Popcorn

PRESENT DAY

It was around two o’clock in noon; my friend called and told me that the result was out. My heartbeats didn’t shiver this time; It was something I was already prepared for and had planned some things in my mind. I noted down my seat number and rushed down to the nearby park. Looking around for an empty bench, I found one and sat there. I took out mobile from my pocket and registered the website's name in web browser, webpage opened and I proceeded ahead by clicking on the results link. It asked for my seat number and I happily followed the instructions. As I was to submit the details so as to get the outcome of my exams, a smile appeared on my face, followed by flurry of thoughts which took me six months back in the same park.

SIX MONTHS AGO...

I was driving back on my way home; suddenly my phone began to ring. I parked my bike by the roadside in order to receive the call, till then it turned into a missed one. Before I could check the name of caller and not less than couple of seconds had lapsed, it began to ring again. The caller’s name flashed and so my heartbeats did. It was Rohan and I exactly knew the reason why he was giving me back to back calls. As I answered the call, he said “Not cleared” and he stopped. The words encountered my brain. My mind was bitten by shock and worries. I ended the call. I stood almost there for half an hour beside the road. The breeze of thoughts did continue to attack and blew my mind. This was 12th consecutive time that I had failed to succeed in CA final exam. The water had flown over the bridge now. I had put my whole and soul this time to get through it, but couldn’t.

I took the bike and headed towards the nearby park. I had no idea what was I doing. I found a bench and sat there. A small boy came close to me and marketed the candy floss he was carrying. I didn’t buy those and asked him to leave. I disliked candy floss. I sat there with my eyes blinked only few times in that hour long period. The uneven thoughts continued to rule my mind. I had no control over my thoughts. In the mean time, I got a call from my mom, breaching the flow of thoughts. I picked up the call, placed cell phone over my ear and maintained silence. Not more than few seconds had passed; she grasped my silence and enquired what was wrong with me. I was unable to utter even a single word.

My eyes were filled with water, ready to flow any moment. I couldn’t hold myself any further and finally I broke out. The tears awaiting to flow, the feelings awaiting to burst and the silence awaiting to end… all had breached the waiting list altogether. I cried like hell without uttering even a single word. Even she didn’t know the exact reason; she tried to calm me down ensuring that everything will be fine, she went on saying that. Finally after draining buckets of tears, I somehow managed to talk and told her that I had managed to fail again and I don’t wish to pursue Chartered Accountancy Course anymore. She still tried to console me that everything will be fine and… and I was lost in thoughts again. The conversation came to an end as I switched off my mobile phone. The evil thoughts had captured my mind. They played around with my mind and ruled it.

The same small boy came again to sell those candy floss to me. This time I replied him with harsh words and he vanished. The thoughts had damaged my mind and I was clueless what step I was to take next. I stood up and began to walk. I had no idea where I was heading.

I saw a small girl playing around in the mud and her mom scolding her, stopping her from playing in the mud. Her mother slapped her, when even after scolding her she didn’t stopped and continued to play in mud. The small girl could not do anything but cry. She yelled and cried. People around looked at her and laughed off considering that she was just a child. How things change as we grow and we are child no more. If you are a child and do mistakes people just ignore considering it as child act but its mom who corrects child, and when we grow and make mistakes we are blamed by others but our mom stands by us till the end.

As I kept walking into my own world of thoughts, the same small boy emerged from the back and stood beside me, holding the balloons created of plastics with candy floss filled therein, again causing interruption to me. He repeated his actions as he marketed the candy floss to me to make a sale. This time I lost all my control and abused him. I barked at him that I was not interested in buying candy floss and I hated it. I warned that it would be better for him if he kept himself away from me. He silently observed me and moved away from there.

My footsteps followed my thoughts and stopped at a particular point, where the walking space ended and the valley started. I gazed at the deep valley. I could feel the peace and silence there. The peace I was looking for. I headed few steps and was standing on the edge. The cold breeze went thrashing my body. It seemed as if the valley was calling me. A little movement and I would join the peace. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath. I had to answer the call of the valley and I was on the way to it.

Suddenly, I heard a voice asking me to buy POPCORN. The call of valley went unanswered as I turned back to shout at that person. As I turned, I saw the same boy who had irritated me earlier with his candy floss, now holding popcorn packets in his hands. He looked at me with a smile and this time he marketed the popcorn. I wondered at his dare, even after getting abused and hammering of harshness from me, how that boy could still came back again and now asking me to purchase the POPCORN. Before I could react, he came close to me with smile on his face and said that he hoped I like the popcorn unlike candy floss and would buy it from him. I was just confused how to react to it. He was still smiling and selling those popcorns to me even after such behavior towards him. I couldn’t resist his efforts and purchased the Popcorn.

I asked him why he kept coming to me with that candy floss even after getting thrashed from me several times and why he again made the dare and came up with popcorn this time, that too with still a smile on the face. He replied with smile on his face and said "what’s wrong in trying again and again. At first people may not buy, but at some point, they may purchase it in desire to eat or as a sympathy towards the efforts made by me, or for some unknown reasons. And my daily living is dependent on sale of these things. You rejected buying candy floss but when I tried again with popcorn, you could not resist either the popcorn or my efforts or my smile. I don’t know what worked for me in your case, but I am happy I tried and could make a sale to you". He was still smiling and finally, I replied him with the same.

I held the Popcorn packet in my hand and sat on the big stone at the edge. I was looking at the sky, lost in thoughts. Suddenly, the packet slipped from my hand and went down into the valley. I looked at the packet which was going down slowly. New thoughts encountered my brain removing those evil ones as I kept gazing at that popcorn packet till it got disappeared into that valley, answering all my calls. I recollected the words of that small boy, got up and rushed back to find him. I searched him around and finally found him nearby selling the candy floss. I rushed, went close to him and hugged him. He had no idea why was I doing that. But as a good gesture he tapped on my back with his small hand consoling me, while holding all candy floss in other hand. I recollected his words and made sure I kept it for the lifetime.

PRESENT DAY

I submitted the details and the result was there in front of me. Yeah it was the 13th time in a row. I smiled and recollected those words of that small prince, who stood in front of me holding the popcorn which I couldn’t resist.

He might not have idea of what he had said and what change it had brought in my life.

But what I learned was…

Keep trying whatsoever… your efforts won’t go dry…

No matter how many times you fail… keep smiling and keep trying…

It may happen that you may not succeed in what you are trying… then try selling POPCORN like what that boy did.

I have already appeared for CAT and soon will be pursuing MBA; though I will make sure some day again I will try my hands on CA… who knows… :)

@Sagar Harshad Ruparel