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“I am back home” a feeble voice came from Karamjit as he quietly rushed himself closing the front door to his room, throwing away his school bag on the sofa, lurking in the corner of his room and laying down feeling like a sack of potatoes.
An immediate voice came from his uncle who was standing next to him waking up all his senses, “Have you received your test?”
Karamjit trembled up in fear and said stutteringly “T-T-T- Test?”
“Yes, the one that took place this morning” asked his uncle. Karamjit hesitatingly replied, “N-N-No, it was cancelled as the teacher felt sick & had to leave the classroom early on.”
“Now don’t waste your time lying up there like a pig in mud. Get up, eat your lunch and get back to study.” His uncle left the room without saying a further word and Karamjit slowly collecting himself from his couch rejuvenating his calmness, relieving himself thinking that his uncle hasn’t found that he has not attended his school from last five days.
He laid down on his back trying to get into the world of his own imagination at the same time hoping that he do not face any further trouble for the rest of the day. After some time, he fell asleep waking up in a new world giving him a strange nostalgic feeling of reality where he is travelling all around the world, exploring different countries, meeting with new people, tasting new dishes and influencing millions of lives around the globe with his persuasive communication skills & ability to inspire people.
Loosing count of time, he woke up late in the night only realizing it when he got a kick on his butt by his aunt. “You lazy thing you. Your uncle told you to study, no? And here you are, sleeping like you got no worries. Stand up, I said!” she shouted at the top of her voice.
He trembled up to the refrigerator to find something to eat and sat down on his study table to prepare for the test hoping he could get something imprinted on his mind.
It was however not an unusual day for Karamjit Singh, a seventeen year old Sikh boy who was the only son of his father living in the Patiala district of Punjab with his uncle and aunt. He was five feet eight inches tall weighing roughly hundred and twenty-five pounds. He lived with his uncle and aunt alone. Their house was located in an alley passing from the main Sirhind Road. His father, Balkar Singh who was a Captain in the Indian Army was deployed most of the times at different posts almost all the year & had no luxury time to spend with his only son. His mother, Kulvir Kaur died in a car accident when he was just seven. He grew up with his uncle Colonel Gurtej Singh who was now retired personnel from the military.
Living up without parents in his uncle’s presence who was a strict and disciplined person having complete authority over the choices of Karamjit made him an introvert, insecure and unconfident boy who was just into himself. And his aunt, Jaswinder Kaur left him no chance to enjoy his teen life keeping him in a lot of troubles which even led to him being beaten up by his uncle without any of his fault.
One day, while she was cleaning the floor, she accidently bumped into an expensive flower vase that his uncle Gurtej Singh had bought from Japan. When Gurtej Singh entered the room, she put the whole blame on Karamjit realizing the anguish that she would have to face from Gurtej Singh. And consequently, Karamjit got punished by his uncle for breaking the pot that he didn’t even touched. Gurtej Singh, however was different than his wife Jaswinder Kaur. He always took his decisions which would benefit Karamjit but he was rude which was a direct consequence according to many because he served in the Indian Army for so many years which made him strict and disciplined. So he never refrained from using the rod to use as a punishment for Karamjit to make him realize his mistakes and then never to have him repeat them again.
He would take Karamjit to morning running and leave him gasping for breath after making him run for more than five miles daily. Karamjit however, hated doing any physical exercises but it didn’t mattered what he liked or disliked, he had to do it because it was an order from his uncle that was supreme for him even though he hated it. He never liked to eat groceries too but again, he would not only drink the stuff he didn’t liked but also drank some of the worst tasting juices from raw vegetables which they prepared at home in their garden.
Jaswinder Kaur on the other hand was completely different as she never considered Karamjit her nephew and always found ways in which she could do some harm to him and make his life worse than ever before. Karamjit although was afraid of social associations because of living under a constrained environment offering him little to no freedom, he had keen interest in travelling and a sense of curiosity to explore new places perhaps because of the constipated desire that built inside him living in an environment of social conformity offering little attention to his own identity.
Karamjit’s day usually started with him going to his school. He was not one of the kind who was pursuing his passion which was deeply suppressed and one of the reasons which contributed to it was that he was put into a convent school since he was a child which also led him to form his religious beliefs in Sikhism and shaped his mentality and thought process in a significant way.
He had few friends and even those who were his friends usually abstained from communicating with him. That was partly because of the fact that he was considered a different kid with unusual perspective of looking at the world. So, every time he tried to speak and present his world view, his views were generally unwelcomed and not accepted. This led him to forming a belief that the world is a strange place to live, and he is someone who is distinguished from the rest because of his different conceptions about life. It first started with his teachers who told him that he was mentally retarded, lacked the intellectual faculty to comprehend the information just like other kids and couldn’t compete at the same level as the rest of them when he was very young.
And later on, his aunt did her part by not embracing and encouraging Karamjit’s abilities that he could improve himself in terms of his intellect. The result was that Karamjit had no sense of significance and worth for himself and his abilities to pursue his passion or even to speak it out and express it to someone else. The belief system or the fabrication that the culture & society put on him became so strong that he never had faith in himself that he will ever amount to anything to anybody in life.
He often got scolded by his uncle for his inability to speak clearly & effectively and he was often a subject of criticism among his teachers for his lack of interest in academic or extracurricular activities.
One such day, when he finished his schooling time, one of the boys named Amrit came next to him and asked, “Hey Karamjit, are you even present here?”
“What do you mean? ” replied Karamjit. “I mean, where are you lost all the time? You are lost in your own world”
Karamjit thought for a while, then buried his head in his arms as he folded them and sat down on the bench. “What happened? You Okay?” asked Amrit.
No answer came back. Not even a flinch. Amrit yelled back, “What’s wrong with you? Do you think that someone cares to talk with you? You are such an egomaniac and an absolute narcissist which is the reason everybody avoids you because you don’t know how to talk to people and make friends. ” Karamjit winced at once and looked at Amrit with his calm poise. “It’s not because of that.” “Then What is it? Tell me!” “It’s because people never really understand me.” “And that’s probably because you never tried to talk to them. You are into yourself. Isn’t it?” Amrit asked. “Absolutely not. I was very open when I was a little kid but whenever I tried to express myself, people never took me seriously, ignored me and bullied me. Now how can a child who’s been never given importance and always bullied come out to be socially constructive and interact freely with people? Maybe it’s easy for others but surely it’s not my cup of tea.” “Why do you feel that? That’s other people’s business if they think you are not worthy of being listened to. At least I don’t believe what they say about you.” he assured .
“Really? You think so? But that’s what I am told. I am treated as if I am a no good nick.” “There is always a person in your life who always wishes for your wellbeing. So, you are telling me that nobody cares for you? Is that true?”
“No, I am not saying that. But most people I have met so far in my life showed me exactly that with their behavior towards me. The only person who is left in my life who really cares for me is my father. He is the only person who makes me feel good about myself and my uniqueness. He always says that I have some hidden abilities which I could manifest to help others. He is my best friend. But seldom do I get the opportunity to spend time with him” he said.
“Well, I believe in you. Trust me, I trust in you, and I have never felt that you are different than others even though they keep addressing you in a demeaning way. I never knew that you were such kind of a humble person. I always thought that you are an arrogant person who is too proud to mingle with others. That is why I never really talked to you before.” said Amrit. “It seems to me that your father is your hero to you. Tell me something more about him.”
Karamjit looked at Amrit and smiled as if he finally found the person, he was looking for all these years who would understand him. “My father is a Colonel and he’s been serving in the Indian Army for the past 25 years. He is usually deployed at various different posts all throughout the year and help train young cadets to become future officers. And being an officer at a high rank like Colonel, he is also a consultant to the junior officers who train under his supervision. He has been deployed several times at some of the most difficult terrains whether it be in hot deserts or frost bite mountains. Besides that, he is a former national athlete who represented India at the 1990 Asian Games that were held in China.” said Karamjit proudly feeling contented with his father’s accomplishments.
“Wow! That’s really awesome! He’s one of an adventurous kind. I am really impressed by what your father has accomplished leaving me no doubt why he’s your biggest inspiration.” said Amrit. “Do you also have any plans to join Army?”
“No. I would never do that.” said Karamjit as he turned his head around.
“But didn’t you just said that you wish to be like your father?” “Yeah, definitely. He is my idol and I pursue to personify him in whatever I do, but my intention is not to go in the army but I want to live life on my own terms. I don’t want to be someone who is under the supervision of an authority all the time which commands and dictates my life and how I should live or behave. I do desire to live an adventurous life. I want to travel around the world and meet with people who have similar interests. But....” Karamjit stopped as if something suddenly hit him.
“But what” asked Amrit. “No... nothing” replied Karamjit as if he were hiding something. “Are you sure?” “Yeah.... Nothing” he assured Amrit.
Amrit pat him on the back and gazed in his eyes. “Listen, I am just like your brother, so feel free to talk to me and open up your heart to me. Remember that I am always here to help you. And don’t ever hesitate to share your mind with me. I am not like others. I want you to get this through your head. So always be open to me buddy. Do you understand that?”
“Yeah, I will keep it in mind. Thanks for your support.” Karamjit shook his hand as he stood up. “Okay, I have to leave now.” he said as he picked up his bag. “Do you have to go somewhere?” Amrit asked. “I have to go to Dukhniwaran Sahib Gurudwara for worship. I usually go there in the evening. Do you want to come with me?” “It’s near to the place where I live. But I don’t normally go to any religious places.” “Why is that?” asked Karamjit.
Amrit looked up.“Because I am an atheist. Although my parents believe in Hindu religion but I don’t believe in the existence of God.”
“Well, you can still come with me if you want. You just said that you are my friend, so must come with me.” “Alright. I will meet you at the Gurudwara then. When will you reach there?”
Karamjit glanced at his Hungerford watch.“Sharp at 6’o clock” he said. “Okay then, I will see you there.” “Okay, bye buddy.” said Karamjit as he bid him farewell.
Karamjit then hurriedly ran to his house with excitement of establishing a good friend in the image of Amrit in whom he can trust and share his thoughts. He was happy because he finally got someone who could listen to his story. His joy was out of bounds. He quickly reached home, had his lunch, and eagerly waited for the evening to occur.
Karamjit being a Sikh boy had his evening time scheduled to visit the Dukhniwaran Sahib Gurudwara for at least four days every week where he would spend his time listening to Gurbani. He would park his bicycle, remove his shoes, and deposit them to the Joda Ghar where all the visitors would deposit their shoes and slippers, then receive the token number specified for every visitor uniquely. He would then wash his feet and hands and walk forward to the Darbar Sahib – the main hall in the Gurudwara where Guru Granth Sahib is kept where he would chant his prayers and bow down to worship. He would keep sitting in the Darbar Sahib and listen with all his attention to the every word read from Guru Granth Sahib which is the holy scripture of Sikhism.
After that he would take a bath in the Sarovar—a rectangular open pool filled with sacred water with steps descending into the water. He would then take a walk on the sidewalks of the Sarovar with his hands folded all the while chanting his prayers. Amrit was with him that day. He was carefully observing Karamjit and all that he did in the Gurudwara as he visited with him the very first time. Amrit was amused by the lustrous look of the Gurudwara and its humungous size. He was very much impressed with the architecture of the Gurudwara and how the main building was paved. After walking around the Sarovar, they went to the Nishan Sahib. Amrit was shocked to see Nishan Sahib—a triangular flag hoisted on the top of a tall pole because of the height at which it was raised.
He taped Karamjit on the back as he lifted his head to look at the end point of the Nishan Sahib. “ Why is that flag hoisted so high?” “ It acts as a sign for the visitors so that it could be seen from far away, signifying the presence of Gurudwara in neighborhood. There is also a historical and spiritual significance to that.” “What is that?” Amrit asked.
“ It also serves as a sign of truth which leads people closer to the Eternal Guru or God in which Justice, truth and love reigns above all the hate, prejudice, and malice that prevails in this defective world or the Earthly realm. When you live righteously, it acts as a gateway to heaven.” “Do you really believe in heaven?” “Yes, I do” Karamjit stated boldly. “It’s a gift for your noble deeds from the God” he said.
“But I think heaven is merely a fictional concept which is good only for movies & children’s novels. It’s just an unrealistic place which people have created to escape the harsh reality of this world. And moreover, if it were real, why can’t we observe it? I am very skeptical about all this spiritual realm jargon that people talk about. It’s quite esoteric at least for me.” Amrit said as folded his arms.
Karamjit looking at him and then giggled a little. “ That’s fine. That’s your belief. And I respect that. But for me, heaven is more real than earth. You might not be able to perceive it, but it exist just like the air you breathe – you never see it but it still exists and gives you life.” Karamjit pointed out. He took a deep breath and continued. “The same is also true when you walk on the righteous path and always do good to those who despitefully use you and even deceive you. Because God is always faithful with his promises and those who seek him with all their heart shall never perish.”
Amrit was constantly staring at Karamjit with a look of skepticism as if he were looking for an opportunity to throw another ball of questions when Karamjit finished speaking. For Amrit, being an atheist, it was hard for him to conceive and believe what Karamjit was saying. “Really? Who defines this so-called righteous path? I mean, there is nothing absolute in this universe. What is right for me may not be right for someone else and what’s right for them might not work for me at all. So this world is a whole conundrum between truth and false? Is that what you are saying?”
“Ha-ha-ha. I see that you have grasped Einstein’s theory of relativity to a fair degree.” said Karamjit in a witty manner as they both laughed out. “But there is always a creator or the ruler which sets the standard. He is the one who defines what is right and what is wrong. He is the one who separates light from darkness. He is the one who separates Truth from Ignorance. He is the one who sets dreams in the hearts of men and gives them the ability to fulfill them. He is the ultimate one who stands for the people who are righteous with his word” Karamjit said.
As soon as he said it, Amrit looked very anxious and confused. “ I have had enough.”he said. “Will you please explain to me what is this righteousness? How do you define it? I am not asking you to describe God or whatever you call him. I want you to tell me how do you decide whether someone is righteous or not?”
“ Well, its no rocket science. Its quite easy actually. Righteousness simply means right alignment or positioning with God’s standards. You do not necessarily have to wear religious clothes to be righteous. All you need to do is to not just seek your own individual good but the welfare of others and the whole community. Righteousness means to help others when they need you and doing works which help in uplifting others from low status to a rather high profile where they could do the same to other people they meet.” he explained.
“Oh, I see. I believe that you are somehow different from all the religious people out there. I mean, the things that you say make some sense unlike the heavy words that those religious people throw at you just to puzzle you up. But it’s not that easy Karamjit. There’s a whole lot of difference between saying these things and then actually executing them in the practical life.” Amrit remarked.
“ There certainly is a lot of difference and that is the reason only few of the many are righteous because they have gone through the pain, suffering and hardships that walking on that righteous path requires. So it is difficult as you rightly pointed out. If it were easy, every other person would be righteous which is not the scenario, not in the contemporary world at least. You have to believe in the God when you have lost everything and even then continue doing the good works, only then can you attain that righteousness. And if you look at the history, you would find that there were very few people who were actually righteous and who endured that pain and suffering to attain and maintain it.” Said Karamjit.
“ Well.... Maybe you know quite a lot more than me in this context. But I am always skeptical about this concept as I have been in the past from a long, long time. I am understanding all you are saying and it even makes sense at the surface level but the real issues arise when you look at the problems with this theory at the micro level. What I mean to say is that I have seen and read about many people who struggled all their life and they never really got rewarded or appreciated by the society or even their own community for what they did. On the contrary, they were criticized by their own people. So, my question is: if they were walking on this righteous path that you were mentioning while facing all the hardships and turbulent times, then why is it that their efforts weren’t recognized?” asked Amrit scratching his forehead.
“ See, it’s not about whether people appreciate or even recognize what good you have done for the others. They are not the ultimate judge even though they may make laws and legitimize them. Because even though, the society has its own measure by which it measures your actions, there still is the ultimate one who is above all the nations and national laws. He is the ultimate one who has created the universe and everything that exists in it. He is the ultimate judge. So he is the one who sees whether what you have done is righteous or unrighteous. It doesn’t matter what people reward you for your efforts, but in the end what really matters is the appreciation that you get from the lord. Because he sees when no one is watching you. He knows everything. So if you are living a righteous life and even though nobody knows about it, he still knows it and appreciates you for doing that. That’s what I meant” he explained.
“ Oh, I see.... So you mean that there is a judgment for everything or every act that an individual commits in even the shortest moments of their life? Well, if that’s the scenario, then its horrible for many people. Because the stuff that people do in their secret life, they don’t want nobody to know about it.” Amrit pointed out.
“ Now you are getting it. So the crux of the matter is; if you are living a righteous life even when no one is watching you, then you are aligning yourself with that righteous path. Because remember, he always has an eye on you even when you think you are doing something secretly.” Said Karamjit.
“ Gotcha. Okay, I think we have had a good discussion on God. Now, my God is making some noises and he needs some food. So let’s go and eat something.” Said Amrit wittingly moving his hand on his belly.
“ Ha-Ha-Ha. That’s funny. We can go to the Langar hall. You will get some delicious food out there which would help you to relax your tummy.” He said jokingly.
They continued straight to the Langar hall, a large hall where worshipers receive free meal while in the Gurudwara. Karamjit did his services in the Langar by serving food to the worshipers as all of them sat down on a long mat signifying equality for people of all castes, religions, and ethnicities. Amrit joined Karamjit in serving meal to visitors. After sometime, they too sat down to eat their meal which was served meticulously with chapatti, Dal and spinach with some salad. Before eating his meal, Karamjit would fold his hands and pray to the Almighty.
Amrit could hear whispers from Karamjit while he was praying. He copied Karamjit and he too started praying joining his hands with a piece of cloth wrapped up around his head all this while. After finishing the meal, Karamjit went to the Joda Ghar to finish his part on storing other visitors shoes, slippers and then polishing them. It was a part of the services performed at the Gurudwara by the willing people. Amrit was along with him as he watched Karamjit quietly whispered into Amrit’s ears. “Are you getting late? You can leave if you want to.” “Are you not coming? How much more time will you stay here?” Amrit asked. “It won’t take me more than ten minutes. I am almost done. You can stay if you want and then we can leave after some time.” “Although, I had to study but alright, let’s leave together then.” Amrit responded as he glanced over Karamjit’s Hungerford watch at once which struck 8’o clock.
They stood up as Karamjit removed a small rectangular piece of cloth that he tied around his waist so that the leather polish cannot stick to his clothes & make them dirty. They went over to the wash basin, washed their hands & feet, and left the Gurudwara building to catch up their vehicles to leave for their respective homes.
Karamjit went out and sat on his bike. “It was a good time together” he said. Amrit tapped him on the back as he jumped on to his bicycle. “I still have some questions which I want to ask you. I won’t leave you until you answer all of them and leave me contented.” Amrit said teasefully. “Ha-Ha. Sure, now that we are friends, we will have plenty time together discussing some interesting things.” Karamjit replied. “Okay, then. See you tomorrow. Good night!” Karamjit lifted up his hand & waved as he bid him farewell. “Alright, Bye”
But Karamjit’s day was never over until some trouble hit him giving him plethora of reasons for complaint. As soon as he reached home and opened the front door, he saw his aunt sitting on the sofa in the corner of the room, watching television while eating her chocolate chip cookies. He tried to rush quietly to his room without his aunt noticing him but failed. A loud voice struck his ears.
“ You idiot! Where have you been all this time. Why have you reached home so late? I thought you only go to the Gurudwara but it seems you have slowly picked up your pace like the other squirrely teens looking for mingling parties. So you have also grown up your wings to fly huh? Do you think you have outgrown us you little dirty boy? Look at you, your clothes are all messed up. Oh.... You are such a disgrace to us. Speak up you dirty scoundrel!”
“ Aunty, actually my friend.....” “ Friend what? Now, listen to me carefully. This is the last time I am cautioning you. If I ever come to know again that you are not at home by the evening time, you will face such a harsh punishment that you will not ever be able to think being persuaded to do this again. I might even send you to boarding school. Do you hear that?” Karamjit’s jaw suddenly dropped and his tone became depressing. “Boarding school? No-No-No. Okay, I will never do that again. But please don’t’ send me to boarding school. Please, please....” “Now, shut your mouth, go eat dinner and then quietly sit down on your study table and start studying. Remember, I shouldn’t have to remind you that again.” Karamjit’s aunt threatened him as he rushed immediately to his room and started studying.
While studying, his mind was wondering about Amrit. He thought about the meeting that he had with Amrit feeling a mixture of absurdity & excitement at the same time. Absurd because he never thought that he would be able to make a good friend which was an interpretation from the experiences that he acquired all throughout his life.
And excitement as he was ready to meet his friend again and speak up his mind to him which he couldn’t do with any other person. It was due to this excitement that he wasn’t able to sleep adequately that night. Due to lack of sleep, he woke up the next morning feeling low with an unusual pain in his back which was partially because he slept crumbled the whole night.
He rushed to school on his bike. This day was however different for him unlike other days. He was excited beyond measure and this was probably the first day in his life when he was excited & amused while going to school, singing on his way and one of the happiest moments of his life.
When he reached school, he quickly rushed pass the front door and entered the class with an unusual confidence that none of his classmates would ever witness from him on an average day. Karamjit would normally walk with his head down and dropped shoulders while his hands would be searching some lost treasure in his pockets. But today, he held his head high and chest out all the way swinging his arms in a harmonious way as he walked among the others. And everybody was a bit surprised at his unusual confidence that Karamjit was carrying along him.
But Karamjit being himself did not bothered about the staring eyes of his classmates and scanned the class looking for Amrit. He looked around the whole class but Amrit was nowhere. While he was thinking about Amrit’s absence, a gentle tap came on his shoulders from behind and as soon as he turned around, he saw a beautiful girl who was one of his classmates standing next to him. “Are you looking for Amrit?” she asked him. “Yes, How do you know that?” “He told me to tell you that he is sitting right there in the canteen waiting for you.” “Oh, I see.... Thanks for informing me.” Karamjit said.
The girl quickly walked away without any response straight to a group of girls which to him appeared to be her friends. And all this while, Karamjit stood there awestruck, looking at the girl until she appeared out of sight and suddenly Amrit came and shook Karamjit at once to wake him up.
He said, “ Hey, didn’t that girl inform you that I was in the canteen?” Karamjit nodded his head. “Yes, she did.” “ Okay, let’s go to attend the class then. The lecture is about to start and you know that if you enter late then that rude, agnostic professor will throw us out of the class for the rest of the semester. Amrit warned him.
They both walked away for the class as Karamjit was still lost in his thoughts of that girl he just had encountered. “ By the way, who was that girl? Do you know her? ” Karamjit asked. Amrit started pacing up. “ Oh, Yeah. She is my friend Riya. We are friends since our childhood. She lives in our neighborhood. ” “ Great!” Karamjit said.