Strange ways of destiny

It was past midnight.Subodh was staring at the blade lying on the table before him. He was at the height of depression and hopelessness. Failure stared at him in whatever he did. He had no clue why life was cruel to him and what he could do to end the pain. He was the eldest in a large family that lived in a village on a small land holding. A portion of it was taken away by the government for a private industry. The family was virtually starving as they had no steady income.Subodh’s remittance from his small income was not adequate There was a message asking him to send some money immediately as his father was admitted in the hospital Subodh could not raise the amount. His employer refused to help and instead he was rude threatening to sack him for his indifferent work. He felt that he was in a bottomless dark pit from which there was no way out. He felt there would be no relief from the misery and that tomorrow could be worse than today. He always fought to overcome suicidal thoughts but the magnitude of the problems was such he decided death alone would put an end to all his pains. There was none to confide to or comfort him. He had locked the small room inside and was sitting dazed trying to summon the courage to cut his veins with the blade.He felt this was the most peaceful way of dying.

There was a knock on the door. He ignored it. The knock became louder and persistent. He still did not stir. He then heard the heart rending wail of a woman pleading him to open the door. He went to the door and asked her without opening what the matter was about. She said she is from the adjacent portion and that her son was very sick and dying. Her husband is not at home .She wanted him to help her to take the boy to the hospital. He bestirred himself from the melancholy thoughts and went out to take the boy to the hospital. He ran hither and thither to find a three wheeler at the unearthly hour till he found one a little farther away. Once in the hospital the doctors rushed the boy to emergency. He waited there till 3am along with the woman and then walked back home. He was thoroughly exhausted and fell asleep.

He woke up a bit late and went directly to the woman in the next portion. He was relieved to hear that the boy was better and would be sent home by the evening. This incident had driven away to some extent his depressing thoughts. His employer called him that day and paid him Rs.1000 to send home telling that he was in a bad mood the previous day and never intended what he had spoken. Subodh’s spirit rose and the world looked not as bad as it was till then.
In the evening he went to see the boy. He was about 16.The boy touched his feet and thanked him profusely for saving his life. It appeared that he had failed in the board examination and in a fit of madness he swallowed rat poison unable to bear the ignominy and shame he brought to his dear parents. He said but for Subodh’s timely help in rushing him to the hospital he would have been dead and that by his kind act he had given him a hope that all is not lost. He was determined to study well and pass in the next examination.
Subodh thought to himself that it was the boy who had actually given him a fresh lease of life and wondered at the quirk of fate by which two lives that were bent upon death were saved by each other.