenly, something clicked in my mind with that ‘JP Nagar’ – ooh I have to visit Kavita Aunty.

I have been postponing this since last 2 months, if I do not visit them in this week, my mom will definitely see my end, on my next trip to Hyderabad.

Got up and picked up the keys and made my bike go vrrrooom….
On the way, I bought some Apples, Flowers and sweets.

I was there at Aunty place in no time and it the air around is so good and fresh, after rain.
Knocked the door and waiting for her to greet; I know, she will definitely scold me as I am visiting them after a long time.

“Hello Aunty, how are you…..”
I just said that, showing excitement on my face.

We both walked into living room, sharing words and some taunts from her…
She brought the photo album, as its been years that I attended any occasion in family.
I turned the pages of the album and in a way tried to make some conversation in a lighter note.

Suddenly, my eyes stopped on some black & white snaps.
“Oh! It’s the college days!!” She said out of excitement.

“That’s so great, these snaps are still nice and safe” I could not resist from giving compliment on how much care she took for those snaps.
She said ‘of course, they are very special to me. Can’t get those good days back”

Ha…. why not!! I thought to myself.
Suddenly, I noticed my mom in one snap, along with 3 other friend.

“You know, your mother was the reason for this picture. She insisted to wear jeans for all of us and we went to take this snap at our friends place. We all took a copy of this each, I am sure this one should also be with your mother”.

“Yeah…. may be, but I had not seen”
Then I started to move around the place, so many things have changed since my last visit.

I went inside the room which is beside the master bedroom, could not believe what’s in there in that room.
Its room full of books, stuffed in racks, with labels attached to each one, indicating the nature of the books. Just like library.I was excited to see so many books at one time and started to make my hands dirt, as I started to pull one each from each shelf.

“OOH you are here! I know you like books a lot!” Aunty came inside, searching for me.
“Yeah, can I take few of these?” I said without making any hesitation

“You can take all of them! all of them, take them home. But, on one condition”
“I agree to any of your conditions” as I know I can not make anymore delay to take them all.

“ok, you have to listen to my story and then you can take them all”.
“ok, when will you start”.
She started to laugh seeing how much I am in hurry to take them home.

The story goes like this!!! I skipped the narration, to make it short.

Once, there was a village, near seashore.
Cyclones ever rarely happened there and almost everyone there, make their livelihood by fishing.

One day a fisherman had caught a big shark and that earned a large amount of money. He earned so much that he was really confused about what he can do with that whole lot of money.He decided that he earned much and he can live life without going into the sea again, for atleast 3 or 4 months.

A week passed by.

From the next day, he started to feel so boring and loose interest on everything so he could not resist himself and he got into sea, out there on fishing, for a long time.

One fine evening, he saw a huge crowd gathered near by a boat.
He rushed to see if anything wrong had happened.
He made a way into the crowd and saw a huge shark caught by his friend. It’s very amazing; he is so surprised to see such a big shark. This is so much big than what he caught 2weeks back.

Everyone standing around expressed their joy, children shouting and whistling at the sight of the huge fish came out of the sea. The proud owner of that fish, was so happy and congratulated everyone out there.

Later that night, he thought so much about that incident and decided to start the fishing again from the next day, early than anyone else.

He tried a lot to find the better and much larger fish than his fellow mates; went far off places on
sea and sometimes he spent 3 long days, on sea hunting for a mighty fish, with all focus.

After few months, a fish which is much larger than the one he caught earlier, got into this hands.

His satisfaction has not limits, as he finally got back his confidence that he can do better; much better every time.
He then starts to set his targets as to catch a fish bigger than the last one.
For the next 5 years he makes a good progress, he bought few more boats and employed few others to help on his fishing battle. That turned into starting his own marketing agency to sell the fish thus bringing more profits. Not just money, he earned lot of good will in his community as well.

One night, his sleep was disturbed by a dream. He sees a huge cyclone hit the village and entire place and people got washed away with the sea currents.
He could not sleep well with that and that whole day did not go well for him, as that dream struck him deeply on his thoughts.
He finally decided to do something about this, calls up his friends and shares about that bizarre incident.Everyone listened to him, few laughed at hearing his dream while few expressed their surprise.

But he decided what he has to do for this; he built a huge shed at a place which is much far away from the sea shore; a place where everyone from his community can have safe cover when the sea angers on them and take away everything from them.

People laughed at his foresight and made comments about his stupidity. Friends suggested him that it’s not needed now, it’s just that he is afraid of that bad dream.
But, he listened to no one except to his conscious and went ahead to build that in next 2 months time.

Years passed by, but there was no cyclone.

A few years later, he died, passed away along with the time.
The place which was built as a safe home in the days of cyclones was never used.

Later that year, there was a huge cyclone, which took everyone by surprise. All the huts and houses near the sea shore went deep inside the water. People had no other option and everyone rushed and took shelter in the place which was built 3 years back.

Then finally, everyone thanked him, realizing how important that place is for them.

That’s the end of the story…

I was dumb struck and was just looking at her.
Not because the story had got so much moral in that, but the way she explained it, her narration and the expression on her face, added a life of reality to what I was listening.

There was silence, for 2 minutes between us.

“Ok, so I can take these books now! Right”
“Yeah! Sure why not? These all are yours”

“Ooh thanx!”
Its just the one simple word that cam out of my mouth.
I know, what I have asked from her is the treasure she cared and collected spending 20 years of her life. I should have said more words, better line and thanked her; but I was still struck with that story.

She looked at me, with a sharp look and said
“So how was the story? Did you get what I wanted you to learn out of that?”

“Yeah, I think I got that”, I got up from the chair and moved towards the hall.
She understood that I am making moves to leave now.

“Ok, what else? Why don’t you take a book and read one, till the time Akhil comes back home”
Akhil, Aunt’s only son is doing his Management PG.

“Oh….its ok. I have to meet my friends and we planned to go for movie.
I got to go now, it’s late. I will call up Akhil tomorrow and we will plan to meet some other time”

I made my move now. Walked towards the sofa and took my shoes, to make my steps.
She went inside and bought a huge box, full of chocolates.

“I kept these only for you; I know you are crazy for Chocolates”
“I love them”, took the box without waiting any second.

A box full of chocolates, all my favorite brands; it made me smile for a moment.
“But what if your friends will take these?”

I just smiled more and said nothing.
“Ok, I will allow you to take these, only when you say the name of your girl friend”

Hearing that line, I burst out laughing.
“I love these chocolates more than my girl friend; First love is first, so I will take these”
“Will call you later Aunty, take care”
I came out and wished her.

After so many weekends, its huge rain again and that reminded me about my visit to Kavita Aunty. My thoughts started to wander about the story of that fisherman.

I started to think why she said that story to me?
Is there anything more, any hidden message for me in that story?

I recollected that entire story again and that made me realize as, everyone should aim for challenges in life, as like that fisherman and only then the greater heights can be reached.
Then are the books related to the story? Is there any relation for them?

Suddenly, I realized that the fisherman is none other than me.
She had created this story to explain me how important to safe guard the things that are useful for people.
Oh God! She said that story so I can safe guard those books!

I realized, I have to put these books to good use and should not just keep them just safe in the shelves.
But how?

I will read all these books and gain the knowledge about everything.
But what is the use of that?
That knowledge would just remain with me and will end with me.

Ok, I should then create a library and lend these books to everyone so that way they are better utilized. Will this be a good utilization of the books?
I am still not clear about what should be done with all those books.I do not want my Aunty to get hurt, if when she knows that all these books are just here with me lying around in some room.

Thinking about Aunty, made me remember the chocolates.
I walked towards the refrigerator, to check if any more are still remaining.

Slowly I lost in thoughts thinking about those books, as I can not leave them without any use of them, just like a cloud that never rained.