Stallions Ghore Fera Split Mind Art by Partha

An Atonement

Author: Sunil Ghose | Posted on: 14th, Jan, 2023

First time I came to know Mr. Rajat, he was in charge of the large workshop built in this central state of India for maintenance of the equipment and accessories used for digging and extracting precious metals from underground mines. Rajat together with his family settled in the nearby beautiful town of Nawabganj, which was the residential district developed primarily for the workshop employees. Rajat was given an elegant single-family house and an automobile. His family consisting of his wife Ranjana and two daughters Anusuya and Priyamvada have lived quite a few years in this town.

No matter how beautiful a town is, Ranjana gets tired of living in any one place for long. She argued with Rajat, “Why not you find another employment at a branch of your company in or near Kolkata? Thinking about Ranjana’s unhappiness and temperament of being unable to stay further in Nawabganj, Rajat moved his family to Kolkata and got employment at a branch of his employer there.

It was getting very hard for Rajat acclimatizing with the climate and general environment of Kolkata. He was very reluctant to find new employment there.

The situation created an acrimonious conflict between Rajat and Ranjana. The two daughters were also victims of the unhealthy home environment.

Rajat was pretty determined not to seek new employment wherever it may be. He would rather work around the house and take care of the yard and vegetable garden. His pension from his employer was adequate for the family to live comfortably.

After being homebound for a couple of years, he was getting tired easily. He told Ranjana, “I am not able to work anymore in this environment.”

Ranjana wondered, “What happened, you look ok”.

A niece of Rajat had a religious establishment in USA. She was very religious minded from her childhood and became the self-declared Religious Guru in charge of a temple. She convinced her uncle Rajat to come to USA, take over the role of Maharaj and manage the temple as well. Rajat was elated at the opportunity to be the head of the facility and at the same time be able to fulfill his long-time desire to visit USA.

Ranjana accepted Rajat’s desire to go to USA.

I want to visit my niece’s religious temple. That will also allow me to see the United States – my long time desire.

Once in her temple, the niece in her dress of a religious yellow-colored robe greeted him with warm exuberance and conferred on him the honor of a saint as well as offered a temporary residence within the temple. Rajat gladly accepted the opportunity with the thought of staying in USA for a while. On the other hand, Ranjana with her impatient nature refused to spend any more time in USA.

Again, the couple was at opposite poles. Ranjana threw her temper and told Rajat, “It is up to you where you want to stay; I am going back home to Kolkata.”

*****

In the meantime, since Rajat agreed to stay over, the temple arranged a full-time caretaker for him. In spite of the arrangement, Rajat was feeling lonely and unhappy, and his health was not doing well in a depressive state of mind.

It was a matter of a few months. On a gloomy day, Rajat’s caretaker called Ranjana from the temple:

“I am very sorry to give you this news – Mr. Rajat left his mortal body this morning.”

Ranjana was feeling a sense of severe guilt for ignoring her husband; “I am responsible for Rajat’s death.”

She could not get any solace from any corner.

**********

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Congratulate Prize winner Sreejita Das, niece of Dr. Sibsankar Pal, for her dedication.

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