40 Stress Busters for Executives

by Atul Sharma

“They’ll stay here for one more day.”

  There were no noises in the villa when Raghav came there in the morning. It was not that the boys had realised their mistake. They were still sleeping.

  “We’ll be relaxed till they sleep,” said Sanju.

  “Tell the guide to drop them in the Vihar Vann in the evening. Only then we can have a peaceful night today,” said Raama.

  “They are the most awful guests to visit our villa,” said Pratap.

  A tall man having good personality arrived in the villa in the afternoon. He was accompanied by his wife.

  “Hello young man!” said that man giving a sound pat on Pratap’s shoulder. I’m Brigadier Ashok Tomar.

  “You are welcome Sir,” said Pratap. “You have a reservation here.”

  “I’ll take my luggage myself. I may have retired from my job but I’m still young,” said Brig. Tomar touching his big moustache. He was right because he took less time than Sanju to climb the staircase.

  “I’m still feeling the effect of his hand on my shoulder,” said Pratap.

  The villa filled with the noises again in the late afternoon when the boys came to their normal self. They didn’t go for the sightseeing trip of Devpur. By evening, they all came down to the garden and opened the bottles of whiskey.

  “Get us some snacks and salad,” they ordered.

  “Sir, please go back to your rooms if you want to drink. There are many families staying here. They may not like this,” requested Pratap.

  “This is the worst hotel I have seen in my life,” said one boy. “You don’t entertain properly. This is our lifestyle. Who the hell are you to stop us from partying here? We have paid you money.”

  “You are not the only ones who have paid money to stay here,” shouted Brig. Tomar who by now had come down after getting disturbed by the loud noises.

  “Mind your own business,” said one of them.

  The Brigadier pulled him by neck and raised him above the ground. The boy realised that he was hanging two feet above the ground. Brig. Tomar put him down and slapped him hard. There was pin drop silence. All his friends trembled with fear.

  “You rascals! What do you think of yourself?” Brig. Tomar thundered. “You have paid the money to stay here, you haven’t bought this hotel. Don’t misbehave again. If I hear your loose talk again, I’ll kick you all so hard that all this whiskey will come out.”

  “Should I bring snacks and salad here or in the rooms?” Raama asked to tease them after Brig. Tomar had left for his room.

  All the boys silently moved to their rooms. There was an amazing peace in the villa throughout that evening and night. There wasn’t an iota of noise. It seemed as if those boys were meditating in their rooms. There were no late night dinner orders. Two of them had their dinner by 7 p.m. while five of them didn’t feel hungry at all. Raghav and his team learned a lesson as well. It’s better to stand up and speak against any wrong doing than to tolerate it.

  

  Raghav telephoned his travel agent Shekhar Paul of Baxsons Tours and Travels next morning after the boys had checked out.

  “Hi Raghav! How’s the business?” asked Shekhar.

  “It’s great. You are providing good business.”

  “It’s just the beginning. I’m advertising your property far and wide. Clientele will increase manifold in coming days.”

  “Shekhar, we had an unpleasant experience with the group of boys who had reserved three rooms.”

  “What happened?”

  “They disturbed the serenity by using bad language and rowdy behaviour. Please don’t reserve rooms for such kind of people in future.”

  “Raghav, it’s hotel business. We can’t predict who’ll behave how. Anyways, I’ll avoid sending groups of bachelors in future.”

  Brig. Tomar came to the reception and ordered tea for himself.

  “Have those hooligans gone?” Brig. Tomar asked Raghav.

  “They checked out very early.”

  “Uncivilised people. One can buy things with money not manners,” said Brig. Tomar.

  “Do you own this hotel?”

  “Yes Sir, I’m Raghav. Is your stay comfortable here?”

  “Yeah. Your have made this hotel at a very peace and quiet zone,” said Brig. Tomar while shuffling the pages of the newspaper.

  “Same news! Same culprits! Bloody rotten system!” Brig. Tomar was disappointed after reading news about a scam.

  “A revolutionary change is required to topple this system,” said Raghav.

  “Raghav, do you know what is lacking in today’s era? It’s honesty,” said Brig. Tomar. “The scenario was very different many years back. Leaders of that generation possessed high moral character. I’ll tell you one real incident. I had just joined the army when Pakistan waged a war against us in 1965. Lal Bahadur Shastri was our Prime Minister then. People loved him and we soldiers also held him in high esteem. After the war was over, he visited the command hospital. I was injured and admitted there. Next to me was a soldier who had lost both his arms in the war. There were tears in his eyes when Shastriji patted him. Shastriji said, ‘I can feel your pain. You have made us proud.’ The soldier replied, ‘Sir, I’m not weeping because I have lost both my arms, I am sad because I can’t get up to salute you today.’ That was the kind of respect he commanded.”

  The staff waited eagerly for the arrival of some special guests in the evening. A mini bus arrived in the villa. Fifteen school children from a school in Mohali were accompanied by two teachers, Shruti and Indu. There were nine boys and six girls, all in the age group of six to eight years.

  “Three students in one room,” Raama instructed the kids as their teacher.

  “Do you have any provision for the stay of our driver and his helper?” asked Shruti.

  “Ma’am, they can stay put in our staff quarter,” said Pratap.

  The villa filled with the noises. But this wasn’t that kind which boys made. It seemed birds were chirping.

  He has taken my bottle; she’s playing with dolls alone; he’s not giving toys to me. All sorts of complaints made by children made the villa a lively place.

  “Why are you crying?” Raghav asked a small girl in the reception.

  “When’ll I meet mummy-papa? I’m feeling homesick.”

  “You are here for three days only. Then you’ll meet them. Now enjoy with others,” Raghav cheered her up.

  A boy came down weeping.

  “What happened to you dear?” asked Raghav.

  “There are no chocolates in my bag. Mom forgot to pack it,” said the boy innocently.

  Raghav send Sanju to market to bring chocolates for all the children.

  By evening, the children were in their elements and played in the garden.

  “Do you have a party hall here?” Indu asked Raghav. “The children want to dance.”

  “Yes, we have a hall with DJ facility. I’ll get it ready in half an hour,” replied Raghav.

  Raghav opened the party hall. He had come there after a long time. The memories of the past haunted his mind. It wasn’t the first time that the dance floor would come alive there; but it was the first time when no one from his family would be a part of it.

  The children let themselves loose on the dancing floor. They enacted the steps of dancing numbers with full vigour. All of a sudden their movements stopped when they saw Brig. Tomar, who was accompanied by his wife. The big moustache of Brig. Tomar petrified the children as they hadn’t seen him earlier in the day.

  “Dance baby dance!” said Brig. Tomar and he himself joined them. The children relaxed after seeing the jovial side of the big man and started dancing again.

  Brig. Tomar’s involvement brought liveliness to the party. Michael Henry also came down on hearing the sound of music. He couldn’t resist the temptation to dance. Michael char
med everyone with his belly dancing. All the members of the staff gathered there to watch the unusual dance of Michael Henry. The teachers and

  Mrs. Tomar also joined the party. Raghav also couldn’t refuse to dance when the children requested him.

  “You are looking happy today!” said Neha at night.

  “Small children made the atmosphere of the villa come alive,” said Raghav. They even made me dance with them.

  Vijay got up on his own to sit on the sofa. This made Raghav happier.

  After spending a good time there, the children left. Coincidentally Brig. Tomar and Michael Henry also checked out the same day.

  Mrs. Tomar distributed gifts to all the children while departing. The staff got busy to make the villa ready for the new guests.

  

  Since the villa had become a hotel, Raghav met different people.

  One day an astrologer booked a room for a longer duration. He was wearing rings, amulets and beads. He marketed himself very well in Devpur. He tied with an advertising agency that distributed pamphlets and pasted posters. Many people from Devpur and Shimla visited him. It included influential people like politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen.

  Raghav sat with him one day to learn something from him. But the astrologer took little time to display his true intention which was to earn money by instilling fear in the minds of the people. He scared people by telling them that bad things would happen to them if they won’t follow his advice. Rich people were happy to follow his advice while poor people lost money as well as their confidence.

  “Can I get a room?” asked a man who had come alone.

  “The behaviour of this man is very strange,” Raama told Pratap the next day. He orders many items but eats very less.

  “Sir, do you need something?” Pratap asked him when he saw that man constantly moving up and down in the villa.

  He didn’t respond.

  Next morning, there was no call from his room for bed tea or breakfast. Pratap called him at noon through intercom.

  “He’s not picking up the phone. Go and check the reason of his not coming down today,” Pratap asked Raama.

  “I knocked the door of his room many times but he didn’t open,” said Raama.

  “The guest of room no. 6 is not opening the door of his room. What should we do now?” Pratap asked Raghav who was in the guest house.

  Raghav brought duplicate keys with him. They opened the room to find him sleeping peacefully on his bed.

  “Why’s he not getting up?” Raama said and shook his body.

  Raama froze. The body was cold. Sanju checked his nerve and found him dead. Raghav calmed their nerves and informed the police.

  The police reached there immediately. It was for the first time that the police had come there.

  “All of you move out,” inspector told the staff and some other guests who had gathered there.

  “When did it happen?” asked the constable.

  “There wasn’t any call from his room since last night. At noon we opened the room with duplicate key and found that he had committed suicide,” said Raghav.

  “How can you say this is suicide?” asked the inspector. “It could be a murder.”

  “Murder!!! What are you saying inspector? Who can do it?” Raghav was taken aback by the words of the inspector.

  “Anyone from amongst you or the guests!”

  “There are no scratches on his body,” said a constable.

  “There’s a paper under the pillow,” said another policeman.

  It was infact his suicide note:

  “I am finishing my life myself. My family made my life hell. There’s money in my bag. I request the hotel management to do my last rites as I don’t want my family to do it. My name and address details in the register are wrong.”

  The suicide note saved Raghav and the staff from police harassment. The real details of that person couldn’t be ascertained. In the end they, along with the police, performed his last rites.

  One day Raghav saw a man being abused by the astrologer.

  “What happened?” Raghav asked him.

  “I live in Shimla. My son is severely ill. I came here in hope that Swamiji may help me spiritually. But he asked me to perform a ritual which’ll cost fifty one thousand rupees. When I said that I’m financially not sound, he abused me and said that my son will die.”

  “I’m shocked. How can one say so?” Raghav said in astonishment.

  “Swamiji, did you say so?” Raghav asked the astrologer straightway.

  “Don’t interfere in my work,” said the astrologer. “His son is under the influence of a bad period for which I have suggested a small measure.”

  “Is asking for fifty one thousand rupees a small measure?” asked Raghav.

  “You won’t understand,” said the astrologer. “What do you know about the astrology?”

  “Have you studied the seventh chapter of ‘Hanuman Jyotish’ which puts light on the remedies of the bad dashas (inauspicious periods)?” asked Raghav.

  Raghav’s question silenced the astrologer because he hadn’t studied that book.

  “What’s written in it?” asked the astrologer.

  What could Raghav say because even he hadn’t studied that book! Raghav spoke in this fashion only to show the poor man that the astrologer’s knowledge was fake.

  “Go and get full knowledge first before suggesting any measures,” said Raghav. “Anyways, I’m soon going to expose you.”

  The astrologer fumed and immediately checked out from the hotel.

  The man got so impressed with Raghav that he saw a new hope in him.

  “You are a very learned man. Please do something for my child,” the poor man requested Raghav.

  “I’m not an astrologer. Have faith in God. Everything will be alright,” said Raghav.

  “Please save my son,” the man requested with folded hands.

  Raghav hadn’t studied astrology thoroughly but he had studied Psychology well. He knew that this man needed something which could raise his morale up. He thought of a simple way.

  “Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram,” said Raghav. “Chant this mantra in front of your son as much as you can. Keep your faith in God. I’ll also pray for you.”

  The man thanked him countless times before leaving. Raghav was happy to help someone, though in a very unusual manner.

  More than a month had passed in this new undertaking. The brightest part was that Raghav had deposited an amount of four lakh rupees to the bank by then. It included the money that he had received from the Baxsons Tours and Travels.

  Some days later, that man came to the villa whose son was unwell.

  “You saved my son!” said the man touching Raghav’s feet.

  “What are you doing uncle?” Raghav was embarrassed.

  “My son got well due to your mantra. I’ll be always be grateful to you.”

  “I haven’t done anything,” said Raghav. “Doctors’ efforts and your faith made it possible.”

  

  It was a special day of the year for Raghav. It was Nandini’s birthday. He went to Hanuman Ghat. All the memories flashed in his mind when he took out her cell phone from his pocket. He decided to start writing something but wasn’t sure of what to write. Recent experiences pressed him to write something which could deal with people’s behaviour. He wanted to shatter the myths and glorify the miracles of faith. Believing in destiny is not bad but it shouldn’t kill one’s enthusiasm and capability. He sincerely devoted himself to this pursuit in the hope that maybe some day his thoughts will take the form of a book.

  One day Deepak, captain of Devpur cricket team, came to the villa to invite Raghav for his marriage which was a week away. He did not belong to a well-to-do family, so he hadn’t brought any wedding card or a box of sweets. He verbally
invited a few people for his marriage. He was a shy person and spoke little. It was his habit to convey his thoughts in few words rather than explaining it fully. His interaction with Raghav was limited to cricket only. Raghav thought that this time also he had come to invite him for a match as usual. Thus he misunderstood his wedding invitation for a game of cricket.

  “Hi Deepak! How are you?”

  “I’m fine. How’s your work?”

  “It’s doing well,” said Raghav.

  “Raghav, you have to come to Shimla on 7th,” said Deepak.

  Before Deepak could specify the reason, Raghav cut him short.

  “Good! Where it’s being held?” asked Raghav.

  He thought that Deepak was inviting him for a cricket match. Deepak thought that someone might have told Raghav about his marriage.

  “It’s being held at the community centre ground,” informed Deepak.

  “Isn’t it small?” asked Raghav as that ground wasn’t big enough to stage a cricket match.

  “No, it has been renovated,” replied Deepak. He thought that Raghav had found the marriage place small.

  “Who all are going?” Raghav asked to know the composition of the team.

  “Our same group and some relatives,” replied Deepak.

  Deepak meant to say that only few relatives and friends were going for the marriage but Raghav thought otherwise. He thought that their same team was going to play.

  “When’ll it start?” Raghav asked to know the scheduled time of the match.

  “4 p.m. in the evening,” replied Deepak about the time when marriage ceremonies will start.

  “From 4 p.m. onwards! Raghav wondered about the timing of the match. What about the lighting?”

  “New lights have been installed in the community centre ground after renovation. There won’t be any problem of lights. Moreover, there’s generator facility as well,” said Deepak.

  “Fantastic! It’ll be a new experience for me,” said Raghav as he got excited to imagine that he’ll play in a day night match for the first time in his life.

  “Who are we up against?” Raghav asked about the opponent team.

  “They are from Shimla itself,” Deepak said about the girl’s side.