After completing my training in social service, I found a job in Delhi. The very first thing I did after getting a job was to marry. The lady I knew from my social service days was eager to solemnize our relationship. I took about 20 days leave from my job and left for Kolkata. Having completed the marriage ceremony, I came back to Delhi. I was so naive in those days that I did not know the concept of Honeymoon. To my surprise, I found my temporary job had been terminated. I was happy. Marriage is over, and my job is gone. I thought of joining my old social service unit. For a few days, I stayed at my social service unit's guest house till my wife returned. Again, I had to look for a job reluctantly and got one.

Now, the most important thing was to find a house. Through a common friend, we came to know of one, Mr. Sain, who had a house in Gurgaon, and he, too, was looking for a good tenant. We went to his house and were impressed by the two big imposing photographs of our Guru put up at the entrance of his house. Naturally, we felt very humble and thought very highly of Mr. Sain. Mr. Sain and his Mrs. were very happy to see us. Now the rental part was talked about. Mr. Sain told me he spent a few lakhs to buy that house. If he had kept that money, it would fetch about Rs. 2000/- per month. But considering our good credentials, he would let it out to us at Rs. 700/- per month. This way, he will lose about Rs. 1300/- per month. This fact of losing money does not bother him as long as we pay him Rs. 700/- monthly. He also revealed that the prevailing rent at that place was about Rs. 500/- per month. As he was very considerate to us, thinking of our future hike in rent, he was asking Rs. 200/- more so that when we would take another house at Rs. 700/- somewhere else, it would not pinch us. Believe me, I thought he was so concerned about us. Rs. 200/- extra does not matter. Moreover, they are also a disciple of the same Guru as ours. So I agreed.

This deal was made between Mr. Sain and me. My wife, Krishna, was not involved. Later on, she asked me about the discussion. I told her the same as what was agreed upon. For a few minutes, she was silent. I thought she, too, might be happy with this transaction. I was daydreaming as I thought of the new house we would be occupying soon. Suddenly, she raised her voice and said, “I knew you were a fool but never knew that you were such a dumb fool.” I still had some doubt in my voice. I could only curse myself when she explained the other side of the picture. I do not claim to have improved my IQ since then, but I learned a lot through the hard facts of life.

To continue the story, Mrs. Sain invited us to their new house to inaugurate with a reading from a book written by our Guru Ji. However, we joined them at Gurgaon. We found some work still being done, and we had to go to a neighbor’s house to use their toilet. Somehow, we spent the night there.

A new life routine started. I would leave for my office about 8 in the morning. At about 9.00 a.m. Mr. Sain arrived there with ten persons as a workforce to do flooring, wooden work, cement work, etc. The whole day, they were everywhere. Krishna somehow managed to cook our food after these angels of our heavenly abode left at about 7 in the evening. I came back home at about 8.30 p.m. These angels continued their arrival and departure for about a week. By this time, Krishna had become exhausted and complained to me. We were trapped in an unfinished heaven and could not get out till we found a finished one.

On the 13th day, we decided to move out. Fortunately, a house just in front of us fell vacant. We almost grabbed the house at a lower rent than we were paying. This house was finished and even had a staircase to go to the terrace. We shifted to this new house immediately without informing our house owner. The next day, Mrs. Sain came with a workforce and found the house empty. She came to us and demanded Rs. 700/- as rent. We gave her the calculation for 13 13-day stays and only one room we could use. At that rate, the rent would come to about Rs. 120/- She abused us using all kinds of choiceable words and left with the money. Since then, they have not talked to us, and neither do we. We meet them at the Guru ji’s birthday celebrations but do not exchange words.

Perhaps this is human nature. Despite following the lofty teachings of great spiritual leaders, people hardly change because selfishness is so ingrained into human personality that it refuses to go; try as hard as you may.

Perhaps this is the struggle we are waging ceaselessly to overcome our selfishness and become unselfish.