Virgin Patiala Peg
Gaganjeet Gujral
Published by Gaganjeet Gujral, 2021.
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
VIRGIN PATIALA PEG
First edition. July 5, 2021.
Copyright © 2021 Gaganjeet Gujral.
Written by Gaganjeet Gujral.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
1. | Early Troubles.....
2. | Trapped in the Snare
3. | Hidden Desires Perpetuates
4. | Getting Derailed.....
5. | Big Moment
6. | The Commencement....
7. | Misery Continues
8. | The Turnaround....
9. | The Aftermath
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About the Author
I dedicate this book to my wife Tanya who has been of tremendous encouragement during witing this book, She was the one to ignite the spark inside of me to start writing. I dedicate this book to my professors and teachers who i took inspiration from, and who i admire tremendously. Prof Nitin Singh PhD, Shomu Sir, Sonu Sir. My fitness trainer Sivaraman. I dedicate the book to my parents, my father who supports me in my endeavours and my mother who is my freind everyday. I Dedicate this book to the Patiala Peg.
Patiala Peg is a Large measure of your prefered liquor of choice, made famous by His Royal Highness Bhupinder Singh of Patiala.
1.
Early Troubles.....
“I am back home” a feeble voice came from Karamjit as he quietly rushed himself closing the front door to his room, throwing away his school bag on the sofa, lurking in the corner of his room and laying down feeling like a sack of potatoes.
An immediate voice came from his uncle who was standing next to him waking up all his senses, “Have you received your test?”
Karamjit trembled up in fear and said stutteringly “T-T-T- Test?”
“Yes, the one that took place this morning” asked his uncle. Karamjit hesitatingly replied, “N-N-No, it was cancelled as the teacher felt sick & had to leave the classroom early on.”
“Now don’t waste your time lying up there like a pig in mud. Get up, eat your lunch and get back to study.” His uncle left the room without saying a further word and Karamjit slowly collecting himself from his couch rejuvenating his calmness, relieving himself thinking that his uncle hasn’t found that he has not attended his school from last five days.
He laid down on his back trying to get into the world of his own imagination at the same time hoping that he do not face any further trouble for the rest of the day. After some time, he fell asleep waking up in a new world giving him a strange nostalgic feeling of reality where he is travelling all around the world, exploring different countries, meeting with new people, tasting new dishes and influencing millions of lives around the globe with his persuasive communication skills & ability to inspire people.
Loosing count of time, he woke up late in the night only realizing it when he got a kick on his butt by his aunt. “You lazy thing you. Your uncle told you to study, no? And here you are, sleeping like you got no worries. Stand up, I said!” she shouted at the top of her voice.
He trembled up to the refrigerator to find something to eat and sat down on his study table to prepare for the test hoping he could get something imprinted on his mind.
It was however not an unusual day for Karamjit Singh, a seventeen year old Sikh boy who was the only son of his father living in the Patiala district of Punjab with his uncle and aunt. He was five feet eight inches tall weighing roughly hundred and twenty-five pounds. He lived with his uncle and aunt alone. Their house was located in an alley passing from the main Sirhind Road. His father, Balkar Singh who was a Captain in the Indian Army was deployed most of the times at different posts almost all the year & had no luxury time to spend with his only son. His mother, Kulvir Kaur died in a car accident when he was just seven. He grew up with his uncle Colonel Gurtej Singh who was now retired personnel from the military.
Living up without parents in his uncle’s presence who was a strict and disciplined person having complete authority over the choices of Karamjit made him an introvert, insecure and unconfident boy who was just into himself. And his aunt, Jaswinder Kaur left him no chance to enjoy his teen life keeping him in a lot of troubles which even led to him being beaten up by his uncle without any of his fault.
One day, while she was cleaning the floor, she accidently bumped into an expensive flower vase that his uncle Gurtej Singh had bought from Japan. When Gurtej Singh entered the room, she put the whole blame on Karamjit realizing the anguish that she would have to face from Gurtej Singh. And consequently, Karamjit got punished by his uncle for breaking the pot that he didn’t even touched. Gurtej Singh, however was different than his wife Jaswinder Kaur. He always took his decisions which would benefit Karamjit but he was rude which was a direct consequence according to many because he served in the Indian Army for so many years which made him strict and disciplined. So he never refrained from using the rod to use as a punishment for Karamjit to make him realize his mistakes and then never to have him repeat them again.
He would take Karamjit to morning running and leave him gasping for breath after making him run for more than five miles daily. Karamjit however, hated doing any physical exercises but it didn’t mattered what he liked or disliked, he had to do it because it was an order from his uncle that was supreme for him even though he hated it. He never liked to eat groceries too but again, he would not only drink the stuff he didn’t liked but also drank some of the worst tasting juices from raw vegetables which they prepared at home in their garden.
Jaswinder Kaur on the other hand was completely different as she never considered Karamjit her nephew and always found ways in which she could do some harm to him and make his life worse than ever before. Karamjit although was afraid of social associations because of living under a constrained environment offering him little to no freedom, he had keen interest in travelling and a sense of curiosity to explore new places perhaps because of the constipated desire that built inside him living in an environment of social conformity offering little attention to his own identity.
Karamjit’s day usually started with him going to his school. He was not one of the kind who was pursuing his passion which was deeply suppressed and one of the reasons which contributed to it was that he was put into a convent school since he was a child which also led him to form his religious beliefs in Sikhism and shaped his mentality and thought process in a significant way.
He had few friends and even those who were his friends usually abstained from communicating with him. That was partly because of the fact that he was considered a different kid with unusual perspective of looking at the world. So, every time he tried to speak and present his world view, his views were generally unwelcomed and not accepted. This led him to forming a belief that the world is a strange place to live, and he is someone who is distinguished from the rest because of his different conceptions about life. It first started with his teachers who told him that he was mentally retarded, lacked the intellectual faculty to comprehend the information just like other kids and couldn’t compete at the same level as the rest of them when he was very young.
And later on, his aunt did her part by not embracing and encouraging Karamjit’s abilities that he could improve himself in terms of his intellect. The result was that Karamjit had no sense of significance and worth for himself and his abilities to pursue his passion or even to speak
it out and express it to someone else. The belief system or the fabrication that the culture & society put on him became so strong that he never had faith in himself that he will ever amount to anything to anybody in life.
He often got scolded by his uncle for his inability to speak clearly & effectively and he was often a subject of criticism among his teachers for his lack of interest in academic or extracurricular activities.
One such day, when he finished his schooling time, one of the boys named Amrit came next to him and asked, “Hey Karamjit, are you even present here?”
“What do you mean? ” replied Karamjit. “I mean, where are you lost all the time? You are lost in your own world”
Karamjit thought for a while, then buried his head in his arms as he folded them and sat down on the bench. “What happened? You Okay?” asked Amrit.
No answer came back. Not even a flinch. Amrit yelled back, “What’s wrong with you? Do you think that someone cares to talk with you? You are such an egomaniac and an absolute narcissist which is the reason everybody avoids you because you don’t know how to talk to people and make friends. ” Karamjit winced at once and looked at Amrit with his calm poise. “It’s not because of that.” “Then What is it? Tell me!” “It’s because people never really understand me.” “And that’s probably because you never tried to talk to them. You are into yourself. Isn’t it?” Amrit asked. “Absolutely not. I was very open when I was a little kid but whenever I tried to express myself, people never took me seriously, ignored me and bullied me. Now how can a child who’s been never given importance and always bullied come out to be socially constructive and interact freely with people? Maybe it’s easy for others but surely it’s not my cup of tea.” “Why do you feel that? That’s other people’s business if they think you are not worthy of being listened to. At least I don’t believe what they say about you.” he assured .
“Really? You think so? But that’s what I am told. I am treated as if I am a no good nick.” “There is always a person in your life who always wishes for your wellbeing. So, you are telling me that nobody cares for you? Is that true?”
“No, I am not saying that. But most people I have met so far in my life showed me exactly that with their behavior towards me. The only person who is left in my life who really cares for me is my father. He is the only person who makes me feel good about myself and my uniqueness. He always says that I have some hidden abilities which I could manifest to help others. He is my best friend. But seldom do I get the opportunity to spend time with him” he said.
“Well, I believe in you. Trust me, I trust in you, and I have never felt that you are different than others even though they keep addressing you in a demeaning way. I never knew that you were such kind of a humble person. I always thought that you are an arrogant person who is too proud to mingle with others. That is why I never really talked to you before.” said Amrit. “It seems to me that your father is your hero to you. Tell me something more about him.”
Karamjit looked at Amrit and smiled as if he finally found the person, he was looking for all these years who would understand him. “My father is a Colonel and he’s been serving in the Indian Army for the past 25 years. He is usually deployed at various different posts all throughout the year and help train young cadets to become future officers. And being an officer at a high rank like Colonel, he is also a consultant to the junior officers who train under his supervision. He has been deployed several times at some of the most difficult terrains whether it be in hot deserts or frost bite mountains. Besides that, he is a former national athlete who represented India at the 1990 Asian Games that were held in China.” said Karamjit proudly feeling contented with his father’s accomplishments.
“Wow! That’s really awesome! He’s one of an adventurous kind. I am really impressed by what your father has accomplished leaving me no doubt why he’s your biggest inspiration.” said Amrit. “Do you also have any plans to join Army?”
“No. I would never do that.” said Karamjit as he turned his head around.
“But didn’t you just said that you wish to be like your father?” “Yeah, definitely. He is my idol and I pursue to personify him in whatever I do, but my intention is not to go in the army but I want to live life on my own terms. I don’t want to be someone who is under the supervision of an authority all the time which commands and dictates my life and how I should live or behave. I do desire to live an adventurous life. I want to travel around the world and meet with people who have similar interests. But....” Karamjit stopped as if something suddenly hit him.
“But what” asked Amrit. “No... nothing” replied Karamjit as if he were hiding something. “Are you sure?” “Yeah.... Nothing” he assured Amrit.
Amrit pat him on the back and gazed in his eyes. “Listen, I am just like your brother, so feel free to talk to me and open up your heart to me. Remember that I am always here to help you. And don’t ever hesitate to share your mind with me. I am not like others. I want you to get this through your head. So always be open to me buddy. Do you understand that?”
“Yeah, I will keep it in mind. Thanks for your support.” Karamjit shook his hand as he stood up. “Okay, I have to leave now.” he said as he picked up his bag. “Do you have to go somewhere?” Amrit asked. “I have to go to Dukhniwaran Sahib Gurudwara for worship. I usually go there in the evening. Do you want to come with me?” “It’s near to the place where I live. But I don’t normally go to any religious places.” “Why is that?” asked Karamjit.
Amrit looked up.“Because I am an atheist. Although my parents believe in Hindu religion but I don’t believe in the existence of God.”
“Well, you can still come with me if you want. You just said that you are my friend, so must come with me.” “Alright. I will meet you at the Gurudwara then. When will you reach there?”
Karamjit glanced at his Hungerford watch.“Sharp at 6’o clock” he said. “Okay then, I will see you there.” “Okay, bye buddy.” said Karamjit as he bid him farewell.
Karamjit then hurriedly ran to his house with excitement of establishing a good friend in the image of Amrit in whom he can trust and share his thoughts. He was happy because he finally got someone who could listen to his story. His joy was out of bounds. He quickly reached home, had his lunch, and eagerly waited for the evening to occur.
Karamjit being a Sikh boy had his evening time scheduled to visit the Dukhniwaran Sahib Gurudwara for at least four days every week where he would spend his time listening to Gurbani. He would park his bicycle, remove his shoes, and deposit them to the Joda Ghar where all the visitors would deposit their shoes and slippers, then receive the token number specified for every visitor uniquely. He would then wash his feet and hands and walk forward to the Darbar Sahib – the main hall in the Gurudwara where Guru Granth Sahib is kept where he would chant his prayers and bow down to worship. He would keep sitting in the Darbar Sahib and listen with all his attention to the every word read from Guru Granth Sahib which is the holy scripture of Sikhism.
After that he would take a bath in the Sarovar—a rectangular open pool filled with sacred water with steps descending into the water. He would then take a walk on the sidewalks of the Sarovar with his hands folded all the while chanting his prayers. Amrit was with him that day. He was carefully observing Karamjit and all that he did in the Gurudwara as he visited with him the very first time. Amrit was amused by the lustrous look of the Gurudwara and its humungous size. He was very much impressed with the architecture of the Gurudwara and how the main building was paved. After walking around the Sarovar, they went to the Nishan Sahib. Amrit was shocked to see Nishan Sahib—a triangular flag hoisted on the top of a tall pole because of the height at which it was raised.
He taped Karamjit on the back as he lifted his head to look at the end point of the Nishan Sahib. “ Why is that flag hoisted so high?” “ It acts as a sign for the visitors so that it could be seen from far away, signifying the presence of Gurudwara in neighborhood. There is also a h
istorical and spiritual significance to that.” “What is that?” Amrit asked.
“ It also serves as a sign of truth which leads people closer to the Eternal Guru or God in which Justice, truth and love reigns above all the hate, prejudice, and malice that prevails in this defective world or the Earthly realm. When you live righteously, it acts as a gateway to heaven.” “Do you really believe in heaven?” “Yes, I do” Karamjit stated boldly. “It’s a gift for your noble deeds from the God” he said.
“But I think heaven is merely a fictional concept which is good only for movies & children’s novels. It’s just an unrealistic place which people have created to escape the harsh reality of this world. And moreover, if it were real, why can’t we observe it? I am very skeptical about all this spiritual realm jargon that people talk about. It’s quite esoteric at least for me.” Amrit said as folded his arms.
Karamjit looking at him and then giggled a little. “ That’s fine. That’s your belief. And I respect that. But for me, heaven is more real than earth. You might not be able to perceive it, but it exist just like the air you breathe – you never see it but it still exists and gives you life.” Karamjit pointed out. He took a deep breath and continued. “The same is also true when you walk on the righteous path and always do good to those who despitefully use you and even deceive you. Because God is always faithful with his promises and those who seek him with all their heart shall never perish.”
Amrit was constantly staring at Karamjit with a look of skepticism as if he were looking for an opportunity to throw another ball of questions when Karamjit finished speaking. For Amrit, being an atheist, it was hard for him to conceive and believe what Karamjit was saying. “Really? Who defines this so-called righteous path? I mean, there is nothing absolute in this universe. What is right for me may not be right for someone else and what’s right for them might not work for me at all. So this world is a whole conundrum between truth and false? Is that what you are saying?”
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