Solution by Mantras

Solution by Mantras!

It was Jan, 11 and the annual closing 31.03.11 was not far off. It was Jan, 11 and the retirement date 30.06.11 was also not far off !

The plan was to concentrate on targets, take leave thereafter, avail last LTC & say good bye to the bank. Fair enough you will say. Fair enough said better-half who at that time was in Delhi as I was living alone.

With considerable zeal entire town was scoured for deposits & the effort was getting rewarded. The begging-bowl-of-deposit was filling up!

On the night of 1^st Mar there was slight drizzle & in the morning the grass in park was wet. While performing yogasan I slipped & hurt my back. Anyway ignoring the pain went to office only to be surprised to find a letter calling explanation to lapses pointed out in inspection report. Prepared the reply & submitted along with various photocopies next day. Meantime the backache intensified.

Prompt came the fax that reply is unsatisfactory & that charge sheet is enclosed. After consulting juniors, seniors, experts & well wishers reply was submitted. Their advices varied from left, to right & to center but everyone agreed that this thing should be cleared off before 30.06.11. It was learnt that enquiry was being constituted. Annual closing & LTC evaporated from the mind. 

On my visit to Delhi the story was narrated to better half who incidentally was also a fellow banker. She decided to submit her resignation without second thought. Kids also got sad & anxious. Backache continued & prolonged sittings & sleepless nights compounded the problem.

Seeing my predicament my landlord tried to help. While I was sitting in office at 8.30 pm with two colleagues preparing to face ensuing enquiry landlord brought one punditji with him. He said that punditji would like to talk in private. Me & punditji went in secluded computer room. There punditji informed that he had learnt of unfortunate happenings & submitted that he had come to help without wanting to earn anything as he was employed in a local govt organisation. He enquired about & noted date of birth, place of birth, family details & drew sketch of planetary position on his pocket notebook.

    

As instructed by him silence of two minutes was observed with eyes closed. Punditji proceeded to inform that the period up to coming birthday is going to be tough due to such & such planetary position but that everything could be settled gainfully subject to observance of certain rituals.

He stated that present state of affairs was due to ‘young’ untimely death of a close relation of father or of mother. The present difficulties are brought about by some spirits which were not given proper & appropriate last rites. To mitigate the present worrisome status & to make the spirits move away peacefully certain steps were essential to which he would guide.  

  

I told him no such thing had happened on father’s side. As regards relations on mother’s side I told that she, along with her parents & four siblings was trying to migrate to India during partition. Except my mother & her younger sister whereabouts of five others are not known till date.

Punditji listed out: (a) six live small golden fish have to be purchased- he could arrange that against payment of course, (b) these fish have to be released in Shukra Taal before day break or after sunset while he would chant mantras, (c) after 9 pm an hour long pooja shall be performed in a Shamshan Ghat(crematorium). For pooja requisite items would be arranged by him & for which advance payment was needed.

I interrupted & told him that I was a non-believer & did not subscribe to such views but as far as releasing fish in Shukra Taal was concerned it was okay. Going to Shamshan Ghat in the night was not acceptable & I excused myself. Punditji said that release of live fish was only a part measure but I refused any further discussion on the subject & we parted. Landlord was informed of it.

May all the departed souls rest in peace.

Friends & well wishers played vital role in settling the issues by 29.06.2011 and the bank service ended with a farewell party on 30.06.11.