Back To Bliss: A Journey To Zero, Santosh Jha [mystery books to read .TXT] 📗

the top, you are not lonely. Such banal idealisms stink. There are hordes of people wanting to pull you down and then you do not have options.”

“I understand the predicament. But that was the start. You have been editor for last many years now and I don’t think the survival issue stands anymore.”

“Come out of the world of wishful thinking Mayank. Your innocence mindset does not allow you to see things on the other side of the coin. You can only wish that you grow alone with time. The reality is, with time, if your friends grow with you, so do your enemies.”

“The great absurdity of this evolution is that our enemies also think the same about ourselves. The cyclic stupidity remains ever energized.”

“The innocence however may buy the satisfaction that it didn’t start the chain, nor can it help in its end. Everyone has to be in this grind. You are born with your enemies; you make friends only when you grow.”

“Is this all you want me to learn?”

“Why should I make you learn anything? It is your choice. I wish well for you. That’s why I am telling you about the practical realities of life. I may not have the artistry of language and the charisma of an intellectual but I can also make long and passionate speeches about the virtue of being compassionate even with your enemies. But I am also well prepared and capable to chop off the asses of my enemies. I just wish you also see the reality and brace up for practicality of life. Enemies are enemies because they don’t understand the language of compassion.”

“All our enemies must also be thinking the same way about their enemies.”

“May be, but did I start it. I too wanted to be a good editor. I got only a few thousand when I was first made editor but I was happy. I only had one enemy; the outgoing editor. Now I earn more than a million and I have a few thousand enemies. Show me the compassion and I would reciprocate in double. Yes they do, they show it only when they offer wreath on your coffin.”

“You believe there is no chance for survival of innocence. Is death the only innocence?”

“I think so. It is like you have no money and you have no friends, no enemies either. Then you toil hard to make a hundred rupee. Instantly, hundreds of people who have a hundred rupee note or less become your enemy. Everyone fears competition. These hundreds have the option to work harder and add more money so that their hundred rupees become two hundred. But everyone wants the easy and lazy option. It is always difficult to grow above the competition and very easy to eliminate or emaciate the competition. If you and I both have hundred rupees then it is difficult and time taking for either of us to earn another hundred to become one up. So what I do is steal your hundred rupees. This gives instant and better results. I become two hundred rupees and the greatest joy is that you become a big zero. That’s why I said, enemies come easy to you.”

“I think I should suggest that enemy is quite a harsh word. Competitor looks like the right reference and makes us take the life a bit more easy and friendly.”

“Euphemism is the problem of the heart and not the eye. I take what I see. Competitors are in sports only; not even in all sports. In life you have only enemies. The bread and butter is where life’s fiercest and deadliest battles are fought. Survival is no sports, it’s a battle. Your euphemism will make you the first victim in this battle. It’s your choice. I know my options very well.”

“But we should also count our friends, if we are so obsessed by our enemies. I think, the owner of the enterprise should be our best friend. I don’t think he wants battles where his profits are at stake.”

“This is the last time I am warning you; come out of your world of dreams and wishful thinking. You will end up as a big stupid and not a shred of friends. This whole rot in this world has been wreaked by none other but the owners of enterprises. Why this world is such a hell? Because, the owner of this world; our all powerful and almighty God is nonchalant. He himself lives in the comfort of heaven and lords over the world so full of filth and felony. Why doesn’t he punish the bad ones? Because he wants the continuation of his almighty status! He is the most insecure of us. He knows it well that if all people on earth will become happy and self-sufficient, nobody will even bother to remember him. The lord’s compassion is worthy only when his empire lives in the pool of woes. The magnanimity is virtue only for non-entity; the able take it as pomposity.”

“But the God is not running a profit-making corporation. Our owners may not like the woes of his empire as it may affect his corporation’s efficiency and ultimately its profitability.”

“That’s why God is slightly better than our owners. If God can be so unkind, when he is not into profit taking venture, think of what monsters our owners can be when what they care is profit and more of it.”

“I cannot understand you. Anyone would guard his profitability but why should one intentionally make his enterprise a battleground? I believe, owners want the best for something they so arduously create and struggle hard to grow.”

“That’s why I say you will see the reality only when you land at the end of journey. At the start of journey, where you stand now, things do not look like what they actually are.”

“I admit that but it still does not answer my question. If you think you can trust me, you should make things clear to me so that I can really learn from your experiences.”

“Trust is not the issue. If you tell what I tell you to the boss, you will lose your own credibility. In our world, a man is valued only when he can keep secrets and promises.”

“Then tell me your experiences.”

“You know; in old times, there were kings and they lorded over large empires. Communication was very poor and it was very difficult to rule for long. The kings had developed a very trusted communication system through a large network of spies. The spies were not only his eyes and ears taking him to all parts of his empire sitting right in the safety of his palace but they also performed one huge function for him. They ensured that all the possible enemies of the king had more enemies to battle with so that they could never be so strong to challenge the king. And, the king knew it well; the closest of friends were the most likely and potent enemies anytime opportunity presented them with a chance. So, he had his most trusted and loyal spies working overtime on his wives, ministers and commanders. The secret lover of king’s dearest wife would be his most trusted spy. The wife of his most powerful minister would be on his payroll. He would go to any length to ensure that all his friends and enemies alike would never ever get so powerful to challenge him. The easiest thing to do was to create so many enemies to all of them that they remained weak and vulnerable ever and always dependent on the magnanimity of the king for their survival. Do you ever consider a charity for Bill Gates! Magnanimity is a joy only when there are beggars around you.”

“This is very mean interpretation of humanity. I am not sure it is an exception or a rule. I have a feeling you are blowing it all up.”

“Foolish boy, this is not an interpretation, it is a transcendental reality. We live in a world of far greater distrust and far superior communication technologies. Though, they have euphemized things and call espionage as intelligence. When you will end up on top, you will understand the lethal world of corporate intelligence. The history was benevolent in some respect. The king’s magnanimity was king-size and those who were loyal enjoyed the extravagance of his compassion. Our owners are baniyas. They behave like kings and want the kingdom’s booty for their own luxuries but their magnanimity and compassion is no better than a beggar. A beggar is even better; he will give you one rupee if he has two. The owners of today’s enterprise cannot.”

“If people on top of the rung, like you, paint such painfully sad picture of reality, what picture the petty employees must be having in their minds.”

“This is the good part of the enterprise. The starters see the rosy picture. They still live on the very comforting hope towards lord’s magnanimity. Their positivity actually is the energy that makes all modern enterprises run and thrive. A cancer patient has lots of hopes from his doctors and the God. He prays a lot and believes in what his doctors prescribe for him. He suffers a lot but his hopes still make him carry on the struggle with vigor. Then the doctors finally tell him there is no hope and he understands that God did not pay heed to his prayers. He dies before his death actually comes. He does not pray. Hopes should never die before our deaths. I salute your hope. I am at the end of the journey. My hope has died long ago. I do not pray to the magnanimity of my God. I simply battle on my own to get my cut of the cake.”

“But you still smile. You still fight it out like a true warrior. How can you say that?”

“Because; I don’t drink milk! I enjoy my whisky and this makes me connect to this world well. It always reminds me that this world is bitter, not worth your good taste but still, this is what gives you the kick of life; it works well for you. It makes you smile without the energy of the stupid ephemeral hope.”

“So, there is no hope for people with option of milk like me?”

“You are hopeless anyways. Don’t lick my brain. I am getting late for office. Come and join this evening. And do come with your hope. I like its fragrance. Everyone loves a toddler smelling like a pot of milk.”

“I will do it only when you promise that you will teach me the art of making cheese out of the milk.”

“Start drinking whisky with me and you will automatically learn the great art which I learnt through so much pain. Anyway, what’s the use of making cheese if you can’t enjoy it with whisky”, the editor said and went inside the bathroom.

Mayank knew, when he will come out of the bathroom, he will be the editor and not the big brother he was a few minutes back. It was time he moved out.

**

CHAPTER 15

She did not quite understand what he had in mind but she said okay to what Mayank proposed. He told her to arrange things as they were going for week-long pre-wedding honeymoon to Manali on Friday night. She reminded him that he had an all important meeting coming up on Friday with the owner of his newspaper and asked whether the journey same night would be possible. He assured her that there would not be any problem. She could not see the smiling face of Mayank on phone but she could sense the confidence and joy that his voice carried. He told her that he had already booked the tickets and hotel and would be with her by Friday afternoon to help her in packing.

Mayank smiled at the different strokes of destiny. Last time he had to meet the owner, he wished to have some time beforehand to prepare for