IS THERE A GOD?

I had been busy with a friend of mine for some time as he was going through little difficult phase. I am going to share with you what happened and ask for your views. Let us say he is Mr Singh. I have known him for over 20 years. We were staying next door to each other way back in 1989 when we were both in service. We shifted out to different localities after a couple of years but kept in touch. Although we are in the same city but we meet off and on as they are in far part of the city.

Mr Singh is about my age. He is very Godfearing and open minded person. He has very practical approach to everything. He does not keep any grudges and tries to sort out differences by logical discussions. He is now retired from a senior post in Government service. His wife is little different as she, though very good at heart, is too blunt and calls a spade a spade without bothering whether it hurts someone or not. They have a son, Atul, who is working in private sector. They have given Atul a lot of freedom with just one line advice – “ Do not do anything which makes us feel ashamed”. Atul has lived upto their expectations. Though he had had his share of affairs, he told parents to choose girl for his marriage. Mr Singh was very clear in this regard and told him that even while they do find girl for him, he has to meet her and finalise it. Atul was married about a year and half ago to Devina, who’s father too was in senior position in Government.

We had met Devina at engagement and later marriage. Whatever little inter-action we had, she seemed to be an intelligent girl. We hoped that she would settle down in their house without any problem. She too is working at a good position in a MNC. They had welcomed her with not only a lot of love and affection but respect too. They consulted her on all issues pertaining to the family. She was encouraged to suggest menus and outings. She was not burdened with household work keeping in mind her being a working girl but whenever she wanted to do some chore at home Mrs Singh let her do it giving a helping hand.

We visited them 6 or 7 times after marriage and we found Devina to be away to her parents place most of the times. We did think much about it. Last month I ran into Mr Singh at a seminar which was organized by a NGO on Child Labour. He did not seem his ownself and looked little pre-occupied in his thoughts. After seminar I invited him to join me in my club for a drink and offered to drop him home as he had not come by his own car.

As we have nice healthy relations, over the drink I asked him if I could help him overcome whatever is keeping him distracted. He opened up and what he said made me wonder is there A GOD.

A few days after marriage Devina told Atul that she was in love with someone but could not make her father agree for their marriage. Atul stopped her there itself saying that he too had had affairs and past is past. They should not think or talk about it and spoil their present. It was seen that she was mostly on phone, cordless or mobile, talking to someone moving away from everyone or in whispered tone. After a couple of months she asked Atul to shift and live separately closer to her parents. Atul flatly refused it. Thereafter she started picking arguments on some issue or the other and moved to her parents house. She used to come back after a couple of weeks. Her father did not say anything to her on this but rather told Atul that she can stay with them as long as and whenever she pleases. He too told Mr Singh once as to why does he not let youngsters stay independently to have space. Mr Singh told him that it was upto Atul and as far as space was concerned he and his wife never interfered in what Atul and Devina did. He told me that she has been away now for more than 2 months insisting that they live separately but Atul has refused. He had even advised Atul to move out for sake of his marriage but he did not agree. He said that it is now getting on his nerves and all his efforts to bring harmony have failed. He told that it is certain that her father interferes too much in their affairs. He said that he would not speak to him but let Atul sort it out. He even made a statement which was very unlike him that he would like to call it a day now from this world. All I could do was to tell him to take it easy and things would get better as long as Atul is not losing his balance. That is when he told that Atul had started drinking little more than he used to.

That is what made me wonder Is There A God. Or is God testing this nice couple for their patience? What makes Devina indulge in this kind of behavior? Does her father not want her to settle down happily with her new family?

I could just keep in touch with Mr Singh on phone and meeting him a number of times to see that he does not take any wrong step. Now he seems to have regained his composure and advised her to return but she is still at her parents house.