Thursday, June 30, 2016

844. The Common Passage.....


Two brothers worked very hard day and night at their 10 acres land growing vegetables. The land was inherited by them from their father who was also farming. The rain and the soil health supported the brothers’ hard work. The produce was well received at the local market and the profits got from them were sufficient to maintain the family expenses and also help them save some for the summer days.

Things were going smoothly till the village faced severe famine. The famine continued for successive years. The first year was not a problem to maintain the family expenses from the reserves, but the second year the savings diminished so if the famine continued the next year too then the family would have to face hardship. Hoping for the rain the brothers were optimistic but to their bad luck the rain failed to show up yet again. The third year would empty the reserves leaving the land as their only asset. Sensing the danger of losing everything to famine the brothers decide to move to the city and search for a living there. It was a very tough decision to make for them but it was inevitable. The brave decision was made.

Selling the land, the family comprising of eight came to the city and decided to rent a house and use the money got from the sale of the land to set up a shop selling the agricultural machinery parts. As they say the fortune favors the brave, the brothers’ fortune brightened. The brothers’ kids could get good education from the school. The sales growth was skyward and the brothers could decide on purchasing a property on their own in the city. As favorable they did purchase a plot measuring 60X100 feet and built a house with a garden overlooking it.

Years passed by quickly and their children grew and took over the responsibility of the business. They got married too. The two brothers retired and were happy spending their time with the grand kids. Somehow a small hint of difference cropped up and the children of the two brothers wanted to handle the family run business separately. The business split into two. The brothers expired one after the other. The children now decided to divide the property too. After consulting the legal advisers it was agreed to bifurcate the property such that each family would get 50X50 feet plot and 10X100 would serve as “The Common Passage” to the two houses built separately.

The split in the business hit the two families, as the customer base now had the option of buying their needs in two establishments. The fiscal burden grew as the money had been used to build separate houses. Rift between the two families too widened and they stopped talking to each other. They were now no more blood relations they were just neighbours. Neither of the families made an attempt to get together. The Common Passage was used only as a means to enter and exit their homes. The competition in business pulled them down and somehow they tried hard to make the ends meet.

Owing to huge loss in the business, the elder sons’ family decided to sell their share of property. Their advocate advise them to convince the family of the younger brother too to sell their property so that they both can benefit from the sale, if they sold the property separately they lose the amount the common passage would fetch them both.

Pondering over the matter the two families unite to benefit monetarily. The common passage of 10X100 feet which would fetch substantially unites the family. Amazingly the two brothers who stayed together too had a common passage which was not visible to others. They tread it together that passage was between their hearts illuminated by love and affection. The common passage on the property plan united the families from the monetary front and it was momentary while that between those two brothers who stayed together even in hardship provided peace and would remain eternal….....And that was the passage which would take them to the source…..What Say???

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