I got a call on my mobile. The voice was familiar but I couldn’t get the name. The caller identified himself. He was my good long lost friend.
”I have been wanting to get in touch with you for long, but could never get through your number or email,” I said, quite happy to pick up the thread again. ”Where are you?” I asked him.
”Pradeep, don’t ask me… I’m in a god-forsaken place in (he mentioned the state not the city),” he said. I could sense that there wasn’t in his voice the excitement I was feeling.
”Tell me where are you working? Are you still with xxxx or are you now with xxxx?”
”Pradeep, I am out of xxxx…. it’s more than xxxx years since I am jobless…”
”What?….. What happened?” I was getting worried…
”Pradeep…. It’s a long horrible story… Instead of telling you all those gory details… Let me ask you for one help…..Pradeep you have to help me….”
He then began to tell me the sort of job he wanted. ”This is the only thing I can do… I have lost all my savings… I have barely anything to live on…
”Where are you…”
He told me the small town he was staying in.
”Is this your personal mobile number?”
”Ya Pradeep, but I may lose this SIM… Since they want my residence proof…” I was beginning to feel confused as well.
”Where is your family….?” I asked him quite concerned about his wife and child… who must be somewhere between 5 and 10, if my memory serves me right.
”Pradeep, I am out of family also… You didn’t know?… We have separated… O…. That was completely messed up…. ” I was so shocked hearing this, I can barely recall what he said.
”Then with whom are you staying?”
His answer came with some hesitation… ”I am with some relatives, they have given me a job… with no designation and no work….”
He was sounding quite desperate…
”Pradeep…. I have lost 90% of my sanity, now if I don’t get some job, I will lose the rest also… Pradeep please help… i won’t disturb you… You must be in the midst of work…”
He told me to mail me… and hung up…
I was left numbed… What a fall… for a bright man… This is the time in his life he should have been feeling reasonably happy and comfortable with what life had offered him… Instead, he is struggling to keep himself afloat…
What a misfortune has befallen the lady who had chosen to share her life with him… She has now only wounds to nurse…
It’s not difficult for me to find the sort of job he wants… I shouldn’t let him down…..
Duniya Mein kitna gham hai…..
We can count on you to find a good job for him. Hope his life will find its anchor and be stable.
Hm.. that was sad. hope he gets better soon…
A very sad story. Let us pray there are happier times ahead for him soon.
Raji
Missing you in the blogosphere, Pradeep. Hope all is well.
Raji Muthukrishnan
Have you found him a job?