Gopalam is not stupid and he never clowned around. Yet he is the laughing stock of the town.
Gopalam never borrowed money and defaulted. He never took money from others promising jobs and reneged on his promise. He did not take possession of somebody else’s property or land illegally. Yet several people are upset with him.
Gopalam never said a bad nor put on airs. Yet he caused severe mental agony for many people.
Gopalam never snatched away his neighbor’s newspaper in the morning for his own use. He never borrowed a friend’s scooter and returned it with an empty tank. Still many people would feel restless around him.
Gopalam got a high level position in the government. All his friends and relatives were happy when he got the job. Eventually, after watching his professional conduct, his male friends raised eyebrows and women were astounded. “He would not touch even a straw but for the pay,” they said as if it were the eighth wonder.
The contractors were angry because Gopalam did not pass their bills. His subordinates were mad because he neither accepted bribes nor did he allow them to do so. His brother was furious because Gopalam refused to pull the strings to get him a job.
By now, Gopalam could have acquired three houses and six plots if he wanted to. But he did not acquire even one house and that caused anguish in his wife and parents.
Gopalam’s integrity became a problem for his senior officers. They put a bundle of cash in front of him. He treated it as trash. They offered him gold biscuits. He didn’t care for them anymore than the Britannica biscuits.
The senior officers brought in a gorgeous woman for his pleasure. The woman turned into a sanyasi after the way he looked at her.
They offered him promotion. Nope, he said!
They warned him about cancellation of the upcoming promotion. That didn’t work either.
They threatened him with a transfer. Gopalam rounded up s few trusted packers and movers was all set ready to go.
Gopalam’s colleagues begged him to ignore others’ dealings. “Why does a sissy like you would want to work in this kind of job? Why can’t you go into the academics?” they taunted him.
Gopalam was a quiet person and an introvert.
After everything else failed, the persons around him hurt him with scathing remarks—
Gopalam was good-for-nothing; a coward; born in the wrong century; not a man;
women were better than he was; he might as well learn from today’s female politicians at the least; a dried stand of straw was better compared to him; if he followed the tip of his nose[1] in his actions, the nose would be crushed; their misfortune could spell disaster for him; and, they even brought prasadam for him and told him that they worshipped the Lord praying for his transfer.
Gopalam’s parents lamented about his future. “How are you going to survive, my boy?” they asked him, looking miserable.
Gopalam is a sensitive person. He was hurt by all these comments. He was getting hurt over and again. There are couple stories that vouch for his ultimate foolishness. Here they are.
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One day, Gopalam’s wife asked him, “You don’t listen to anything we say. Why can’t you build one house for us at least?” and continued in a sarcastic vein, “I am sure there is nothing wrong in that. Or, is there some principle of yours I am not aware of?”
Finally Gopalam set out to look for a plot. One of his friends showed a site in a newly developed area on the outskirts of the town. Gopalam liked the location. On the day he was going to meet the landlord, Gopalam’s wife made his favorite breakfast.
Normally, nobody asks a seller why he was selling things whether it be a soap or a matchbox. People know that that is the way it is in business. And why didn’t Gopalam have the sense to understand that house sites are also consumer goods?
“Why are you selling this site in stead of building a house for yourself?” Gopalam asked the landlord naively. The landlord, who has a home downtown, bought this site three years ago at 400 rupees per yard. Now the going rate is 1000 rupees per yard. So he became richer by two and a half times without lifting a finger. The landlord twisted his moustache proudly.
If conversation is a fine art, criticizing others without offending them is a finer art. Gopalam did not master this art. There is not even a chance of he ever acquiring that skill in his present life. Or else, why would he ask the landowner, “So you have blocked this site for the past three years?” “What do you mean?” the landowner questioned with knit eyebrows and livid face. How Gopalam could not understand the angry looks of the landowner or the warning signals of his friend is beyond anybody’s comprehension.
“What you did is to make it impossible for those who wanted to build a house on this site three years ago,” Gopalam said. The landowner shot up into the sky like fireworks. His nostrils quivered. Gritting his teeth, he screamed, “Are you implying I am a black-marketer? You’d better watch your words. Show me where is the law that specifies where I can invest and where I cannot. I will invest wherever I please. If and when I lose money, will you make up for it?”
The argument turned into a fight. Gopalam’s friend tried to persuade them to resolve their differences peacefully. The landowner shouted, “You stop right there. If your friend is so stuck on honesty, can he get the plot registered without paying bribe? Can he get the plans approved without paying bribe? Can he leave the required space from the street per plan? Can he get the electricity and water connections without paying bribe?” Gopalam kept repeating I can, I can, for each of the challenges. After the chapter on challenges ended, the landowner walked away saying, “I will not sell my plot to you, never.” Gopalam’s friend beat his head in despair.
The word reached home and triggered a silent war on the home-front. Whenever something happens that is annoying to Gopalam’s wife, she falls sick invariably. She goes into a fit of sneezing, coughing and blowing her nose constantly. Her face displays her displeasure. Not a word comes out of her mouth. The pots and pans in the kitchen slip from her hand and fall on the floor with a resounding noise. Children get yelled at frequently. Even after dark, the lights don’t get lit up. No matter however humid it is, she covers the entire body, including her face with a heavy sheet. In short, Gopalam will have no peace of mind. She might be spinning like a top all day but by evening she pretend to be sick and hide under the sheet. Women can create a heaven or hell in a second, Gopalam says to himself.
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The second incident is a more recent one.
Gopalam was adamant about building a house without paying one paisa to anybody. One of his friends convinced him after a fierce struggle that Gopalam should forget his decision to build a house and buy a flat instead. The friend said he could introduce Gopalam to a builder who was selling flats.
Gopalam had a problem with this builder as well. The cost of the flat was three hundred thousand rupees. The builder wanted to show it as two hundred thousand rupees for the purpose of registration. Gopalam said, “Are you worried about my paying higher registration fee? That is okay with me. It is not right to cheat the government, don’t you think? I think it is only fair that it should be registered for three hundred thousand rupees, the actual price and I am willing to pay the registration fee.”
The builder argued, “I cannot use one figure for you and another for all the others. I will have to respect the custom all the builders put in practice. Even the robbers have a set code of conduct among themselves.” Then he asked a series of questions and came to understand Gopalam’s current situation. Gopalam was currently renting a place at a sum he could afford and the place was comfortable. His landlords were nice people, not the kind that would keep rising the rent; they didn’t have to rise the rent since they had no children to worry about, and for the same reason there was no threat of Gopalam being asked to vacate.
The builder satisfied himself with Gopalam’s financial position, and told him, “Sir, you are not the kind of person who could buy a flat or build a house in your lifetime. Don’t even think about it.”
From that day to the present—that’s one and a half months–Gopalam’s wife has been sneezing without break.
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Mohan, Gopalam’s childhood friend, stays with Gopalam whenever he is in town. Mohan came to town regarding some loan his brother could not recover. As usual, Mohan came to Gopalam’s house for the day.
Mohan told Gopalam about the loan money his brother could not recover. He said, “Looks like we can’t collect it in the normal channels. So we have appealed to Kasipati.” Kasipati is a jobber, a right-hand man of the local member of legislative assembly.
Gopalam frowned and said, “Why don’t you go to the court?”
Mohan laughed. Mohan was aware that Gopalam sadly lacks in worldly wisdom and it is time Gopalam did something about it. Mohan has been hearing the stories of Gopalam’s naivete. He has been adding a new chapter to the encyclopedia of Gopalam’s knowledge each time he visited this place. Probably this is the thirteenth chapter in that encyclopedia!
In the world of Kasipati, there are no loopholes, no continuations, no witnesses, and no cross-examinations. Normally, if the defendant failed to show in the court, the judge could issue a warrant for his arrest and dismiss the case. With Kasipati nobody could file an insolvency petition and get the case dismissed. The detectives under Kasipati will find the person, no matter wherever he went in the entire universe. The law may not permit to transfer the property to wife as an attachment but not in Kasipati’s court. Kasipati makes sure that the justice is served even if the property is attached to the wife or a kept woman. It is true it costs a little more but you will get the job done. Gopalam felt bad that such success was not due to the greatness of Kasipati but because of the weakness in the system and due to the misfortune of the public.
Mohan said, “Do you know that the police officers also take money and arrange such settlements?”
“Really?” said Gopalam, shocked.
Mohan replied, “Yes. Nowadays, people don’t have the time or patience for anything except to watch the television. All they care for is how and when they can get their job done, and don’t care if someone else is hurt in the process, not even when they were lose their shirts on their backs.”
The blood in Gopalam’s face dried up. “Is that why my family sees me as a worthless fellow; my colleagues are mad at me; and, the people who are supposed to know me well make fun of me? There were times when I made a mistake and held out my hand to my teacher for punishment. But I never held out my hand for the mistakes I never made. Is it a crime to hold on to my integrity and honesty? I am not looking for flower garlands and public applause. Is it fair to throw stones at me for that reason?” His voice choked.
Gopalam’s wife begged Mohan, “Please convince my husband and talk some sense into him.”
Mohan replied, “Amma, trust me, there isn’t a woman in the entire world more fortunate than you are.” Gopalam’s wife was surprised to hear that.
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Then there was one more story attesting to his character:
One day Gopalam’s uncle arrived to visit them. The uncle’s favorite character is Salya[i] in maha bharatam. He goes overboard even with simple hospitality. Gopalam’s wife extended hospitality as best she could and after he was very pleased, she gave an earful of her miseries.
The uncle is a man of the world. He keeps himself busy giving speeches to others on the best way to live. He could tear apart those who don’t listen. At the moment Gopalam’s wife stood leaning on the kitchen door and the uncle was lecturing her on the best way to live. He prides himself on the fact that he was a man of integrity and would stake his life on truth. He said, “amma! Your husband’s disposition is a kind of disease. All these things—high goals, social reform and service—are human weaknesses. That is how the mind works when life moves on smoothly without any encumbrances. Wait until he is faced with a few needs, one after another, all these principles go up into the attic. Only the tough will stand their ground in the face of unbearable hardships. They stick to the decisions they have made in their younger days in the heat of excitement and later stick to their guns just to please the others. Or, they might be holding on to their philosophy due to either their inability to act or some other weakness. They would use the sham term ‘self-gratification’ for it. Such people also consider themselves extraordinary individuals and put themselves above others. In their opinion, all the others are small, low-class vultures, or some such things. What is the point of a man living if not to provide a comfortable life for his wife and children? What is he thinking? Can change the world entirely from the roots up?”
A person must have a very strong armor to withstand those dart-like words, if he wants to guard his values like honesty and integrity. He has to have the guts to turn around and confront the words. Since Gopalam did not have the guts, his heart sustained several injuries from such cruel words both at home and outside.
If we take the uncle’s words as human weaknesses, then the proof of a person’s character lies in the shortcuts people take as slaves of the civilization controlled by material goods. It is true that his life has been going well, no fears or frustrations. But then Gopalam was worried sick with the thought that there are people who resort to unjust ways and criminal activities and then become millionaires and billionaires in the process.
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Gopalam spent all night reminiscing the words of his uncle. His head sweltered because of all that worry. He kept brooding until he was exhausted and there was no more strength in him to think.
Next morning he went his office and sat in his Gopalam. He sat there as if he had packed all his high aims in one bad and threw them far into the horizon. He was like karna after his chariot was stuck in the crevices.[ii] Gopalam opened the letter he received in the mail.
“Dear Gopalam:
I am writing this letter for a specific reason. I noticed the social maladies surrounding you, the people who were feeding those maladies, and their cruel attack on you. I also noticed how badly you were hurt in the process and how much you were squealing under their pressure.
It is unfortunate that those who violate the social norms should be able to walk holding their heads high while persons like you have to sneak around in this world. The devils wearing the garbs of angels are claiming to be angels and the public are honoring them with garlands while the voices of angels like you are choked. You are hurt because others called you a good-for-nothing fellow, are upset with you, and are mocking you. The truth is we all are jealous of you. Your existence annoys us. It feel like a thorn pricking at our hearts. We are anxious to drag you into our crowd and turn you into one of us. Then we all can feel safe feeling that everybody in the world is just like us. Then the corruption, brutality, and nepotism will pass for justice naturally.
I will try to become a person like you but I cannot promise. I am however begging you not to turn into one of us. I have unlimited faith in your mode of thinking and convictions. You be firm in your purpose. Build the character necessary to withstand the four types of polity[iii] these spineless cowards are pulling on you. I am writing this letter for one reason only. I thought you needed this moral support at this point in your life.
Your friend,
Mohan.”
Gopalam has been craving all this his life only for this kind of moral support. The moral strength Krishna gave to Arjuna came to his mind. During the maha bharatam war, Arjuna questioned the propriety of hurting his own friends and relatives in pursuit of victory and Krishna convinced him that it was Arjuna’s duty to fight.[iv] Gopalam also recalled the story of the gullible brahmin and the four thieves.[2] For Gopalam he felt like the story ended with a new twist. It was like one of the thieves returned to tell him that the animal in his arms was in reality a goat and not a dog as he was led to believe.
Gopalam felt elated. The darkness surrounding him was dispelled. He pulled out the book, “The Buddha spoke,” from the desk drawer and opened the page he book-marked. He read, “Even if you don’t comprehend the Truth, even if you had stepped back in awe the first time you saw it, put your complete faith in the Truth. Always trust the Truth.” Gopalam kept Mohan’s letter in his shirt pocket and walked forward with a renewed vigor. Now people could notice initiative and passion in Gopalam.
[End]
(Author’s note: I am grateful to my friend, Baig. The Telugu original, maddatu was published in Rachana monthly magazine in July 1998).
Translated by Nidadavolu Malathi and originally published on thulika.net, June 2003.
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[1] A straightforward person.
[2] A children’s story. Four robbers see a gullible brahmin walk down the street with a baby goat in his arms. As a part of their plan, the four thieves stand at various positions along the street and each one of them asks the brahmin why he was carrying a dog. The brahmin after hearing the same question four times comes to believe that he might be carrying a dog and drops the goat on the street.
[i] A character in maha bharatam, a fast-talker.
[ii] An episode in maha bharatam. On the battlefield, several rules of fair war were violated and the Mother Earth caved in sorrow. The chariot of Karna, one of the great warriors, was stuck in the cracks, and rendered him helpless.
[iii] According to Hindu polity, the four types are saama [persuasion], daana [offering consideration], bheda [divide and rule], danda [applying physical force].
[iv] Reference to the great war in maha bharatam and Krishna’s rendering of the famous bhagavad gita.