The Art of Being Happy

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[{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1509453022555","data":"Thakur was nearing his retirement, something he had been looking forward to for a long time now. \u2018Government work is not as it was before,\u2019 he would always say with a dull sigh. He was a mild-mannered man that lived in his old Delhi bungalow beside the famous sweet shop. He had no wife nor children to surround himself with at his old age but this never discouraged him. He lived life according to his terms and managed to all the house-work that needed to be done. <\/p>Thakur had a secret hobby and that was his eternal search of something called \u2018happiness\u2019. In his twenties, people around him thought him mad and poked fun at his relentless perusal of all the magazines to find happiness. He had looked everywhere for this esoteric happiness. He had asked many intelligent men, many intelligent questions. \u201cWhere can I find happiness?\u201d \u201cWhat does it look like?\u201d \u201cWhat is happiness?\u201d \u201cHow do I know if I\u2019ve found it?\u201d \u201cHave you seen it?\u201d All the answers to these questions were unsatisfactory. One told him that they were selling a surplus of happiness for a very cheap rate in some far off country, whose name Thakur had never heard before. Another told that it was all lies and happiness could only be found on the black market these days. Yet another told him that through all his adventures, he had never found this happiness and that the search for \u2018happiness\u2019 was a fruitless endeavour. None of these intelligent men seemed to deter Thakur and his resilience in any way. <\/p>As he grew older, people started talking less and less about happiness. They said it was something that existed only in the books of the past and that many men have wasted away their lives in its pursuit. Thakur\u2019s mother forbade him to talk about it anymore and ever since then he never spoke of it to her again but like a naughty little child, he continued to look for it, in the privacy of his own space. At work, he sat with Mishra and Sharma, both of whom had always something interesting to offer on happiness. <\/p>\u201cDid you know that in some countries it is banned to mention the word happiness?\u201d Mishra said, stuffing his pipe with tobacco. He always said these things but no one ever knew how correct they were and everyone almost always believed him because he carried around him an air of confidence. <\/p>\u201cYes, yes illegal,\u201d Sharma added, nodding his bald head that was bent over the plate of food he had just ordered from the cafeteria. <\/p>\u201cNot illegal Sharma, banned.\u201d <\/p>\u201cAren\u2019t they the same thing?\u201d Sharma asked, slowly raising his head from his plate.<\/p> \u201cNo. They aren\u2019t.\u201d <\/p>\u201cHow so?\u201d <\/p>\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter. You are not allowed to say it or even think of it.\u201d Mishra was now trying to light the tobacco.<\/p> \u201cHow do they know if you\u2019ve thought of it?\u201d <\/p>\u201cThey just do.\u201d <\/p>\u201cBut if you ask someone not to think of something it is inevitable that they will,\u201d Sharma seemed lost. <\/p>\u201cYou always say the most nonsensical things, Sharma.\u201d Mishra didn\u2019t like anyone challenging his ideas. <\/p>\u201cDid you know that Patel says he has always had happiness? Ever since he was born? Apparently, it was his grandmother who gave it to him.\u201d Thakur said, glancing over to where Patel was.<\/p> \u201cNonsense,\u201d Mishra snapped \u201cThat fellow is a bloody lying rascal. How is it someone has an endless supply of something? Impossible, I say. He\u2019s either been buying it off the black market or he doesn\u2019t have any.\u201d <\/p>\u201cI remember when that scoundrel at the black market sold it to me for a hundred rupees telling me it would last for at least five years,\u201d Thakur sighed. <\/p>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Sharma asked, inquisitively. \u201c<\/p>\"He got bloody scammed is what. Ran out of it within a week.\u201d Mishra said. \u201cAll these are bloody liars, I tell you. You either have it or you don\u2019t and no one is so privileged as to have been born with it. I know for a fact that there is no such thing as happiness and if there ever was, I wouldn\u2019t want even a gram of it.\u201d <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> A couple of months later, Thakur was walking through the weekend market, trying to ration his food since he had retired. He wondered if potatoes were the better choice or carrots. As he sat pondering the difference of taste between a stem and a root vegetable, his eyes caught the most peculiar sight. In the middle of the market-square stood a man, dressed in the most unusual garb, juggling balls. He was surrounded by little children who stared at him in wonder, their big eyes brimming with curiosity yet none of them made a sound. <\/p>Thakur approached this man and asked him what he was doing. <\/p>\u201cJuggling balls,\u201d the man replied, making no effort to look at Thakur. <\/p>\u201cBut why?\u201d Thakur asked. <\/p>\u201cIt makes me happy,\u201d the man replied, his lips forming into a strange curve that Thakur had never seen before, yet it all seemed so magical. <\/p>\u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d Thakur scratched his head. \u201cI\u2019ve looked for happiness all my life. Are you saying you have found it?\u201d <\/p>\u201cFound it?\u201d The man let out a loud sound, almost in a mocking tone. \u201cFriend, I\u2019m always happy.\u201d <\/p>Before Thakur could reiterate Mishra\u2019s bright words, the man looked him straight in the eye and said \u201cEveryone is happy. It\u2019s only a matter of recognition, is all.\u201d <\/p>\u201cEveryone is happy?\u201d <\/p>\u201cYes, everyone. Even you. Why, if you find it hard to recognize it, all you have to do is grow it in your backyard.\u201d The man replied nonchalantly. <\/p>\u201cIn our backyards?\u201d <\/p>\u201cYes, in our backyards. Once you remove all the weed and destroy all other plants, the happiness tree will grow. But-\u201c<\/p> \u201cBut?\u201d <\/p>\u201cBut no one wants to even destroy the weeds, let alone the other plants.\u201d <\/p>\u201cI will. I shall. Are you sure? In my backyard?\u201d A newfound sense of energy seemed to be flowing through Thakur. Finally, he was making headway in his search. <\/p>\u201cYes, yes. In your backyard.\u201d <\/p>Before leaving Thakur found out the man\u2019s name and address. He didn\u2019t want to be scammed a second time. For six months Thakur had put in a lot of effort in his backyard. He spent day and night, picking out the weeds, destroying all the other plants, most of which were left ignored and were already dead. He watered his backyard every day and sat on the doorstep, watching the soil. Nothing else occupied his thoughts during this time. He sat there, unperturbed, quietly watching the backyard. <\/p>One day, Thakur noticed a small sapling. A translucent little green stem that was nothing like what he had ever seen before. He nearly jumped and immediately wondered what came over him. He told himself that his tree would grow as tall and large as the man in the market\u2019s - since he had been past his house a few times now- and that Mishra and Sharma could share from his happiness tree. From then on, he carefully tended to this tiny green stem protruding out of his soil. His back gave him issues and his old age prevented him from staying up too long but nevertheless, he pursued on.<\/p> For another six months, he tended to this plant with all his love but to no avail. It refused to grow larger than it had been and even seemed to be slowly withering away. Thakur sat at his doorstep, head in hands.<\/p> \u201cI have been scammed again,\u201d he thought. \u201cMother was right. Mishra was right. No such thing as happiness.\u201d <\/p>Saying this, he got up bitterly and walked to the man\u2019s house. <\/p>\u201cOi Agarwal, come out you rascal. Come out this instant,\u201d he cried out, standing near the man\u2019s gate. A few minutes later, Agarwal came out. He was dressed normally this time and had his hair neatly combed backwards. <\/p>\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Thakur?\u201d He asked, again with the same whimsical curve on his face. <\/p>\u201cYou told me that I could have a happiness tree as big and large as yours and it has been nearly a year, yet no sign of it. You scoundrel. You wasted my time.\u201d <\/p>\u201cI never told you your tree would be as large as my tree. I told you that anyone could be happy if they wanted to.\u201d <\/p>\u201cSame thing,\u201d Thakur was fuming. <\/p>\u201cNo, not the same thing. In fact, two very different things. My friend, how do you expect your tree to grow when you constantly keep comparing it to mine? The poor little plant feels pressurized and probably wants to die before even experiencing life.\u201d<\/p> \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d <\/p>\u201cThat means, Thakur, that your tree is unlike anyone else\u2019s tree.\u201d <\/p>\u201cBut you said anyone can grow a happiness tree.\u201d <\/p>\u201cYes. But the nature of tree depends on the one who\u2019s growing it.\u201d <\/p>\u201cSo Mishra and Sharma can\u2019t share from my tree?\u201d <\/p>\u201cNo. They will want to. You may want to. But to each his own.\u201d <\/p>\u201cSo how do I know its real?\u201d<\/p> \u201cWhy do care if it's not?\u201d <\/p>Thakur went back home armed with knowledge on gardening but still confused. However, he continued to persist but this time, he didn\u2019t obsess. After the daily routine of watering it, he gave the plant its own space to grow. He didn\u2019t stay in his backyard all day and night but continued to do other work. A few weeks later, the three friends met again, as they usually do. <\/p>\u201cWell, bloody hell Thakur, that\u2019s quite a tree, man.\u201d Mishra placed his hands on the trunk. \u201cHow come I never noticed it before? Must be quite old.\u201d <\/p>\u201cNo. Very young. About six months,\u201d <\/p>\u201cLiar. No tree grows this big in six months. What have you been feeding it? Tree steroids?\u201d <\/p>\u201cIt\u2019s a happiness tree,\u201d Thakur said, very casually. <\/p>\u201cAre you saying you have happiness in your backyard?\u201d Sharma asked, his mouth wide open. <\/p>\u201cSharma, you sometimes say the most nonsensical things. I don\u2019t have happiness. I am happy,\u201d saying this Thakur slowly reclined into his chair, a smile forming over his now serene face.<\/p>"}]

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