A complex problem

18-Mar-2008

I have always believed that every problem on this planet can be Solved. It is just the matter of time or able vision to solve it or atleast chalk out a plan to solve it. This particular problem has put me in a state of dilemma. I still dont know what is the solution for it.

It all started during my journey from bangalore to home on 18th. I got down at Nagpur at 6 pm to catch the train to raipur at 11.30pm. Got light by putting my luggage in the cloak room. How to utilize the 5.5 hours in between productively? Meet profs? Meet collegues? Be alone and give time to self? I am not a shopping freak. A lot of Calvin and Hobbes reading during the journey had made the entry of a series of wild and out of the box thoughts to my mind. Need to calm down. The third option was the best suited..
Came to the city...near Panchsheel Theatre.
Ppl have changed? Or my outlook? The core nature of a person never changes.. Did i miss something here?

I chose to watch a movie.. Hadnt watched one in months in the movie hall. It seemed to be a good option. The movie screening was : Taare Zameen Par. Wow.. I desperately wanted to watch this Aamir Khan movie.

The hall was almost empty. So i chose the best balcony seat i could figure out (Yes, I believe in the rule that there are no rules and rules are made to be broken) and sat there. Alone.

The movie was grt.. and yes I cried. One song particularly made me cry. Images from my past started flashing before my eyes. I thought i cannot watch the whole movie.. I wanted to cry and cry at the loudest pitch i could.

It all started at this point when i heard the sobs of a crying man who made his presence felt to the entire audience. I thought he will be alright in few mins. But his sobs grew louder with time till the end of the movie.. He was seated 1 row after me.. Alone and crying. I knew it wasnt the movie. Something else has happened.

The lights turned on back at the end and i saw him. Feeble old man of 78 in white Kurta-Pyjama
Why is uncle crying? What can be so painful to make a 78 year old cry? I couldnot resist myself. He already had got out of the hall. I didnt have much trouble locating him on the road as the hall was almost empty. I stopped him and started talking.. I didnt know how to start the conversation. I had to.. I wanted to know the cause of his pain. I started with - "Uncle..(he stopped and turned back expecting some words).. Main bhi abhi film dekh raha tha. Aapse ek row aagay baitha tha..Aap kuchh bolna chahtey hain? (looks with a raised brow and says - kya matlab?) . --Clarification needed. He is misunderstanding me.. Aap dukhi they aur.... r ro rahey they.. Aap kuch batana chahtey hain?" It was an intense emotional moment for him. He was all tears..and he embraced me(I felt good.. Nobody had embraced me and considered me trustful in a while). He was crying. I asked him to control himself. - "There is no problem in this world which cant be solved. Every problem has to have a solution. Things may look very terrible but are a very temporary phase of life". He was convinced. We started walking to his house. It was around 9.30 pm. I had a train to catch at 11.30. I had a timeline of 2 hours to solve uncle's problem. He spoke.. and I really liked the way he spoke. He was bold and clear - seasoned MLA.
I wont reveal all what he told.. but will state the problem in points. Also had a talk with his eldest son and family:

Backgound -
Uncle -> Self-made person. Struggled. Earned things on his merit. Wife expired.
Family-> 4 sons 2 daughters (all married).Lives currently with the eldest son (fractured leg that time) and family. All sons except his eldest son shun him. Uncle knows it.
Cause of Uncle's problems -> 2nd son 45 years. Utterly arrogant, spendthrift, into illegal physical relations with other women - entire neighbourood knows it - had 2 heart attacks. is on his death bed. wants to die. doesnt care for the parents or his family. His concern for family is shown by his following remarks for his father and daughter - "If you cant get the money to pay my loan, sell ur kidneys", "Put her into prostitution to earn some money". The guy is under utter debt. has sold his part of the ancestral house. doesnt know where he,his wife and kids are going to live. bank security for loan confiscated. Uncle was crying because he didnt know what went wrong in the nurturing of his son. The son emotionally blackmails everyone in the family to get his wishes done. Bad effect on uncle's grandson and grand daughter. Uncle loves his son and cant see him in that state although the son disregards him and emotionally blackmails him.

What is the solution to this situation? I had earlier thought there could be some solution.. but when i came to know all facts apart from those stated here, i felt that his son should be hanged till death. I feel so sorry for uncle. I couldnot help him although i wanted to. I have been thinking on this but couldnot get a solution. My own problems dont let me think openly. M terribly stuck.

I was just on time to catch my train at 11.30. But again a failure. I cried all night. Another sleepless night. I need to get tired thoroughly to sleep. Though i promised uncle to call back, i broke it. I didnt call back. M I doing something wrong? I need to think openly.
Another sleepless night.