That Secret Ingredient
"What? The medicine is finished? But how is this possible?" I cried."Yes, Sorry but you are late. We have sold each unit.", he said with a straight face and an indifferent expression.
"But it’s not my fault. The stupid metro kept halting and then that auto-driver took almost a century to drop me at this address..", I bombarded him with explanations.
"Boy! you said that the last time too", he said.
"No", I argued, "last time I had a bus tyre puncture trouble story."
"Isn't it hard to remember?", he chuckled.
"Ummm. may be" ... "wait, no why? ". I grasped it a moment later.
"Nothing, just like that", he smiled.
I knew I was in trouble, the only ray of hope for my health was fazing before me. That too, twice in a row. It was hard to be on time, especially, when you lived so far. But I desperately needed it. I couldn't just give up.
"Sir, I need that medicine. I have hyper-acidity. I can't sleep properly at night. I have been waiting for it for so long. I can't afford to return without it. Vaidya ji said it was the only solution to my health problems. Please, please, help me out here!", I begged.
He patiently responded, "I can't help you son, we are sold out. This is not an ordinary medicine. It is prepared from a concoction of 108 rare ingredients. A very distinct ingredient being an element from the leaf of a special plant. Manufacturing it is a tedious and time-consuming process. Its healing properties are such that it has cured many people suffering from different disease and helped them recover fully. Hence the name ‘Miracle of nature’. We can’t even make it in bulk, only enough batches to last at least 8 days.”
"This is not fair, I want 40 days medicine to complete this course, I can't leave it hanging. Please help me out", I pleaded.
"Hmm Okay!, let me ask vaidya ji if he could help", he sympathized.
I anxiously watched him walk away and into the chambers. All I wanted to hear was a ‘Yes’.
That day I waited for 5 hours and left only once I had the medicine in my hand. It was relieving to know that I was going to be fine in a few days. This relief cost me 20,000 bucks, that I saved penny by penny. I departed with a smile on my face. Gratitude was seeping into my soul. My sufferings were finally going to end. I could finally live a normal life, sleep well, have a healthy body and what not. I felt better already. One thing that stuck in my head, ….”prepared from a concoction of 108 rare ingredients. A very distinct ingredient being an element from the leaf of a special plant.”
Time flew…
I was all grown up and was planning on starting my own business. The plan was drafted and I had decided on a capital requirement of 40,000. I was in the pink of my health for more than eight years now. Vaidya ji’s medicine had been very effective. I would feel grateful each time the thought of him came to mind.
One fine day, I was stressing at home, devising strategies on how to arrange for the initial capital. I was pulled out of my trance with the buzzing of the doorbell. I proceeded to open the door, only to find Vaidya ji standing at the porch. A soothing smile came to my lips. I immediately touched his feet and invited him in.
“What brings you here Vaidya ji?, you could have just called me…”, I beamed with a hint of surprise mixed with excitement.
"I have had something that belongs to you for a long time. I am here to return it.”, he replied.
"What thing?", I questioned.
"Remember when you came to me years ago, fetching medication for your ill health?”
"Yes! " I replied. How could I forget? I remembered every detail.
"Well, that medicine I gave you was nothing but candy that costed just Re.1 per day…”, he noticed the puzzled expression on my face, “Your father came to me one day and told me about your condition. You were keeping really unwell. However, all your medical tests and reports came out clean. After a lot of thought we concluded that it was all psychosomatic, in your head. You needed a strong placebo to heel. He wanted you to become a responsible man who values time and money. So, we cooked up this plan. Needless to say, it seems to have worked. It wasn’t my medicine, but your belief that made you better, son.”
I simply stood there, mute and wordless. My mind delved into the events of the past eight and a half years of my life. I looked at my father sitting across the room. I was bewildered, yet somehow happy and satisfied. He was a wise and thoughtful man. I hadn’t uttered a word, but my eyes were already thanking him.
Vaidya ji handed a packet to my mother and said, "I put Arun’s money in a personal fixed deposit and now this is the total amount after deducting the actual medicine cost". He turned to me and held my hand, "Arun, you used to wonder about that special ingredient… Well! those 108 ingredients were the 108 names of Lord Vishnu and that special element was the purest dew drop from the topmost leaves of our herbal-garden".
With these words, he bid us adieu and left a soothing smile on our faces.
I was about to tell my father exactly what I felt, but mother interrupted, “It is 39,920 rupees!"
|| AUM ||
[ Story from my book : 18 ENLIGHTENING TALES ]
Comments
Post a Comment