Novel "Good People": Novel with a Difference

"Good People": Love Story with a Difference (http://nbuu.co/be)

Few interesting extracts from the book:

‘Advanced Tech Systems’ was one of the most reputed companies of India. Matching its reputation was Shaan, the brightest student. He was seated in front of its selection team. The interview team of the company consisted of its two technical managers and its human resource manager.  The interview progressed. When it was more than half way through and the interview team was beginning to get highly impressed by Shaan’s replies, the human resource manager saw something peculiar in Shaan’s application form. He pointed it out to his two colleagues. Then they got into a private conference. It appeared as if they decided to pause the technical part of the interview because human resource manager took over.

He returned the application form to Shaan. He commented, “You haven’t filled up the form fully. ‘Your Religion’ column has been left blank by you.”

Shaan replied, “I do not know my religion. My early childhood was nurtured in an orphanage that was run by a Hindu. Later a couple adopted me. My mother is a Christian and my father is a Muslim (Moslem). I do not know the religions of the persons who actually gave birth to me. The in-charge of the orphanage guesses that my parents might have been Hindus. I don’t know what is his basis to say so. But on the certificate he gave to my legal parents he wrote my religion as Hindu. All you know my biological parents could have been Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist or Sikh or some others. Now, you tell me my religion.”

The HR manager got interested in this unique situation of Shaan. “How have you done so far without any religion?  Didn’t your parents choose one of their religions for you? I am sure they must have decided one of their religions for you for all the official purposes. That is needed everywhere.”

“It has been quite a tough job for them. So sometimes I was a Christian and other times I was a Muslim. Despite their many efforts to sort out their own conflicts on the matter they could not decide for me. And the certificate from the orphanage indicated me as a Hindu and they wouldn’t accept it either. But I did quite well despite all of this confusion. I ate as good as a Hindu or Muslim or a Sikh or a Christian or a Buddhist or any other. I slept quite like anyone of them. I read and sing as good as anyone of them do.”

HR manager gave a smile and asked, “Whom did you worship?”

“I used to worship numerous Hindu Gods while at the orphanage because everyone in the orphanage did. Then after my adoption, I prayed Allah in the company of my father and Jesus Christ in the company of my mother. So all the gods of the world must be either pleased with me or possibly they may be having conflicts among themselves on my account. And they must be as confused as I had been till late.”

“You mean to say that some clarity emerged lately? Then which religion you have embraced finally?”

“None. I realized that I could do as well without any religion tagged to me. I feel liberated. I experience freedom all the time. I need not have to perform any or many of the unnecessary and unwanted rituals prescribed by various religions. I can eat all kinds of things that are human food and which I like without any restrictions or guilt. I can wear all sorts of clothes that please me and do not offend others.  I can use all kinds of salutations to greet the people. I can walk into all the religious places on the earth and admire the beauty of those places equally well without any partiality. And I do not miss them either or do not feel guilty of not visiting them for days, months and years together. Yet, I can still speak truth. I can still be kind towards all the people. I respect everyone including myself.  I still do not steal and I am not corrupt. I do not possess any intention of grabbing other’s property or wife. I still do not think of waging a war or killing anyone. I do not think or do badly for anyone in any way. So don’t you think I am fine without any religion?”