More Mistakes than 3
No life is perfect, though it may seem to be. Secrets and discontent lie hidden beneath the smoothest surface. Three mistakes seem small enough when compared to the backdrop of a long life.
NO ONE I know considers Chetan Bhagat a literary figure. He writes bestsellers certainly; but most people perhaps would characterize his books as pulp fiction. Certainly reviewers would. So it is with some trepidation that I suggest that the three mistakes that Chetan highlights in his book are worth pondering about. In fact, the book is engrossing enough and the author sets such a scorching pace in his book that one might actually miss what the 3 mistakes alluded to actually are.
Actually the three mistakes talked about are greed, lust and self centeredness – all very common place elements in today’s society; so much so that no one takes them very seriously any more. Greed when Govind, the main protagonist decides not to be satisfied with his small shop in the old Ahmedabad township and wants to move to a swanky up market mall but his efforts are thwarted by the earthquake that hits Gujarat and his mall is shut down.
The second is when he allows himself to be seduced by the sister of his best friend. As their common friend Omi points out, it was not merely the act of seduction but the betrayal of trust in a friendship that was the greater sin.
And the third and the most self venal of them all was because of an act of self preservation. Govind and the cricket prodigy, the frail Muslim boy Ali are caught in the midst of a communal riot and Ali is caught in the midst of it. Govind could have saved him and does, but in a way and at a pace that will ensure that Ali’s wrist, which was at the source of all his batting prowess will be destroyed forever. It is eventually restored, but only partially and at great cost.
Greed. Lust. Self Preservation. Betrayal. These are all around us. They are not usually considered as mortal sins any more. Or sin even.... if sin as a word is still extant in our dictionary. Greed can be masked as entrepreneurship as Govind himself tried to do; betrayal are presented as pragmatism and of course self preservation is glorified. Only fools die as Mario Puzo so well observed, all those years ago.
Which is why I admire Chetan Bhagat for calling these three acts as mistakes: something to be sorry for, to repent of and try and make amends for ... and not rationalize? The book that Chetan has written is apparently based on real events and so someone connected with the book – one of the characters depicted there has made these mistakes.
No life is perfect, though it may seem to be. Secrets and discontent lie hidden beneath the smoothest surface. Three mistakes seem small enough when compared to the backdrop of a long life. I have made many more mistakes than three in mine and so perhaps have many others. In the broken world that we all live in, making mistakes is perhaps inevitable. Mistakes are not everything in life- mistakes have happened and will again happen; but the right thing to do is to recognize them for the errors that they are and then rectify them and make amends to whatever extent possible.
The second is when he allows himself to be seduced by the sister of his best friend. As their common friend Omi points out, it was not merely the act of seduction but the betrayal of trust in a friendship that was the greater sin.
And the third and the most self venal of them all was because of an act of self preservation. Govind and the cricket prodigy, the frail Muslim boy Ali are caught in the midst of a communal riot and Ali is caught in the midst of it. Govind could have saved him and does, but in a way and at a pace that will ensure that Ali’s wrist, which was at the source of all his batting prowess will be destroyed forever. It is eventually restored, but only partially and at great cost.
Greed. Lust. Self Preservation. Betrayal. These are all around us. They are not usually considered as mortal sins any more. Or sin even.... if sin as a word is still extant in our dictionary. Greed can be masked as entrepreneurship as Govind himself tried to do; betrayal are presented as pragmatism and of course self preservation is glorified. Only fools die as Mario Puzo so well observed, all those years ago.
Which is why I admire Chetan Bhagat for calling these three acts as mistakes: something to be sorry for, to repent of and try and make amends for ... and not rationalize? The book that Chetan has written is apparently based on real events and so someone connected with the book – one of the characters depicted there has made these mistakes.
No life is perfect, though it may seem to be. Secrets and discontent lie hidden beneath the smoothest surface. Three mistakes seem small enough when compared to the backdrop of a long life. I have made many more mistakes than three in mine and so perhaps have many others. In the broken world that we all live in, making mistakes is perhaps inevitable. Mistakes are not everything in life- mistakes have happened and will again happen; but the right thing to do is to recognize them for the errors that they are and then rectify them and make amends to whatever extent possible.
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