The green grass on the other side…

There was a lady who considered herself to be the most unfortunate person. Like most of us, she thought all around her, family members, colleagues, bosses, and maids, all together made her life a living hell.  She happened to meet an Enlightened Man whom she prayed for some happiness and peace. He promised it to her on a condition. She should give him the sugar from the home which she thought would be the happiest one. She easily agreed.

How does she find out the happiest home? To make her job easy, the Enlightened Man endowed her with a power to be present in anybody’s home invisibly. Oh, so she was going to be a remote witness to day-to-day happenings of people’s affairs without them being aware of her presence. She was thrilled with the new power.

She decided to visit relatives’ and friends’ houses whose families appeared picture perfect on Facebook. She found nothing but arguments with happiness albeit missing everywhere. It was surprising for her as she had visited them just on weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties and festivals. On social networking sites, too, where she perceived them to be ‘cheerful’.

Here was a couple who after a fierce argument vowed not to see each other’s face. What will happen next, she feared. But very next day, they were seen hand in hand with each other at a wedding reception.  In other household, a religious man was shouting at everyone for not letting him meditate in peace. He threw the food at dinner table as his wife had forgotten to make his ‘fast’ special food. Everybody went to sleep hungrily as arguments filled them up.

Oh, this invisible lady was shocked. Those living together were cursing each other while a few who had separated from each other, too, whirled abuses at each other for ‘spoiling’ each other’s lives. Those who lived with in-laws cried their interference while nuclear families complained lack of helping hand and elderly touch at home.  Married were unhappy as marriage made them miserable and bachelors and spinsters felt lonely for missing on ‘family moments’.

There was a sad story in every plush office and well-equipped school. The invisible lady visited all the households of celebrities, politicians, businessmen, film stars and sportspersons. Arguments, tensions, cheatings, addictions, domestic violence and strain of interpersonal relationship…outstanding mutual understandings and mediocre misunderstandings… she had enough of it. Everybody held other person responsible for the precipice. Oh, she was convinced she was not as sad as them…

The idea to visit enlightened man clicked her. A small home comprising him and his wife barely saw any arguments and tiffs. Everybody owned up the mistake and promised to introspect during even casual differences of opinions.  Considering it to be a happy household, she started looking for sugar…alas, she couldn’t find. The Enlightened Man, aware of her presence, quipped, “My wife is severely diabetic at a very young age and I have also quit sugar as both of us are dealing with the disease…”

The lady was flabbergasted! “Oh but it shouldn’t take others’ miseries to realise your own happiness…” the Enlightened Man continued…