Trading happiness for.. software!!

It was a warm and wonderful Sunday afternoon. The mild breeze carried the fragrance of the flowers; the leaves of the huge trees hustled gently as if they wanted to share a secret with the heavens. The vibrant voices of the children echoed from the nearby park. The large pool had at least a dozen enthusiastic swimmers with room for many more.

Away from all this hustle and bustle, sprawled on his bed was a 29 year old software engineer. The thick curtains of his room kept the sunlight away. The sound proof walls kept away the pleasant sounds from outside. The air conditioner operated on high keeping the room cooler than required.

The 29 year old had a brilliant academic record. He was employed in the best companies in town and had a brilliant work profile. Not to mention the fat pay check he took home every month. He had the trendiest car and the coolest electronic gadgets in his possession. He had a closet full of designer clothes and shoes. The latest addition to his list of assets was a flat in one of the premier residential complexes.

The flat was a big catch. A huge comfortable house located in the heart of the city, but in a calm and serene location. “Heaven on earth” is what the advertisement read, and true to this saying, the apartment was most beautiful and calm. The flat was tastefully decorated by the best interior designer in town and furnished with the most expensive designer furniture. It was complete with all amenities, luxurious and exclusive..

The tranquility inside the house was broken by the incessant ringing of the alarm clock. The unwelcome noise pushed the young engineer out of his dreams into the world of reality. He stretched himself and opened his bleary eyes and glanced at the watch. It was past 12:00 noon, just four hours since he hit the bed. He dragged himself out of bed and walked over to get a cup of coffee.

He picked up his coffee and ambled across to the balcony. The surroundings seemed noisy. The balcony felt hot and humid. He looked up at the sun but quickly looked away. It was not long before he espied Sam, the construction worker who lived with his family in a nearby makeshift house. People in the locality were familiar with Sam. He ran errands for the people in the complex, from washing cars to paying bills, all to supplement his paltry daily wage of Rs 50/-. Life was hard, but Sam never grumbled. He was preparing for his Sunday afternoon siesta. He put down a battered mat on the uneven ground before his makeshift house and lay down under the sun and closed his eyes. In less than 10 minutes, he drifted into peaceful sleep.

Our software engineer felt an overwhelming pity for Sam. He felt sorry that Sam had to sleep on hard ground without anything to support his head. He noticed that the sun was right over head with beads of perspiration forming slowly on Sam’s forehead. The area was dusty and noisy. The engineer looked behind at his own house and was struck by the stark differences between the two.

Just then, he saw something that caught his attention. Sam’s wife, Jessie came out with a small bundle of old clothes. Very gently, she placed the clothes under Sam’s head. She wiped off the beads of perspiration with the ends of her saree pallau then, sat beside him fanning him with a piece of cardboard. The noise and dust did not seem to bother Sam. He slept like a baby. The lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass seemed more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug. The engineer wondered… is this what they call being at peace with oneself?

The engineer had a beautiful house, but no one to share it with. He had the most comfortable bed, but no time to sleep, he could afford the most expensive food, but lived out of coffee most of the time, and he had a closet full of expensive clothes, but had lost his smile! Was he happy? Did he have time to enjoy life? Well, not until today. “But, I am going to change”, he decided. He looked around; the heat did not bother him now. The cool breeze refreshed him. The kids’ laughter brought back a smile to his face. He walked into his house, kicked off his footwear and walked on the bare ground. It felt divinely. He pushed back the thick curtains and invited the sunlight into his room. He smiled and watched the sunbeams dance into the room with the carelessness of a teenager. Wow! This is life, he thought.

His thoughts were disrupted by the ringing of his mobile. He frowned slightly and answered the call. “ Hey Amit? Two bugs discovered in the program...need to fix it by evening.. got to get the code ready for implementation…….” Amit answered “ I will be there in half an hour… the code will be ready for implementation by COB today”

In less than 10 minutes, Amit was ready for his software responsibilities. He drew the curtains back in place, picked up his laptop and headed for the door. Before venturing out, he put on his sun glasses and strode briskly towards his car. As he was getting ready to drive away, Sam came running to him, holding a piece of paper in his hand. He thrust it in front of Amit’s face, grinning broadly. On the paper, scrawled were the letters “S A M”. “My son taught me to write my name”, said Sam. “I want him to grow up to be just like you”. Amit gently patted Sam on his shoulder and said “Are you sure……..?”, before he drove away into his software world!