Enemy – Short Story with Moral Lesson

[Enemy – Short Story with Moral Lesson]

Rabesh woke up from the sleep. His head is paining like someone hitting with hammer on head. He slowly sat on the place where he was sleeping, and held his head with two hands.

The pain is heavy… for few minutes he didn’t open his eyes completely…

After sometime, he darted his head, and trying to understand the circumstances. It is a small room, has a ventilation window on top side , from there the sun light is coming inside. That light caused him to wake up from the sleep.

First few seconds he didn’t remember who is he and where is he?

He slowly recalled… He is working in a MNC company as a senior software architect. Recently he bought an apartment in Bangalore. On that occasion, he gave a party to his friends and colleagues yesterday in his apartment.

“Hmm…” he is moaned… his head is paining a lot …. Hell of the pain…when he is trying to remember the things, the pain is increasing.

“But, I have to remember!!!” He is rubbing his fore-head to recall the things.

He had drunk heavily during the party, and then he slept on his bed.

“I slept on my bed inside my apartment!!!” He is muttering himself.

“But, why the hell I’m here in this room!!! Sleeping on the floor??” … Many unanswered questions arose in his mind.

He tried to stand on the floor, but something hit his leg and he fell down on the floor. He heard an iron chain noise. He looked at his legs. His right leg is chained.

His face turned red with agony after seeing the chain.

He couldn’t believe that he is chained like a dog.He turned upside down and tried to pull the chain out. But It is very strong, not easy to pull out. After several attempts, he understood that, it is impossible to pull out.

He didn’t understand!!, why?

“Why and who chained me in this room?”… Again unanswered question…

He started observing the room more closely now. The size of the room is smaller than his bath room. The walls are dirty and patched all over.There is a door, but it is closed. There are no windows except the ventilation on top of the room. There is a small stove on one side, sink and lavatory.It is just like a prison cell.

He stood up and moved towards the door.

He could able to go up to few inches from his place, then the chain stopped him and it pulled him back. He used his complete energy, and tried to pull the chain out again, but it didn’t come.

His body is shivering with rage…. He is pulling the chain several times with the hands madly…

After sometime he fell on the floor … He is tired… He decided to call for help.

“HELP” “SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP” he is shouting for help.

“I’M STUCK HERE, PLEASE HELP” he is yelling loudly.

No response.

He became helpless, restless… fatigue… He is taking heavy breath… He felt thirsty.

He looked around again. He saw a wooden box, kept beside the stove.

He opened it. Several small plastic boxes are kept inside. He opened one by one; all are having ingredients used for cooking. Then he found a water bottle.

He felt relived, opened and drunk half of the bottle.

He sat calmly on floor for some time and started analyzing…

“Is it dream? Will I wake up on my bed, and laugh recalling how I frighten in this situation. Oh! God, if it is really dream. I can’t bear more than this. I have to wake up”

He closed his eyes tightly and muttering…

“Wake up Rabesh , Wake up, Wake up….WAKE UP”

Nothing happened. He didn’t wake up from the sleep.

He opened his eyes. He is still in that room. He concluded, this is not a dream. This is real, he is not in his apartment, and indeed he is in this small room. Someone kidnapped him and kept it here.

But, why? And Who?

As per as he remember, he didn’t have enemies who would hate him so much to keep him in a room and chained like a dog.

He looked at his wrist watch. It is not there. He remembered wearing it when he slept yesterday in his room.He looked at his dress. He is wearing the same dress when he slept. He tried to remember the day.

“What day today? Is it really yesterday that I slept or is it few days back…? Whoever bought me here, will they kill me? ”

The moment the “Kill” thought came into his mind, his body quivering with fear.

He liked to watch Hollywood movies. He watched many thriller movies, and when the hero or group of people faces this kind of situation, he enjoyed those scenes sitting in his A/C room. He didn’t realize, how terrible the experience is when someone experience on his own.

“Is it some kind of practical joke? I told to my friends many times, I like the thriller movies, so maybe they thought; I have to experience on my own, so they kept me in this room.”

“After few hours, they will open the door and laugh at me. I’ll also join with them”

“Ya! That is correct; Defiantly Vikram would have planned this entire thing. He told one time, he will put me in this situation so that I’ll come to know the pain and tension people would face in here“

“I’ll kick him after coming out from here.But, I should appreciate him the way he set up the whole thing. He did pretty good job”… Rabesh smiled.

He became normal now. He convinced that the whole setup is a practical joke; he would get released from here after couple of hours.

He decided to wait.

Since morning, he wants to use the toilet. He saw the lavatory. It is like a public lavatory that he usually sees in parks. He felt awful after seeing it. He scolded Vikram.

“Damn it Vikram! I’ll really kill you for making me to use this kind of lavatory”

He completed using it, and sat on the floor again. He is thinking…

“If it is Monday today then I should submit my final design to manager.Defiantly, he will try to contact me by calling. What would be his reaction, when he realizes that my phone is switched off and no one is responding to the calls? This design is very crucial. I have been working on this design from past two months. “

“May be Vikram will tell him the truth. “

His thoughts are moving from one topic to other.

He spent few hours, or he thought he spent few hours.

“ Why Vikram is not yet come? Already I think the couple of hours got over?” Rabesh is very annoyed.

“Vikram, I know you’re at outside. Enough of jokes, I’m getting sick sitting here. Take me out man, I agree that you are brilliant in applying practical jokes” Rabesh is shouting.

No response from outside.

He doesn’t want to lose his confidence.

“Probably he will come after some time… May be today night… Let’s stay calm until he comes…”

“Common Rabesh… don’t lose your confidence… think positive… think positive “. He is mumbling himself.

He recalled what people told in “Idle time management” seminar that he attended recently.

“Generally, in office, some of the things that waste your time are Telephone calls, Extended Launch hours or Coffee Breaks, Junk Mails, Paperwork, Waiting-Delays etc.”

He smiled… No problem with any of these interruptions as of now. He has plenty of time. But, what to do?

He is remembering again the speaker words during that seminar.

“Idle brain is the devil’s workshop… we should never keep our brain idle, otherwise lot of junk thoughts will come in our mind. Those thoughts may change your life entirely. Keep yourself busy always”.

“I should not keep my brain idle”… just think what to do?

“What will happen to me, if I’m going be here for a week, or for a month? Will I become a mad man? Then if Vikram comes back, will I be normal? “.

“No… stop… stop thinking negatively… think… think positive”.

“Ok, Relax, Relax Rabesh, cool down… try to utilize this time…channel your thoughts in proper direction”

He became calm.

Then he decided to evaluate his design, so started analyzing if there are any flaws in it. He closed his eyes and remembered his whole design.

Now he can see his complete design in mind. He opened his eyes. He looked around to see if he can find something to draw on floor. He found a small chalk in corner.

He took it and commenced drawing his design on floor. He became a saint for some time and totally involved in drawing of his design.

One of his strength is his concentration. If he involved in his work, he forgets all circumstances and concentrates only in his work. He can’t even remember how much time he spends on it. He got that habit from his painting habit.

He was very good artist in painting. Usually he spends 4 to 5 hours continuously on his paintings. He left that habit because of his office work. Still somewhere in his heart, he feels pain as he left his most beloved habit.

He completed drawing design on floor. If management accepts this design then after a year it will be in the market.

His company is very desperate to release a product with minimum issues. Last year they released similar product, but that has many flaws, so it got many negatives reports. This time, they don’t want to repeat the same mistake.

They gave complete design of the new product responsibilities to him. His design is utmost crucial.

He is staring at his design on floor.

He is talking to himself by telling what the functionality of each module in his design is. After few hours, he found one design flaw. One major block is not interacting well with other modules in one scenario. Initially he ignored as that scenario is impossible to occur. But, now he realized that scenario can happen. If it happens, then product will fail.

He circled the place where that problem is there. Then he worked some time and adjusted design so that problem will not happen.

He kept on working to improve the design. Totally he found 10 flaws in his design. He rectified all those flaws and now, the design looks robust.

He satisfied now.

He understands the power of clam-ness and concentration. He never gets this kind of concentration at his office or at his home. Some or other kind of interruptions disturbs him a lot.

He once again thanked Vikram, if he is the person who kept him here.

It would be devastating if his previous design would have been in market.

He is very tired, and felt sleepy. Unknowingly he fell asleep.

He opened his eyes. He saw his apartment ceiling. He suddenly woke up, and turned his head around. That is his apartment bedroom and he is on his bed. He didn’t understand… confused for few seconds.

Is it dream? Am I dreaming that I’m in my apartment, or somebody kept me here?

He looked at his legs. There are no chains.

What is this? What happened really? Whatever that happened last night was dream? Or whatever is happening now is dream? His head heated with these thoughts.

“Beep … Beep …Beep…”

Some body is calling on his cellphone. He took it and looked at the caller. His manager is calling him.

He answered the call and said “Hello”.

“Hey… Rabesh. Good morning, sorry for disturbing you in early morning. I hope your final design is ready, so don’t forget to bring it today. I just call you to remind you, Ok”.

Rabesh is rubbing his head with his hand … so last night was dream.

“No, sorry, I’ve not completed it. I need to do few corrections, so I can submit it tomorrow”.

“What? Why? You said this can be done today? “

“Ya, but yesterday night I found few flaws in the design. I need to re-design few blocks”.

“Oh… It’s alright… We need the best design… that’s fine… Please work on it … but don’t forget to submit tomorrow”.

“Yes, certainly”.

He disconnected the call.

He got down from his bed and went to his drawing room.

His laptop is kept on table. He opened it and looked at the design. He sat on couch with laptop in relaxing manner and closed his eyes. He remembered what he did in his dream.

After few minutes he opened his eyes and re-worked on his design. After few hours he redesigned everything.

Now he looked at his design. It looked very solid.

He started writing an email to his manager, explaining his design, and putting some basic information about it and attached the final copy and sent it.

After sending that email, he remained calm for few minutes.

Then He sent a resignation email.

He realized those chains on his legs that he dreamt last night are nothing but his office responsibilities. Those are his real enemies. He was not able to move out of that small room because of those chains in his dream, and same thing is happening in his life. That room is his office cubicle, his office friend circle, his work and everything that is related to his office; this is not what he wants actually. He wants to utilize his creativity in drawings. So he decided to resign and concentrate further on his drawing or some other work where he feels happy.

Now he is relieved from those chains. He found a way to break them and get released from that small room. He is free man now. He can do whatever his heart wants to do.

He switched off his cell-phone, and packed everything to travel to some peaceful place.

After a year, a product based on his new design is released in market. Within few months that become huge success because of it’s easy of usage and robustness.

That company tried to contact Rabesh several times; however he refused to come back again. He did further study in paintings and settled in Kerala. It didn’t take much time the world to recognize his talent as later he became well known artist in paintings. Most importantly he is very happy in his work and no more “chains” in his dreams again.

__END__