With enthusiasm of a child waiting for his Grandpa to start with the story, we waited for Doshi Sir to start.  The narration of the story in a rhythmic style and popping eyes with eagerness filled the classroom with an atmosphere of suspense.

The story was about a kingdom,

 

Fate of the kings who ruled it & its subject.  A king lost his throne because he did not look after the welfare of his subjects.  Death was the punishment they gave their king.  He was tied up & put in a boat with the instruction to the rower to leave him in the forest on the other side of the river.

Since then in this kingdom, there was need for a king.  They decided to select a king amongst themselves on a condition that the king may have his powers for five years but on the last day of the fifth year he would be tied up & sent to the forest. Thereafter whoever became the king tried to hide themselves to escape the punishment at the end of five years.  Unfortunately they never succeed.

 

Similar such a day arrived. The day to send the king to the forest arrived.  As usual the subject went searching for the king throughout the kingdom.  Unable to find him they returned to the palace.  They were surprised to see the king seated on his throne & waiting for them.  He had only one desire, his journey to the forest must be in a royal manner.  In astonishment they arranged for it ‘How can a man welcome death so happily?” was the thought that disturbed them.

On their way to the forest, the rower asked the king, “How can you be so happy when your end is near?” The king smiled and answered, “I am not facing death now, I am in the joy of being welcomed as a king.  When I was crowned as the king. I knew what would happen.  So within five years of my rule I got a part of the forest cleared and set up a kingdom there.  Now I have my own kingdom & my subject is waiting for me.”

The five years in college is the time in our lives where we live as kings but latter loose everything if we have not set our lives.

Till now we have been travelling through a tunnel, a tunnel where comfort was the darkness that surrounded us.  There is a world beyond it, shining in light & filled with opportunities.  At the same time, like the wild animals in the forest there are dangers which are invisible even in daylight.

So let us be wise & follow the example of the king who setup a kingdom for himself. Let us set up our lives for the future, identify our goals in life and prepare ourselves for it.