Cauldron of life - page 3

A few feet away from where I now stand was Mithun’s mansion. My heart filled with joy as I approached it. This was a re-union I had been waiting all my life. I couldn’t wait to see him. I calmed myself and took those few feet. My instincts alerted me at that moment. It forewarned me that these few feet would change my life forever.

The mansion was in a state of decay. Plaster peeled off from the walls. Wild weeds growing everywhere in the garden. Is this where mithun lives? Can anyone live at all here! I stepped upon huge anthills. Carefully I made my way to the door and knocked. I knocked again, no answer. The door wasn’t locked I realized. Sweat beads had formed over my forehead. I wiped them with a handkerchief and made my way inside.

The vestibule was poorly lit. the whole house seemed to be decaying out of poor maintainence. Weeds were beginning to grow inside the house. No sign of inhabitants till now. I moved slowly anticipating worse things. The hall contained a heap of books. Admist them a man who seemed lost at looking into a something that resembled a cauldron. The sound of my footsteps seemed to disturb him and he looked at my direction. For a fraction of a second he didn’t recognize me. then Mithun’s face lit up. He came closer and cried with excitement ‘Anand, you have come!’.

Inspite of all the changes around me, I knew this was Mithun, I knew the sound of my name when he uttered it. And I knew I was in troubled water.

I questioned him about the decrepitudeof his home. He replied it hadn’t annoyed him at all. He even added that he hardly left home. He cooked his food at a corner of the huge mansion. inspite of all the decay, I could sense joy in every cell off Mithun’s being. The lustrous face, the twinkle in his eye and the dignity of a king. I asked him about the significant reasons that led him to live such a sedentary life. He pointed his finger at the cauldron, the only source of light to the whole mansion. It seemed to be the only passion in his life.