Parallel ?

 

Govinda called out ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’. His two cows with their calves ran ahead of him. One of the calves playfully nudged against him. The animals settled themselves to grazing. Govinda’s friends, Mrinal and others asked him, “Govinda, sing that ‘dimiki dimiki dimi’ song, please!’.  Govinda didn’t oblige till is friends had begged him for sufficiently long. Then he sang in his slightly squeaky but pleasant voice. Others too joined him. Soon they came to their favourite mango tree. Govinda led them past the hedge and up the tree. After they had nearly filled their pockets, they espied the wild-eyed monk whose placid meditation they had disturbed. In a trice they were out and were munching their mangoes each busy with their cows.

 

‘Your aunt Kamsai will call you tomorrow’ a voice said abruptly near Govinda. Govinda looked up and saw a boy who looked much like him.

‘I am your twin  Govinda’ the newcomer said. That satisfied Govinda.

‘You’ll go to Mathurgarh. I’ll meet you there. Bye now’ the newcomer said and ran away. Somehow Govinda was not at all alarmed but was happy.

He was not much surprised to find himself soon by the deathbed of his aunt. After her death he inherited her large estate. He appointed a trusted manager and set to schooling himself to be able to administer the estate. His village became a pleasant memory, unreachable because his own sense of duty to his estate didn’t give him time or reason to go there.

 

Then his twin appeared. ‘You’ll go back. Your village needs your knowledge and commitment. We’ll meet no more’ he said.

He was right.

 

Swami Sampurnananda, Genre 273, No. 37, Lalgarh Dining table; 16 Jan 2004, 9.32 p.m.