TWO GRAVES


















 


"Before you embark on the journey of revenge, dig two graves.”

Just flashed on TV before a movie....


Really made me think...Revenge is nothing but death of relations. Instead, dig one grave and bury the feelings of revenge, hatred and anger deep into it.



Well, before you embark on this Post, let me confess: Pinky, a friend of mine, shared the above thoughts on her FB Status, last evening. It immediately caught my attention, and, I assured her that I would be writing on this subject. And, here I go…


Now, I liked the idea of digging two graves. But, for whom? 


Obviously, one for my enemy… whose pound of flesh I seek…


The other? 


Pinky has suggested, only one grave is enough:  to bury our feelings of anger, hatred and revenge.


I agree with her. Because, if we bury our feelings of anger, hatred and revenge in one grave, before we go on our war-path, what is the other grave for? 


I really, started thinking, last night. 



The journey of revenge is a blind pursuit. It is quite difficult – almost impossible – to come back once we embark upon it!


We can check and find out if it is true or not…


The journey is miserably isolating, self-defeating… It is a suicide!


Yes, we all are human. We have our feelings… Like Shylock in ‘Merchant of Venice, we too, justify and reason out as to why we are hell-bent on having the ‘pound of flesh’ of our enemy… our tormentor… who, has hurt us, who has cheated us, who has caused us sorrow. “Don’t’ you cry, if I prick you? Don’t you giggle, if I tickle you?”


The logic of revenge has, always, been primitive: “An eye for an eye!”




But, if I pluck your eye 


just because you have plucked mine, 


how will it restore mine? 


How will it help me? 



It is madness. Blindness!


Two graves are for my own sake…


In one, to bury by my anger, hatred and revenge, as my friend, Pinky has suggested…


In the other, to bury my peace!


Yes, before embarking upon the journey of revenge, we all have to make this choice: Where to rest what?




Many years ago, when I had just come to Mumbai, I was staying with my uncle's family. They had a small house, and, I used to sleep in the hall-room. Every night, after the lights were off, a small rat would enter from the hall-room window, walk into the kitchen, mess-up things and go back. In the morning, my aunt would scream, “Oh, not again!”


This would take place every night and we all were fed-up. Even the rat-trap proved useless!


One night, I decided to take control of the situation and finish him off, once and for all. So, after the lights were off, I decided not to sleep, instead, watch and wait for him. Someone must have tipped-off to him about my plan, and, so, he did not appear for a long time, that night. I was impatient, restless and frustrated. And, suddenly, I saw, in the darkness, he entering in. I swung into action, right away. I was ready, you see: I grabbed the leather sandal of my uncle, quickly, and started hammering the tormentor… so hard, and so long… shouting, “Take it, take it, take it… you rascal!”


Woken up by the commotion, my uncle, aunt and my little nephew and niece – all of them stormed into the hall-room. “What is going on?” they asked, almost half-dead with panic!


“Finally, I have just killed the rat, the rascal!” I announced my joy, beaming  through the darkness, and holding high-up my uncle’s sandal… Oh yes, like the Tipu Sultan’s sword!


“Good riddance!” my aunt was extremely happy, proud and relieved.


My uncle switched the lights on to see the dead-body!


And, behold! There it was: my dear uncle’s smashed, dead and shapeless other sandal! 


“Take it, take it, take it… you rascal…” I wanted to destroy my enemy, my tormentor, once and for all!







Maybe, Pinky… I say, just maybe… the two graves are to bury my poor uncle’s two sandals: the ‘Victorious’ and the ‘Vanquished’!



GERALD D’CUNHA

Pics.: Manoj Nair





Comments

Kamal Narang said…
Too good , sir. And, yes, thanks Pinky for inspiring my sir. Kamal
Anonymous said…
Wow!! Totally an eye opener.
Gopal Ranade said…
Enjoyed it... do write like this more. Thank you. Gopal
Pallave Prabhu said…
Sir, you have conveyed a profound thought in a very lighter way. amazing post. Pallavi
Pratam Mahajan said…
Interesting! Pratam

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