What a Waste! (Part IV)

Recently, one boy, who had just completed his HSC, contacted my cousin sister, Gayatri, asking her how to become an entrepreneur. His father is the waterman in my sister’s area. His father cannot afford his further education. And the family belongs to the open category. She told him to first get the Economically Backward Class certificate, complete his education and then think of becoming an entrepreneur.

When my sister told me about this incident, I remembered this story, What a Waste! (Part IV), that I had written years ago. I am sharing it with you here:

What a Waste! (Part IV)

The morning newspaper held the news about the suicide of a Brahma Bhatt at that same place. His face was smashed beyond recognition.

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6 months later, Radha was asked to interview a pharmacist, who had made significant research toward curing AIDS. B Vishweshwar looked oddly familiar. By the end of the interview, enlightenment dawned on her and he confidently commented, “So, you are a journalist. If you hadn’t saved my life that day, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve so much in so less time.”

“Brahma Bhatt!?!” Radha almost shouted in astonishment. “Am I glad to see you alive! But, how did you…”

“To cut a long story short, I took the help of some friends to forge my certificates. Then, I applied for a job with faked experience in this private company. To change my appearance, I added a moustache and a beard. Most people do not cross-check the references since the candidates’ competence reveals the experience and knowledge he has gained.”

“Whose body was it then?”

“Before I could jump, a man came running and took a plunge. Then, the train smashed his face. He was a thief running away from a crowd. All I had to do was to change the identity of the dead body when no one was looking.”

“And you achieved all this by faking your name and caste?”

“No, I don’t have a caste now. I would prefer to be a human being.”

“Incredible! After all, you are the same person and the competence is the same. What a sheer waste! If only you could have got it earlier, you need not have gone through all this. What a waste! Sheer waste!”

Footnote

1. We were made by God as human beings and religions, castes and creeds are man-made. The varnas or castes were made for the smooth running of the society and not for any reservation.

2. Rules and laws need to be revised, periodically.