138. An Evening That Changed the Life

When I came to know that my friend Murugesh had been admitted in a hospital in Madurai, for treatment of malfunctioning of his lever, I wanted to go to Madurai immediately and meet him. But, I could not take leave, since I had some important work to attend to, at my office in Mumbai. 

When I went to Madurai after a week, Murugesh had been discharged from the hospital. 

I visited him at his home. 

I was shocked to see the skeleton-like figure lying on the cot.

'Is this Murugesh?' was the question that instinctively arose in my mind. Though it had been some years since I had met him, I could not believe that he would have changed so much in appearance.

I first met Murugesh in a training program organized by my company for new recruits like me, at its head office in Delhi. Within a few minutes of getting acquainted with each other, we became intimate.

On the last day of the training, the company hosted a dinner for the trainees in a high class hotel. Liquor was served before dinner. Those who had already been exposed to drinks partook the drinks, with excitement and joy. 

Some of us, including Murugesh, who were not accustomed to drinking liquor, stood aside . 

"Have the drinks and enjoy, boys! You won't get such high quality liquor at other places. Nothing wrong in taking a peg or two occasionally. I don't drink regularly, but I never miss my drinks in parties like this. Should we not enjoy life?" said our Training Officer.

Prodded by his talk, some people began to taste liquor. Murugesh was one among them. That was the starting point for Murugesh's addiction to drinking. 

Murugesh and I had been working at different places. So, we were not able to meet often. However, we were in touch.

Over the years, I got several promotions and rose to the position of a Deputy General Manager. Murugesh, however, remained a junior officer in the company.

The drinking habit, acquired by Murugesh at the hotel in Delhi on the last day of our training, had gripped him tightly. His addiction led him to such a state that he could not refrain from taking liquor even for a day.

During the times I met him, I had been urging him to give up his addiction to drinks. After his marriage, his wife had also been pleading with him to give up drinking. But, he was unable to come out of the drinking habit.

As could only be expected, excessive drinking resulted in causing a serious damage to his liver. He had to be admitted to a hospital for treatment.

"You have become so emaciated" I said.

I heard the sound of sobbing from behind. It was from Murugesh's wife Bhanumathy.

"He didn't listen to you, me or to any of the other well-wishers, who had repeatedly pleaded with him to come out of this destructive habit. Now, he has got his health ruined and become bed-ridden" she told me, in between sobs.

"Give up this habit, at least now!" I told Murugesh.

Murugesh nodded his head.

"The doctor told us that if he drank again, his life would be at risk. Please advise your friend to keep away from liquor, hereafter" Bhanumathy told me.

"I won't touch liquor, hereafter" said Murugesh, firmly.

"Will you be able to do it?" Bhanumathy asked Murugesh, not convinced by his declaration.

She then turned to me and said, "In a way, not having children is a blessing to us. I have been struggling to run our family with the money he gives me, after spending a major portion of his salary on drinks. If we had children, it would be even more difficult for me to manage our family. While feeding the children would itself be a challenge, spending money for their education would be unthinkable. But, from another perspective, the presence of children at home would offer me some solace."

I told Murugesh, "Murugesh! Take leave for three months. Come and stay with me at Mumbai, with your wife. It will be a change. If you are with me for some time, you will also be able to give up your drinking habit."  

I couldn't think of anything more that I could do in that situation, to help my friend Murugesh.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 14
Possession of Propriety 

Verse 139 (In Tamil)

nanRikku vththAgum nal ozhukkam thI ozhukkam
enRum idumbai tharum.

Meaning:

Good conduct becomes the seed for good developments.

Bad habits will invariably lead to agony.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'payiRchiyil thuvangiya pazhakkam' by the same author.)

Verse 140 (Soon)
Verse 138