Seated near the temple, Mukund found himself engulfed in reflections on the wastefulness of his youth. With only a fifth-grade education, he now found himself in his early 50s, grappling with regret. Time had slipped through his fingers like sand, leaving him pondering the swift passage of three decades. Scraping by on the Meager proceeds from the family's leased ancestral farm and taking refuge in his aging parents' home, Mukund found himself possessing little else.
Memories flooded back of carefree days spent idling away time with friends near the schoolyard or lounging at the betel leaf shop, indulging in light-hearted banter at the expense of passersby. In those moments, the weight of responsibility or the importance of investing in his future scarcely registered. Neither his academic pursuits nor his entrepreneurial ventures received the attention they deserved.
As time ambled on, Mukund watched as his friends embarked on the journey of marriage and family life, leaving him behind in a state of increasing isolation. His own parents faced mounting difficulties in finding a suitable match for him, his lack of financial stability proving to be a formidable barrier. Mukund harbored the desire for a fair bride, yet his empty pockets deterred any prospective suitors. With each passing day, the prospect of matrimony faded further from reach, until hope itself seemed a distant memory by the time he crossed the threshold of 48.Now, as he gazes upon his friends and their grown children, Mukund is confronted with the stark reality of his own stagnation. The past three decades have yielded little in terms of tangible progress or personal achievement. Even the modest income he manages to eke out owes itself more to the charity of relatives than to any genuine effort on his part.
Mukund's existence had dwindled into a monotonous routine devoid of ambition, aspiration, or challenge. In the absence of familial responsibilities, Mukund found solace and companionship in Govind, a fellow widower who, unlike him, had seen his children off into their own lives. Together, they formed an unlikely bond.
To be continued ...