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    We all know Vidur the intelligent Mahamantri of Kuru king Dhritrashtra. This short story is about him.

    After the bloodshed at Kurukshetra post the holy war of Mahabharat a grieving King Dhritrashtra wonders, what the purpose of life is all about. Vidur, his prime minister, then tells him the story of a man in the jungle running away from wild beasts, who falls into a steep ditch. But by stroke of luck he falls on creepers growing there and that breaks his fall to the deep bottom of the ditch. So, he dangles there, when he sees a large serpent waiting for him at the bottom of the ditch, to bite him.

    And, that is not all. On the ground the beasts are still on the prowl waiting for him to come out of the ditch. Further, the man notices black and white mice, nibbling the roots of the creepers that holds and supports the man. This is when some bees from the top, fly towards the ditch, obviously to sting him, and from their hive, drops of honey, fall on the leaves of the creepers, and almost without thinking, the man’s fingers reach out to taste the honey. The honey is incredibly sweet and tempting and, despite facing certain death in all directions, the man can only think of how the honey tastes and wants more.

    Vidur’s interpretation of the story that he narrates to Dhritrashtra is very offbeat here. He says, the jungle is our danger-filled world, the serpent the time that patiently waits for us, and the white and black mice are the days and nights that eat into the creepers of our life’s journey. The honey is the pleasure that we get from this world, along with the intense desire to live on an on, that keeps us, dangling, despite the definite death that we all see and face ahead.

    Indeed there is a lesson to learn in everything that we do in life, and every circumstance that we face in life. The story only tells us that.   

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

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Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10^th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories. It is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

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