Mithun's Midlife Crisis

Preamble: During Blogchatter's A2Z challenge during the month of April 2024, I am writing mini stories on various subjects and characters on each day of the month except on Sundays. The name of the protagonist shall begin with the alphabet assigned for the day.  

It was sometime after his 45th birthday that Mithun seemed to have unconsciously taken stock of his life. He had this feeling that his life was three fourths over with just 15 years more for retirement. Thus far, he had managed to reach the position of only a Deputy manager. Now it looked like he would never reach the great heights vis-à-vis the corporate ladder that he had dreamt of when he started career as a management trainee. 

Mithun felt that his two children, a daughter and son who were teenagers didn't think much of him. He was just someone to play the role of provider, to give them money when they needed it. Mithun had always felt that his wife Sarita was the main reason he did not get the respect as head of family. She was always laughing away most of what he said as if it was a joke. While Mithun had previously taken what was happening in his life in a matter of fact manner, he suddenly began to feel edgy and upset as if time is running out and that he would never get his due either professionally or socially or even  from family in his own home! 

Mithun travelled down the memory lane. The honeymoon  period in their marriage was so very short. Sarita had come into the relationship with preconceived notions. One of them, Mithun felt was her idea that given half the chance a husband would try to lord over the wife. Therefore, she appeared to be guarded in all interaction. She wanted to assert that she had a mind of her own. 

So much so, she would turn down his choice of a saree that he thought would look lovely on her. Over a period of time, her choices in most matters turned out to be diametrically opposite to his. In fact they hardly shopped together these days. If she wanted to go shopping, Sarita went with the children. Mithun had no say in the selection of the clothes of the children either. It is a small mercy that he has been choosing his own clothes over the years. 

Things had reached such a low ebb that Mithun did not know what present to buy his wife for her birthday or the wedding anniversary. Her tastes in clothes being totally different buying an attire was ruled out. On a couple of occasions, he bought her books thinking that it was a safe bet only to find her face registering scorn. At one time he bought her a gift from one of those cute, unique souvenir shops. Months later when they visited  in law's house he found his 'special birthday gift' casually lying around in mother in law's room. That was the importance his wife attached to his presents! 

It was around this time that Mithun decided to make a solo trip to his native place. He wanted to visit the old school and laze around in the calm environment of his village. More importantly, Mithun wanted to discuss his problems and apprehensions with his bosom pal Venky at a place "Far from the madding crowd". 

Mithun was at the railway station. The hibernation period was over. He was returning to the hustle and bustle of the city to resume both work and family life from where he had left off. But there was a calmness in his mind that came from the long chats he had  with Venky during the two weeks he spent in the serene environment. Venky advised him not to be overwhelmed. 

"Your worries can partly be attributed to a mid life crisis, when one feels that time is running out and all that one wanted to achieve in life seems to be slipping away." he said. It is not as if you alone have problems. Everyone has some kind of dissatisfaction with some aspect of life. Life is all about accepting both the hills and valleys and navigating between them skillfully and effortlessly . The station master waved the green flag . Mithun settled down in his seat with a calm confidence that had been eluding him for days. 

NB: This post is a part of  challenge #BlogchatterA2Z