The Wanderer

By Mayank

A cluster of friends met at a reunion, they all were waiting for their dearest to arrive who was late due to some office work. They haven't met since the completion of their schooling. The whole group was discussing how their life took a leap from nadir to zenith. Some got into the corporate sector, hustling there, while some are in the government sector talking over pros and cons of both the segments. While examining the things, their friend arrived in a formal office suit. He was working in the intelligence bureau. So due to an urgent meeting he was late for the meet-up. As soon as the assemblage brought to an end. They ordered eatables and drinks. Some were having wine in their hands however some were teetotaler. In a little while, the topic shifted to happiness and gratification they are having in their lives. Some were merrily married while some were still dating different maidens. The strangest answer was from the late-comer, “I’m still wandering in the search of happiness here and there” he added “I tried everything from travelling, writing, vacation abroad, even I dated numerous maidens. Alas! There was nothing that could give me happiness.” His answer created a great perplexity and apprehension in the mind of everyone on the table. They all were fretful towards his mental health, they knew he was the most cheerful and lively soul among them. He never worries much of anything and always seems to be optimistic and merry utmost times. 

They left from there and sat in the park where they enclosed him from all the flanks. He was bombarded with umpteen questions but he refrained from answering any of them. At first he mollified them all and then started narrating what had altered his life by inclining him to somberness. He began by bringing the cat out of the hat about his secret relationship with one of their schoolmates. This astonished them and nobody had anticipated this revelation. Then he enclosed some of his family issues where he was exposed from how long he was suffering with that mental trauma. The childhood trauma accompanied by breakup trauma then his mother went into depression. These layers of him was an eye opener for everybody he never disclosed any of it. While all were absorbing these things, he spilled out the fact that the reason for his gloominess is not these incidents. “Although these things had crafted a deep void in me but this void got graver with the new case I got there to investigate.” The case was about a person who was mysteriously deceased in his study room with some of his writings there. The whole room was enriched with books of different genres ranging from philosophy, literature, politics to life sciences. During the assessment of evidence, the person is, by a long chalk, great possessor of knowledge. “I engulfed the blow by blow description of the whole case. The death was assumed to be a suicide but why such a person while commit a suicide. This question haunts me round the clock.” The assemblage was gobsmacked with this disclosure they envisaged poles apart from the secret naked. He added, “While I was researching further about him some strange things came out.” The person had been staying away from the outer world and his family. They all were captivatingly heeding to their friend uttering no single word. He further added the reason wasn’t solitary these things. In fact, there were rumors of seeing his soul nearby his house and seemed to be still studying there. 

His vast expanse of knowledge in every field led him to plot his own death. The only way-out he found from his various experiments ranging from leaving the world behind, staying in isolation and vacations, nothing helped him in fulfilling this void of despair. The only solution he found to end the connection with the outer world and family was to die. But he wasn’t that weak to end his life, thus decided to plot the whole incident of fake death in order to get rid of everything. “Then, why do you still wander near the study?”, I asked. To which he responded that he wanted to go away from the world not from his books and the deep ocean of knowledge still enticed him to quench his thirst for knowledge. He, at last, requested me to keep his secret to himself so he can live in peace. 

“I don’t know why I haven’t revealed anything to anybody in the department. You people are the first to hear this out. I don’t know why I feel connected to his story, why I always wonder every time I think of this event”. This statement bewildered them all, they all got concerned whether the story narrated is true or that conversation with that soul was really a dialogue with that person’s spirit. The change in behavior, his earlier revelation about his stress, mental condition and desires to talk with none. While all these thoughts were in everybody’s mind, he stood up and suddenly bid a farewell to them.

He said, “As the rumors about his soul wandering here and there spread like a wild fire. This put me on a fence rather to trust the facts or I’m correct with my intuition about not a suicide. In the evening I went there alone at a time when it was anticipated for his arrival or his soul’s arrival……... I waited to witness such an incident through my naked eyes…….” He added, “this went on like this for some days but I didn’t find anything.” On the other hand, the investigation had also raised the curtains that there is something suspicious with the corpse which they found there. The corpse they found in the study appeared biologically similar but there was a suspicion with the cause of death. All his friends flabbergasted and they again enclosed him from all corners. After this blow by blow investigation, he well found that his intuitions were leading him to the right path over his chary to accept the suicide as true. 

He went again to the place of investigation where one day he encountered his soul. He said, “As soon as I found him there I rushed towards him in the study although deep inside I was fearful.” All his friends had lent him ears with utmost attention. He added, “With my arrival, my soul started speaking …. I was waiting for you….” This horrified them all and he too was petrified but gathered some courage to utter a word. The whole conversation went on and the soul asked him not to panic and stay calm. The whole incident began with their introduction in response to what the soul replied that it is already aware of him and his profession. This was an eye-opener for him not only this but that soul also narrated that all his miseries and stress will be eradicated with the intensity of time spent with him. One friend responded, “what the hell was going on there! How is this possible?” The story moves back in the past, the soul began to narrate his past incidents that had caused a deep void in his heart and mind. In response to this void, he spends most of his time alone and away from all the worldly pleasures. He was fed up with every relation, he had nobody to talk to. Although there were people talking, but nobody was there with the deepest secrets and dearly conversation could be made. 

By Mayank