The Golden Mango - Story of Life

Piyush jumps off the bed. His face is all wet as a result of profuse perspiration. He is still perplexed and gasping. The dream was reality or the reality was dream? He is trying hard to get his answer. He pinches himself on his wrist and bellows in pain. “So, it was a dream.” He smiles as he thinks about it.

“Wake up my son. I have come here to give you a boon. Can you see this sapling in my hands?” says God.
“Yes, God” says Piyush after seeing a small sapling of a mango tree. It has three small leaves that look tender and small.
“Take this sapling and it will give you a golden mango when it becomes a tree, only if you planted it in the magical land.”
“But God, where is that magical land? And, and… how do I find it?” asks Piyush faltering in curiosity.
“Go north. Meet new people. Make new friends. One day you will certainly find your destination.” says God calmly with his eyes closed. “The owner of the magic land and you will be the most powerful and happy person on the earth. The person will provide you the magical land and you will provide the sapling. Together you will gain from it. But remember, the sapling will be ineffective at any other place until you find the right one. ” Continues God cautioning him from the perils of disobedience.
“Thank you God.” Piyush closes his eyes.
God’s aura starts growing. Getting more and more stronger and intense every second. God is no more visible and becomes a silhouette in the foreground of divine white blinding aura. The aura increases so much that the place becomes warm. He sees himself standing in the core of that hot and blazing aura. He starts perspiring heavily. It is getting hotter and hotter for him. He wants to run away from the place. He wants to open his eyes. His breaths have become faster and faster. He opens his eyes...

Piyush causally gets up to start his new day but his body becomes stoned as he sees something weird and uncanny. “Am I still seeing the dream?” he asks himself unable to believe his eyes. The wall opposite to the bed has a small temple. Today the temple has a new gift in it.
Afraid of touching it, he moves his finger gently to touch and feel the tender leaves to make sure that they are real.

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“ Megha, Megha, Megha…” She can feel her body trembling as she listens to her name. She opens her eyes lazily to find Meera’s face. Her younger sister is trying to wake her up by screaming aloud and shaking her vigorously at the same time. Megha gets angry with Meera. “You have spoiled my dream. I was conversing with God and I was in the middle of the conversation when you interrupted. Why did you want me to wake up?” asks Meera with a furious look. Meera tries to reason it out by saying that probably God wanted you to tell only half of the dream.
“What was the dream about?” asks Meera with an innocent look of a thirteen years old girl in her eyes.
“God told me about a place in our back yard just adjacent to the stable. He said that it has magical powers. He told me that I could plant a mango sapling on the magical land. The tree will bear the fruit only once. The fruit of the tree would be a golden mango. The golden mango would make me the most powerful and happy girl in this world. The God was completing his golden words but you woke me up. You are such a knotty girl,” says Megha teasingly. “Ok let’s go and see the magical land.” She finishes the sentence while running towards the stable.

Megha buys a mango sapling and plants it early in the morning only. She puts some water and manure to make sure that she gets the golden mango as a fruit. Megha religiously waters it, takes care of it, and makes sure that it is safe from cattle. Within three days the sapling gets it roots. She sees the leaves turning to golden green from green. Megha sits for hours there seeing the plant and leaves as they grow. Her eyes keep switching between reality and the dreams that she weaves sitting near the sapling. She thinks about her good future, happy life. She feels powerful and her heart fills in with conceit for a moment as she brisks away the momentary feeling of vanity away from herself. Taking care of the sapling and dreaming about her future with the golden mango becomes her daily routine. And the days go on…

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Piyush heads towards North. He keeps walking in unexplored places, meeting new people, and making new friends. The exile makes him self-dependent, mature, and an experienced person. He has known thousands of people; hundreds of people are his friends. He boasts hundreds of languages as he has seen half of the earth.
One fine day he sits in a garden to take a small break just to realize the fact that how fast he has spent his three years. He doubts himself, thinking whether he is going the right way by following the dream. A span of three years is quite a long time to test the endurance. The clouds of uncertainty surround him. He feels discomfort, dubiety, and fear about himself. Holding the sapling and looking at it he thinks about his conversation. Perhaps the God has listened him.
Sound of footsteps over the thin cover of autumn leaves across the path brings Piyush back to his senses. He sees a beautiful girl walking carelessly to her home. Her beauty mesmerizes him. The glow and color of her skin is as fresh and radiant as a newly blossomed rose. He runs after her and pats on her shoulder as he reaches behind her. Megha looks back at the Piyush and observe the mango sapling in his hand.
“Hello! My name is Piyush and I am new to this place. I am looking for an inn. Can you guide me lady?” he utters his words while panting.
“It is right there down the road. Go straight and ask for dharamshala. If you do not mind young man, who are you? What is this mango sapling for?” Megha asks interrogatively in a single breath. “By the way my name is Megha.” She completes her sentence.
“I am a traveler. I have been traveling for last three years. I am heading for an unknown destination. The sapling that I am holding is a special sapling. It will fructify and will give me a golden mango. I am looking for a magical land. God has asked me to find the magical land to plant it. Since then I have become a nomad and wandering in unknowns of my life.” explains Piyush.
“Good to know that. Is it fine if I meet you tomorrow in the evening? Your sapling story sounds interesting. I will like to hear more about it.” Says Megha as she becomes numb and petrified after hearing this. She gets insecure of her magical land.
“Sure, you are welcome any time.” says Piyush smiling and thinking about his newly discovered friend.

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As usual Megha walks to the backyard and sits there looking at the full-grown tree. She has been taking care of it daily without fail. The leaves are golden now and shine brightly in the sunlight. Megha is waiting for the spring after two years to come to see the first flower that will lead to the golden mango. Megha sits in front of the tree and adores it. All these three years she has been talking everything about herself and her life to the tree. They are like friends who sit together, share their laughter and pains and continue living life.
Today when Megha is sitting there she is insecure and afraid of the traveler. The traveler is looking for her magical land. She thinks that the traveler would take away the golden mango away from her. She decides to talk to the traveler the next day. She goes again in the utopian world of dreams of the golden mango.

Next day Piyush sees Megha walking towards him as she appears like a goddess of gold in the light of golden dusk.
“Hello! It is so nice to see you again, Megha.”
“Nice to see you. I have some questions for you. Will you answer those questions?” Asks Megha as she looks at Piyush in doubt.
“Sure. I will. The good news is that I have decided to stay in your village for sometime. What do you want to ask?” questions Piyush.
“I want to ask you about the sapling.” Megha makes herself clear.
”What about that? I have already told you the story of the sapling and my motive of being here. There is nothing beyond this.” Piyush shrugs his shoulder.
“Piyush if I would tell you that I have the magic land and I already have a tree which is going to be fructify soon, what will you say?” Megha finally reveals the secret.
“Oh my god! I have found my destiny finally. Let me thank god, the universe, and all the holy souls to make this possible.” Says Piyush in the deluge of excitement that overwhelms his senses and he starts crying. “Let us plant this sapling and get the golden mango to become the most powerful and happy duo. Take me to your house and show me the magical land.” asks Piyush looking into her eyes.
“Don’t get excited Piyush. I already have a full-grown tree in my house. It has golden leaves and within two years it will fructify to give me the golden mango. I do not want to share my golden mango with anybody. I don’t know who told you about the magical land but I am sure that you are trying to get a share in my golden mango. I have worked hard for three years and will wait for two more years. I am not going to share it with anyone. It is mine and only mine.” Says Megha possessively.
“No, Megha you are wrong. Only the sapling that I have and the magical land that you have can result in the golden mango. Cut the tree and plant the new sapling.” Piyush tries to reason it out.
“You want to kill me? I have put in my heart and soul for three years. It is not a tree for me. We lived together and we died together. It is my soul and you are asking me to part myself from it. If it is not a golden mango tree then why the leaves are golden? You are a beguiler. You are trying to make me fool. I am not going to listen to you. You have come here with wrong intentions and I am not going to believe you. Do not interfere in my life. Stay away and let me live waiting here for the golden mango. I have faith in God and I know that I will get what I want.” Speaks Megha crying and sobbing.
“Ok Megha, if you want you can wait. I respect your faith in God and hard work. I cannot justify the golden colors of the leaves. Perhaps your hard work and trust have made them golden. But I am sure that it will not give you the golden mango. I will still keep the sapling. Perhaps there may be more people with the magical land. I need to find them now.” Adds Piyush.

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He comes back to his new abode that is not far from Megha’s house. From the terrace he could see the stable and the golden mango tree adjacent to it shining white in full moon light. He cries and doubts the Almighty. He has wandered for three years and when today he was so close to the end he was parted by the destiny from his goal.
He goes to bed late in the night. He is thinking about Megha, her golden tree, his sapling, and the golden mango of power and happiness.

Piyush perspires again as he sees the aura coming down in his room. The God is back to console and to give him a new direction in the moments when he feels completely lost and unfocussed.
“I know what happened with you. Piyush you still keep the sapling, as tomorrow is uncertain. Take these keys. Seven seas and seven mountains away there is a country. The keys will help you in opening the palace in the country capital. People are waiting for their king to return with the keys. You will get power but I am not certain about happiness.” God says calmly.
“Uncertain? How can God be uncertain?” questions Piyush.
“Son, there exists numerous relationship between people. Every relationship is unique. Golden mango and keys are just a way to find these relationships. Since the ways of finding these relationships are different, they are going to be different. You were destined to get golden mango because the stars and the universe had set it for you. Keys to the palace are not your destiny but just an alternative to the golden mango. So you cannot expect everything from the keys. I hope you understand?” asks God.
“Yes I think so.” The God disappears as Piyush thanks him.

Piyush keeps the sapling aside in the morning and looks at the key. He dreams with the keys the same way Megha does with the tree. He dreams himself sitting in the palace ruling the world with treasures and diamonds.
He changes his way to his house to avoid any interaction with Megha. Megha also forgets Piyush soon and gets back into her life. She is getting impatient to see the golden mango. Two years have passed like a gust of wind.
Megha is excited today about the tomorrow, when the tree will fructify. She tries to sleep hard suppressing the exuberant feelings pumping her heart frantically. Her dream is going to fulfill soon.
Early morning she gets up and runs in the direction of tree. She yells at the top of her voice as the mango is missing. The tree was left with the small stem holding the mango. She searches the ground crying at the top of her voice but does not see the mango. The dreams shatter, the hard work and faith turn to mistrust. The five years of rewarding wait suddenly looks like a precious time flown away. Megha breaks down. She sits on the ground, as she feels too weak and powerless to stand. She loses her faith in this world. She keeps herself aloof and cries everyday for the golden mango.

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Mehga strongly believes that she has lost the golden mango. Though Piyush believes that it cannot be a golden mango because he has the original sapling. Since nobody has seen it nobody knows whether it was the golden mango or just another mango. Nobody knows the truth.
Megha tries to sleep as the tears are not stopping. The room becomes silent and she can hear her own breaths. She sees the aura descending in her room. The God is back.
“Why did you do this to me? I had put my golden years and I get back this. The mango is stolen. What will I do now? My heart says that it was the golden mango but Piyush denies it and says that it must be an ordinary mango. What do you say? God, please tell me the truth.” Cries Megha.
“Don’t cry Megha. The mango is gone. You have not seen it but you worked hard for it. You had put your self and soul in it and if you think that it was the golden mango then you must be right. I don’t know because sometimes God also misses few things. Piyush believes in his sapling that is why he thinks that the mango was normal. Since the mango is gone it does not matter whether it was golden or normal. You still have the magical land; there is a sapling within hundred kilometers that will give you the golden mango. If you can find it you will be powerful and happy again. But let me tell you that the person with the sapling will also become powerful and happy like you. You have to share it with that person.” And the God disappears.

Piyush and Megha start talking after this. Megha wants somebody who can understand the concept of the golden mango. Only Piyush understands it. They talk for hours and she finds solace as she slowly tries to recover from the debacle. They make a good company and they talk everything.
After a few days Piyush hesitatingly asks, “What would you do with the magical land?” He is really careful not to offer the sapling to her. He feels that he has already offered the sapling to her so this is her turn to ask for it. She has to feel the need for it from inside. Though somewhere in his heart he wants to offer his sapling. The mind defeats the heart as it reminds him of the keys to the kingdom and more magical lands. Piyush knows that the keys cannot bring him happiness. He is also unsure of finding more such lands. His soul is wavering between his mind and heart.
Megha knows that she still has the magical land and she just needs to find the sapling within hundred kilometers. Her heart wants to try the sapling that Piyush has but the mind reminds her that he is a cheat and above all asking for the sapling will label her as immature in making right decisions. Her mind thinks, “Why to go for a withered sapling when she can get a fresh new one.” Again the mind defeats the heart.

“I have the magical land. I will ask my father or look myself for it again. I am sure that my father will get me my golden mango sapling. I don’t have the patience to choose, test and try the sapling again. Let me tell you one more thing Piyush, do not remain in dark that I would ask for your sapling because I don’t trust you and also the sapling that you have is withered and of no use.” Megha makes her plans clear to Piyush. She is still uncertain of the new sapling that she will plant after she or her father gets one for her.

Piyush and Megha exchange their smiles. Bid good-bye to each other to start their new lives.

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Two God-man are seeing all this from the heaven. One becomes uncomfortable after seeing all this. He says, “Why people are so myopic and short-sighted? Both Piyush and Megha have been brought together for some reason. God has given them so many clues. One has magical land and the other has the mango sapling. Their vibes match. They do not repel each other. God has made them to live close to each other so that they can understand each other. Still both of them have different feelings and plans.
Piyush thinks that he will find more magical lands. He is also relying on the keys that would not bring him any happiness. Megha on the other hand thinks that she would find another sapling though still unsure of the golden mango. Nobody is listening to the voice of heart. What do people want? Do they want God to come and give the golden mango in hands”?
The other god-man smiles, “You are unnecessarily worrying. That is the reason why they are human and not god-man like us. They do not understand that if they have complementary dreams then there is a meaning and reason behind it. The day human will start listening to their hearts and defeat their evil and wicked brains they will become God-man like us.”