Perspective: A New View

“Perspective: A New View” is one of the outstanding stories of the first biannual International Short Story Contest 2018 written by Vedant, Tender Heart Sr. Sec. School, India.

Perspective: A New View

There is a common saying that ''Everything that happens, happens for good.'' The only thing one has to do is to change his/her PERSPECTIVE. Well, this story totally proves the above saying.

"Study hard, don't waste time in thinking about start-ups and doing something of your own. These are just cobwebs and moon talks."

This is what Pranay had heard from his father in an argument about the career he should pursue.

Parents always want the best for their child but sometimes they overlook his/her desire and give their judgement. Proudly they say, "My child will become an engineer, a doctor, an administrative officer."

This isn’t good every time. Well they don't think their child should choose an unconventional field because the success rate is very low, as the name suggests and don't believe in his/her potential.

Pranay knew his potential but confronting it to his father wasn't a child's play for him. He feared him a lot. His father, not knowing about the field, wanted him to become an engineer, any engineer.

So to fulfill his father's wish, Pranay started on his mission (we could say) to become an engineer. He decided to pursue mechanical engineering as he also had the desire to build things.

But, he didn't put his passion aside. Plants had always fascinated him and he couldn't resist his love for botany and the agricultural field. He was very interested in research work. So, he studied two totally different fields, one for his passion and the other for his father.

Years passed, Pranay kept working hard to crack an engineering examination and he did. Then, he went on to practice engineering, again, only for his father.

He had lost his mother when he was 11. Probably this is the reason why he feared his father so much, he didn't have a supportive character of a mother in his drama of life, as there is in the typical stories. He hadn't spent much time with her even when she was alive because most of the time, she was not at home.

This was because of her fights with her husband that she had to live at Pranay's maternal Grandpa's house and could come to meet Pranay only at weekends.

All these quarrels and stresses gave her cancer because of which she died.

While studying in the university in Delhi, though he didn't want to as his heart wanted to do something else, something that would make him happy; he gave engineering his blood, sweat and tears.

All this because the only thing he could remember about his mother properly was that she always told him to learn, as learning never goes in vain. He remained very quiet there though he had so much to talk about. But with whom? Who would have understood his pain?

He liked studying by the window of his hostel room. One day while reading, he saw a man, considered mad by the others, collecting leaves that had fell down from the trees.

Pranay pondered about this and asked the others about this. The answer was as expected, "Don't worry about him. He is just a madman who has no other work to do. This is his idle pastime." Well, he forgot about it.

Pranay topped all his exams and was enjoying engineering. Then, came the day of his interview. Well, as usual, he cleared it with flying colours as he had also built a machine to turn biodegradable material into compost. Now, he just had to wait for his joining letter so he went back to his hometown, Ranchi (in the state of Jharkhand) to spend some time with his father there.

His father was very pleased to hear about his success and won't he be, this was what he wanted.

Then one day life surprised him, or should I say shocked! His selection was cancelled by the company as it was facing shutdown.

Pranay was doomed.

But what he didn't know was that life had something better for him.

A day came when there was news flashing about a government contest for making compost. This was weird. This occurred because the government needed high quantities of compost as the farming lands had turned less fertile due to extensive use of inorganic fertilizers.

The state government could now feed the people only for 30 days.

Who could have done this job on such a short notice? Well, Pranay did as he saw this as an opportunity to make use of his knowledge and passion.

Luckily, Pranay had built a machine for such job. Now, he just needed natural material.

And at that it struck him, what could be better than leaves for this work and from where could he get them in large quantities, from the madman living by his hostel in Delhi.

So he went to him and asked for his help. Pranay also got him a sweeper's job where he could do his favourite thing and would also get paid for it.

Thus, the madman agreed and Pranay succeeded in making lots of compost and also saved many lives.

As of now, he has been awarded by our hon'ble President and the speech which he gave on that day is one of the most memorable ones.

He said- "All of the tales are old, written in a time we can't imagine, about places we can't go, beginning with 'once upon a time', ending with morals that have faded with time.

Who is writing the new tales, the legends of now, the stories that will endure for the next thousand years? Well, you need not discover the enchanted lands with monsters, beasts, beautiful princess, heroes and gods.

One just needs to make his/her life great and explore the new epic plots that will become the stuff of the legends.

The old tales have had their time, I wrote mine and now it's your turn; because we got only one life to live, to love,

to do what we want to do,

to prove what we are and why we are here.

There may be some times which will seem bad but must change his/her perspective and believe that everything happens for good.

Dream big and make your dreams come true. Life gives us many opportunities, we just need to grab one at the right time."