Commitment Author : Dr. K. S. Kang

 

Commitment

Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

One day began quite unfavourably for Santu, perhaps he had seen his own face on getting up in the full size mirror affixed to the wardrobe placed in front of the bed in the room, where due to guests in the house he had to spend night in this room. After quickly getting through his daily routine and as he was settling himself for the feast of news both in print medium in newspaper and in electronic media in the diverse channels on LED television set, children and guests who had gathered for the festival demanded piping hot spicy samosas for breakfast. Oblique look and the straight face devoid of any feeling was adequate indication that his wife too desired so.

So Santu took his white scooter taking a cloth bag along with him and took off for the famous Samosa shop of the town. Santu took the carry bag containing hot spicy samosas, handed over by the shopkeeper after debating over the price for some time, wrapped in Khaki coloured paper that was put in the plastic carry bag and placed it in the boot of the scooter and started the scooter and reached his home. So far everything was in order. But as soon as he reached his home and halted his scooter placing it on side stand and applied the key of the scooter to open its boot containing piping hot samosas he found that key was unable to open the boot of the scooter and now as it had stuck up in the hole of the lock of the boot so the scooter also could not be started with that key. Santu was worried more about the Samosas than the scooter as with time Samosas will get cool, limp and soggy.

As he could not start the scooter, so he at once decided to take the scooter to the nearest mechanic shop. He had to struggle a lot to drag the scooter to the nearest mechanic shop and as it was humid heat of the month of July so by the time he reached the shop he was totally drenched in sweat and was so much out of breath that he had to wait for a few minutes before explaining the trouble with the scooter. After examining the scooter for some time, mechanic who was still feeling sleepy as he had just opened the shop advised him to take the scooter to the lock repair shop so as to avoid the replacement with new lock that would be costly. So accepting mechanic’s advise Santu dragged the scooter for another five hundred metres in sweltering and oppressive heat of the monsoon season.

Lock repair man after haggling and struggling with the key for some time gave his expert opinion that this lock cannot be repaired and there is no option but to replace it with a new lock. As Lock Repair man handed over the new lock he also informed Santu that he will have to go back again to mechanic as it is mechanic who fits the lock and his work is only to repair lock and sell new lock. So Santu dragged back scooter again to the mechanic shop in great discomfort and his face had turned purple due to excessive heat of the July that was causing excessive sweating. As soon as Santu handed over the scooter to he mechanic he told him to open the boot of the scooter at once and then he can take his own time in putting new lock in the scooter as his family and guests was waiting for hot spicy samosas that are now locked in the boot of the scooter. Sensing my urgency mechanic took the hammer and broke open the lock of the boot at once. And as soon as the boot of the scooter opened I grabbed the carry bag containing Samosas and nearly started running towards my house amazing the passers by. As he reached his home he handed over the carry bag to his wife and to serve them at once. Though the Samosas were not piping hot but yet they had not become soggy and limp and they were still warm, spicy and crisp. To the guests and children the only words that Santu could utter only these words, ‘ Something is better than nothing’ but from inside he was feeling contented that he succeeded in fulfilling his promise and commitment.