Stories of Jivavarta: The Envy

“We should focus on improving our own lives instead of comparing ourself with others.”

“Is that Limping Nibhrant? No, that can’t be!”

Kuhana looked at the man standing in front of him. In the dim light of the lantern, he could see the face, and the wide smile. The resemblance was uncanny. But then, no one from the town of Dumadhya could even dream of the clothes and ornaments the man was wearing — least of all the dirt poor Nibhrant he remembered from his childhood.

“Yes, I am Nibhrant,” replied Nibhrant, with another wide smile. “But nobody calles me ‘Limping Nibhrant’ anymore. Alayas, the famous surgeon, has cured me of my limp.”

“Good for you!” said Kuhana, welcoming Nibhrant into his house. “Come in now, my old friend.”

“Meet my childhood friend,” Kuhana told his children, as they greeted Nibhrant. “He used to stay in a small hut next to our farm, and his parents used to work for us.”

But the children were not listening to Kuhana. They were busy staring at Nibhrant’s clothing, their eyes wide with astonishment.

As Nibhrant entered the house, the whole place filled up with mild Yuthika fragrance. Kuhana loved the smell. He had for long dreamt of owning a bottle of Yuthika, but had never been able to save enough for even the smallest one. As Nibhrant looked around, Kuhana felt a sense of shame creeping in. He felt embarassed at the mediocrity of his house.

Kuhana was born in a well-off family, owning farmlands where Nibhrant’s parents worked as labourers. In the town of Dumadhya, things always remained same — the rich remained rich, and the poor remained poor. So, when Kuhana and Nibhrant grew up, Kuhana inherited his family business, and Nibhrant inherited his family’s poverty. But soon after his parents’ death, Nibhrant vanished from Dumadhya. Nobody knew what happened to him. Some said Nibhrant had killed himself, some said he had moved to some other town in search of work.

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http://www.shonmehta.com/2019/04/stories-of-jivavarta-envy_1.html