A simple story. Review on Retirement Day - Seshadari Balaji

Retirement Day::

Hi friends! While browsing through some of the short stories on internet I came across a short yet meaningful story titled ?retirement say? it?s a book of course written by Seshadari Balaji. I don?t know whether its this single short story or some more storied in the book but what I read is only this short story which took me just 10 minutes to read and made my day refreshing. When I read this simple story I said to myself what a simple story but it says so many things, it talks of life, happiness, achievements and much more than that, probably I may not have felt something more.

It was motivational also but the feeling, which I got, is that how life goes and treats us is in our hand. Many a times we talk of luck, chance and destiny but how far we look at ourselves and think that we too can make a difference. The story talks of a single day, which is a retirement day of a man Mr. K. Ramaswamy. A simple man who has been working for 35 years and finally reaching his day of retirement and how he is satisfied and happy and calm at the end. The story talks that all these years he has been fulfilling his duties and finally comes a day which he waited for, his retirement day.

On his retirement day he goes to office and finishes off paperwork to pass on to his successor. And then he is wished for a good retirement time from his collogues and subordinates. The story is descriptive and describes small things of life like beach, small Ferri, a hand-cranked merry-go-round, and a shoot-the-balloon stall, snack stalls, plastic toy-shops etc. all simple things. In small incidents the story talks of different aspects of life. For example the author narrates a middle-aged man walked in carrying a teen-age girl on his hip, whose legs are paralyzed. This shows life?s sad face but along with it the story also talks of that man asking that girl whether she wants to shoot balloons.

This I guess tells us that life however it maybe doesn?t end and we have to make it better for ourselves. I found the story very simple and with many messages in it. I feel everyone has their own perspective and will definitely learn something form it. Apart from learning it?s a refreshing story and also motivating one. Whatever I have written is just some parts of it but overall every line has its meaning. I don?t know where to find this book or is there other story lined up in the book but I found it on internet and thought could share it. Hope it helps. Life is beautiful however it maybe, but atleast it is! Rachana Pandya.