The treasure

 

Mr Frank was an ambitious man. He had nobody to call as family. He was too busy in taking his business to an unmatched level and within no time he became successful in his effort too. He had a prosperous career, a lavish lifestyle with all sorts of luxury one can think of.

However, as he grew older he was not spirited within in spite of all of his achievements. His life was as cold and passive as the harsh winter nights. He wanted to buy everything which could give him permanent warmth but he realized that he was making castles out of fog. No matter what he did, he couldn't get the desired result which his heart can approve as the ultimate treasure.

One day, he threw a party to launch his new venture. It was yet another landmark moment in expanding his business prospects. It was Christmas night too.

All the stakeholders gathered to celebrate this occasion, They congratulated him and wished him more and more success in the future.

As the night crept in, the esteemed guests left one by one. Gradually the crowd became thin. Poor Mr Frank was alone at his mansion again. The darkness of incompleteness is like a path without any destination. He didn't know with a high-speed car where he was veering into! After a tiring long day, a hollow feeling started haunting him. He was left with a handful of guests, drinks, food, and relentless isolation.

He was about to see off the remaining guests, and all of a sudden the alarm blared. Soon the security announced a case of robbery. A precious showpiece made out of exotic marbles kept above the mantelpiece seemed to have disappeared. It was an antique piece that was more expensive than an Audi car or a small yacht. It was very unlikely to come within the reach of a commoner.

Hence It was worrisome.

The cops came and interrogated all the men and women in the party. The visitor's list was scrutinized. The footage was inspected minutely. It showed that minutes ago there was a suspicious character collecting garbage went out of the mansion hiding a small bag in his hand. His appearance was a bit strange.

"The robber might be hiding somewhere nearby", said the Inspector.

The cops went in search of him. 'A Robbery happened in Mr. Frank's mansion'. The news spread like a forest fire. The cops were taking all possible steps and they were reporting all the latest updates to Mr Frank. Within an hour the police took the robber into custody and Mr Frank was called up to identify the stolen article.

Mr Frank rushed to the nearby police station in his car.

On the way, Mr Frank's car stopped. The street was crowded and he was getting late to the police station.

The driver started honking at the crowd.

An exasperated and annoyed Mr Frank came out of the car to see what's the matter!

The Santa was distributing gifts to the poor children. The joy of giving is overwhelming. It radiated through his smile. He looked so saturated that he was brimming with happiness all around. There was a divine aura that captivated everybody. Who said that Santa is fake? Santa is an abstraction which defines Godliness and glory. Santa is a concept that signifies that God is around. He is answering the prayers sent by those tiny children. For a moment he defied everything negative in life. His countenance exuded rapture all over. That rapture wasn't fake. Watching him from a distance Mr Frank thought probably he would like to live a life similar to him. Mr Frank got carried away by an envious desire to take up Santa's place.

Slowly the children dispersed.

"Hey, are you the richest person on earth?" Asked Mr Frank.

Santa was startled by this question.

Actually, I am homeless. I play music the whole year by the sidewalks. People just donate my money as per their wishes. I eat the left-outs from the food stalls and save money for Christmas. I buy gifts and distribute them to these children and refill myself with the contentment that I see in their eyes."

"Man, you must be crazy!! Why don't you spend your hard-earned money to buy those food items or good clothes you always craved for? Why do you resist your inner wishes? Is it not a fake joy?"

"Yes sir, I can...but I can invest my joy which can multifold itself. I want my joy to reflect back. I want a real joy that is durable and genuine. I want my joy to be bigger and better. That's what God had sent me for"

Mr Frank was pretty convinced by the valuable words of the wise man. Out of benevolence, he handed over a cheque of €10,000/- as a charity to the poor man clad in Santa's costume. Soon he felt his frozen heart start to melt with the warmth of compassion and kindness.

He came back to his car and waited patiently for the children to move to their homes.

He thought to himself "Every day with every ticking of the clock the feeling of void and dissociation got larger and larger. Is it true that we grow out of our mistakes or do we just repeat them?

He reached the police station after a while.

The poor robber was scared of Mr Frank. But Mr Frank assured that the robber was innocent and requested to relieve him from the custody soon. The man must be having some financial problem for which he was forced to do such a bad thing as stealing. He may get a lot of money by selling it in the market and getting a good price. He realized that giving and forgiving was the secret mantra to unlock all the positivity in life.

A heart purged out of negativity chimes with the church bell. A purified soul started singing the Christmas Carol. He was no longer disappointed within as he learned how to multiply his joy. Finally, he has found access to the treasure of unbound happiness.