SYNOPSIS- The Challenge - The Stammering Problem
Dejected Youth - Raghu is the owner of a sweet shop. However, his stammering problem impedes him from effectively communicating with his clients. He feels miserable whenever he stammers in front of anyone. However, can he survive without speaking with others? Read on...
THE CHALLENGE
-1. The Stammering Problem
Sage Suryananda took his seat beneath a banyan tree and looked at his students who were eagerly awaiting his recital of a new story that evening. All of his stories taught the children to follow good principles and be virtuous in life. Suryananda smiled at his students benignly and addressed everyone in a crisp voice, “Dear students, do not allow your drawbacks to get the better of you. You can certainly overcome them by your will and determination. Today’s story is based on this premise. Listen!”
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As the first rays of the sun gently passed through an open window and fell on the face a youth named Raghu, he woke up after having a sound sleep in the night. He got up from his bed and bowed low before the sun with folded palms. He offered some prayers to the sun and after refreshing himself sat in a meditating posture and sang a bhajan in the praise of the lord in his melodious voice, as was his daily routine.
He, then, came to the living room of his house and opened a shelf where lots of sweets like ladoos, pedas, halwas and the likes were kept in medium sized containers. He took these containers and arranged them properly on the floor. A notable aspect was that on each container he had stuck a piece of paper where the sweets it contained and it’s price per seer was neatly mentioned.
There were some photos of deities on a pedestal to the right of the shelf. Raghu lighted a few incense-sticks that spread a sweet fragrance in the room and kept them on a stand near the photos of the deities. He bowed before the deities and then opened the door of this room, which led to the outside.
Raghu lay a mat on the floor and sat beside the containers of sweets.
After some time, an elderly woman entered in. As she looked at Raghu, he raised his eyebrows as if to ask her what she wanted. The lady asked for some quantity of ladoos, which Raghu took from the container, neatly packed them in a paper and gave it to her. The lady had a look at the price of the sweet which Raghu had pasted on the front of the container, made the payment and went away.
Raghu touched the coins he had got from the lady with his eyes, looked at the deities on the pedestal and kept them inside the drawer. He, then, sat on the floor looking happy not only because he had his first customer for the day but also for he did not have to say anything!
After some time, a young girl entered in. As she looked at Raghu, he again raised his eyebrows questioningly. She asked for some sweets but did not mention the quantity she wanted. This made Raghu speak up for the first time, “H…How m…much d.. do you w…want?” he stammered.
The girl apprised him of the quantity she wanted and then he quickly gave her the sweet she wanted, took the payment and sat on his seat dejected. He did not like the fact that he had stammered in front of his customer and appeared very embarrassed.
Till afternoon, he sat in his shop selling sweets to his customers. On some occasions, he could not avoid speaking with his customers and each time he said something, he stammered much to his disappointment. In the noon, he closed his shop for some time to cook something for lunch and take some rest. Before cooking, he spoke to himself in his mind, “Why do I always stammer like this? Oh! I feel so miserable when I speak like this! I do not stammer while singing! So, why while speaking?”
He shook his head in disgust and started cooking a simple meal, which comprised of daal and a curry. Thereby, he took an afternoon snooze. After he woke up, he decided to go to the market for purchasing tomatoes for tomorrow’s lunch. He had all the other ingredients at his disposal for the dish he had planned for the morrow, except tomatoes. He decided to go to the vendor from whom he regularly purchased tomatoes. With this vendor, Raghu was always at ease.
As he was a regular customer, on seeing Raghu, the vendor used to figure out what he wanted and how much he wanted! Thereby the vendor himself picked up the best of tomatoes he had with him for his customer!
This evening as Raghu approached the shop of this vegetable seller, much to his dismay, he found that there was someone else in his place!
Looking at Raghu, the seller asked him, “Yes, sir! What do you want?” There was a fear in Raghu’s heart that he would not be able to speak properly. It was this fear, which proved to be his undoing.
“To..To…” he stammered a few times and then closed his eyes tightly in frustration. There were some people around and Raghu felt miserable to have stammered in front of them. It was another matter that no one took note, as they were busy making their purchases.
“You mean tomato?” the shopkeeper asked to which Raghu nodded his head in affirmation.
Just then, the usual vendor arrived and greeted Raghu. He looked at the other man and told him, “Whenever this sir comes, give him one kilogram of tomatoes. Do not keep him waiting.”
He, then, turned to Raghu, “This is my brother, sire. He will be here from tomorrow as I am going to my native place for a few days.”
Raghu smiled at both of them and returned home with his tomatoes very dejected. He sat on the floor and covered his face with his hands. “Damn it!” he shouted at himself in his mind.
As the first rays of the sun gently passed through an open window and fell on the face a youth named Raghu, he woke up after having a sound sleep in the night. He got up from his bed and bowed low before the sun with folded palms. He offered some prayers to the sun and after refreshing himself sat in a meditating posture and sang a bhajan in the praise of the lord in his melodious voice, as was his daily routine.
He, then, came to the living room of his house and opened a shelf where lots of sweets like ladoos, pedas, halwas and the likes were kept in medium sized containers. He took these containers and arranged them properly on the floor. A notable aspect was that on each container he had stuck a piece of paper where the sweets it contained and it’s price per seer was neatly mentioned.
There were some photos of deities on a pedestal to the right of the shelf. Raghu lighted a few incense-sticks that spread a sweet fragrance in the room and kept them on a stand near the photos of the deities. He bowed before the deities and then opened the door of this room, which led to the outside.
Raghu lay a mat on the floor and sat beside the containers of sweets.
After some time, an elderly woman entered in. As she looked at Raghu, he raised his eyebrows as if to ask her what she wanted. The lady asked for some quantity of ladoos, which Raghu took from the container, neatly packed them in a paper and gave it to her. The lady had a look at the price of the sweet which Raghu had pasted on the front of the container, made the payment and went away.
Raghu touched the coins he had got from the lady with his eyes, looked at the deities on the pedestal and kept them inside the drawer. He, then, sat on the floor looking happy not only because he had his first customer for the day but also for he did not have to say anything!
After some time, a young girl entered in. As she looked at Raghu, he again raised his eyebrows questioningly. She asked for some sweets but did not mention the quantity she wanted. This made Raghu speak up for the first time, “H…How m…much d.. do you w…want?” he stammered.
The girl apprised him of the quantity she wanted and then he quickly gave her the sweet she wanted, took the payment and sat on his seat dejected. He did not like the fact that he had stammered in front of his customer and appeared very embarrassed.
Till afternoon, he sat in his shop selling sweets to his customers. On some occasions, he could not avoid speaking with his customers and each time he said something, he stammered much to his disappointment. In the noon, he closed his shop for some time to cook something for lunch and take some rest. Before cooking, he spoke to himself in his mind, “Why do I always stammer like this? Oh! I feel so miserable when I speak like this! I do not stammer while singing! So, why while speaking?”
He shook his head in disgust and started cooking a simple meal, which comprised of daal and a curry. Thereby, he took an afternoon snooze. After he woke up, he decided to go to the market for purchasing tomatoes for tomorrow’s lunch. He had all the other ingredients at his disposal for the dish he had planned for the morrow, except tomatoes. He decided to go to the vendor from whom he regularly purchased tomatoes. With this vendor, Raghu was always at ease.
As he was a regular customer, on seeing Raghu, the vendor used to figure out what he wanted and how much he wanted! Thereby the vendor himself picked up the best of tomatoes he had with him for his customer!
This evening as Raghu approached the shop of this vegetable seller, much to his dismay, he found that there was someone else in his place!
Looking at Raghu, the seller asked him, “Yes, sir! What do you want?” There was a fear in Raghu’s heart that he would not be able to speak properly. It was this fear, which proved to be his undoing.
“To..To…” he stammered a few times and then closed his eyes tightly in frustration. There were some people around and Raghu felt miserable to have stammered in front of them. It was another matter that no one took note, as they were busy making their purchases.
“You mean tomato?” the shopkeeper asked to which Raghu nodded his head in affirmation.
Just then, the usual vendor arrived and greeted Raghu. He looked at the other man and told him, “Whenever this sir comes, give him one kilogram of tomatoes. Do not keep him waiting.”
He, then, turned to Raghu, “This is my brother, sire. He will be here from tomorrow as I am going to my native place for a few days.”
Raghu smiled at both of them and returned home with his tomatoes very dejected. He sat on the floor and covered his face with his hands. “Damn it!” he shouted at himself in his mind.
TO CONTINUE
