Jatin was sweating. It was a bit humid but still nothing but a health issue could make someone sweat that much. He couldn’t believe this was happening.
Almost a month back while working in office Jatin received a message from his wife Mehar that they needed to talk. Jatin knew what this could be about, she had mentioned this talk before but Jatin was too tired, late from work, to give it the needed importance.
Sometimes, people who are quite fine with their partner being busy in his/her profession almost all the time, they think they can adjust. Afterall, it does bring home an amount which allows a good lifestyle to be lived and sustained. But then one fine day, as good as any other fine day, it is realized that the presence of the person might be more important. Life can be lived with a little less but can it be lived without a person almost never being present?
“This is clearly not working out,” said Mehar
“But it was working out, wasn’t it?” said Jatin
“I didn’t think it would be almost every day that you would return home late. Your office ends at 6. Why can’t you be home sooner?” asked Mehar
“It’s not so simple. There come some sacrifices on your way up,” said Jatin
“Its okay. Get another job which gives you some more time at home. Even if it pays less, it will be fine. Life cannot continue on like this,” said Mehar
Jatin stayed quiet for sometime and Mehar understood she wasn’t going to hear what she thought she would.
“I am going to my parent’s house for a few days or months. Give me a call when you have sorted your priorities in life,” said Mehar
Jatin tried to reason things out but Mehar wouldn’t listen to him and Jatin wouldn’t listen to her as well. Both were clearly at a difference and Mehar left.
Jatin felt it might be for the best, she needed some time to understand, but after a few days he found himself thinking maybe she made sense, he began to feel the loneliness. Much to the irritation of his manager, Jatin began going home on ‘TIME’. No longer working late. His colleagues felt maybe Jatin had reached his saturation point.
Jatin happily called Mehar back to his life and she came after he explained things to her about how they would move ahead. But, after a week she was back, Jatin was called in by his manager one day.
“There is a lot of pending work to be done and I have observed that you have been leaving early,” said the manager
“Not early, on time..” replied Jatin
“Look Jatin, you are not new here. I don’t need to tell you that when work piles up, you have to stay and work more”
“But that pile has not reduced since last two years, when will it end?” said Jatin who was beginning to feel irritated
“That’s because we are understaffed. We will hire more people as soon as we find the right ones,” said the manager, “this is our need, if you cannot do it Jatin, I am afraid you might not be the right person for the position you are working in.”
Jatin knew what it meant, if he did not do it, he would be asked to resign or worse fired and Jatin did not want Mehar leaving him. He walked to the bus stand, sweating with high blood pressure. He took a seat in the bus stand and watched the buses come to a stop and then move on. He wondered for a moment if it would be easier to just walk in front of a moving bus, but he didn’t and he got on the next bus to a future unknown and a mind too clouded to make a decision.
How much is actually enough in life? Figuring that out might be the wisest thing a person can do in his/her life. Yes, we need to work hard but we also need to live.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
Enough
Early Morning Memories 