An Untold Story

An Untold Story

1985 5 May 13 An Untold Story (378) As an ordinary worker, Mr. P.N. Pathak, joined the Hindustan Times Staff in 1958, and owing to his devotion and dedication to work finally succeeded in securing the high post of Deputy Superintendent of its composing department. His early death of heart failure, at the age of 50 on December 27, 1984 brought his career to an untimely end.

The note in the newspaper on this sad occasion, said, quite simply, “'He rose to the present position by sheer hard work.” (The Hindustan Times, December 28, 1984)

After having completed his education in Allahabad, Mr. Pathak worked for some time with the Times of India and Indian Express, then he joined the staff of the Hindustan Times where he found the atmosphere conducive to dedicated work. It involved a long and laborious struggle of 25 years to reach this high post, but before he had time to enjoy the fruits of his labour, death cut his career short.

Man’s fate indeed seems tragic and ironic. He works hard in this world to achieve some goal but hardly has he been able to reap the fruits of his labour, than he is removed from the scene.

How distressing is this end of life! Yet no one stops to give it a thought. Everyone sets himself to repeating the same story as his predecessor. And how many of these stories reach a happy conclusion? The tale of every human being remains incomplete. Yet no one seems to be concerned about finding the reasons. No one appears keen enough to discover the path which will lead him to complete his story successfully.

Every human being in this world is, in fact, an incomplete story. As one seems to near one’s destination, one is suddenly taken away. How strange it is then for life to be sans destination. Stanger still is the negligence of man towards this gravest of realities.

But this is only a temporal way of looking at things. We have these feelings because we think of our final destination as being in this world, and not in the hereafter. It is only when, with the help of God, we change this attitude that we understand that completion, fulfillment and happiness belong to the next life and not to this.