Identity

Faith Series Story – Identity Crisis

It’s not always that we feel God, but his presence in our lives can seldom be questioned. He holds us when we find it difficult to tread the path called life. And as we all know, miracles do happen….in the most unusual way…in an unexpected form.

A man with his wife is navigating the valley of Kashmir.  They are happy in each other’s presence. Suddenly a blind turn comes, a man tries to put brakes to control, but to his horror, he realizes that breaks were not working at all. He goes sweating and in tension loses his balance. The car falls in the ditch. The next morning only the remains of the car are found.

Five years later, the same man moves out of the hospital. He is discharged from the hospital. He inquires about his wife, but the doctor is unable to give him any information. The man returns his home devastated. Once he reaches home, he looks at the nameplate –  Aashiana. A smile crosses his lips and tears well up to his eyes. He caresses the nameplate and then goes inside to ring the bell. As soon as the door opens, he finds new faces there. He wonders who they were and introduces himself as the owner of the home – Mr. Devesh Kaushik. The members of the house are surprised to see him. They inform him that he was declared dead, and they bought the property. Devesh could not believe his eyes or ears. He was in for a rude shock.

He went to his uncle, and uncle disapproved of his presence. Devesh realized that it was all his uncle’s way of getting rid of him. He decided to do the court case, but he had no money. He went into the temple and cried inconsolably. A man touched him, and Devesh then looked at him. When the man asked him, he told him his plight and did not know how to prove that he was the same man. He was declared dead in records, and even his uncle considers him an impostor despite seeing him alive. The man heard him and suggested he file a case. Devesh did not have money. The man helped him with a lawyer who used to fight cases for free, Pro Bono. Devesh felt obliged to the man and thanked him for his timely help and kind gesture. Devesh, with the help of the lawyer, filed the case. Since that day, he started living in the same temple and started having food in langar there. He used to do odd jobs at temple-like cleaning the statue and floor of the temple in lieu of staying in the premise.

In court, every person known to him was called, and they all agreed that his face was similar, but he was not the same man. He was an impostor, for they all had found the remains of his body and cremated. They confirmed the death of his wife as well. Devesh was losing the battle. However, Judge gives him another chance and asks him if anyone was left who could certify his claim. He answers that yes, he had one more person – Brajgopal. Judge gives him the last chance to prove his identity.o

Devesh returns and asks forgiveness from God saying – I gave your address and name because now only you know the truth. I have no other way to verify my identity, and it seems I will never be able to live the way I did. He sleeps there only while praying. Till next hearing, he keeps wandering office to office in search of that one proof that could help him but with no success. However, his faith remains unshakable. He shows the utmost trust in the justice of God. The date of the hearing comes. He enters court premises, thinking it to be his last day as proving himself to be Devesh. He decides to fight with faith until the hearing gets over and enters the courtroom with full confidence. Judge inquires if Braj Gopal has come. He confirms. Brajgopal is called for in court. He is nowhere in the court. Again he is called for. No one appears.  After the third announcement – the same old- man, who had helped Devesh in finding a lawyer, turns up and says – I am Braj Gopal.

 Now Devesh is perturbed with the fact that this man is so kind. Braj Gopal takes the oath.

Brajgopal then starts revealing the truth that Devesh’s car accident was not an accident, but a premeditated murder plan. He was a rich man, and his uncle wanted his ancestral property. There was only one way, and that was to get him killed. The car’s brakes were tampered with to make it look like an accident and avoid any suspicion of foul play. After the accident, Devesh’s wife was thrown nearby and was not hurt much. However, there was no trace of Devesh’s body. His uncle had deputed people who were following his car. Since they did not find his body, they got a dead body from mortuary to prove that Devesh is no more. It was all revelation for Devesh too. He stood in disbelief. Devesh’s uncle got enraged, and his lawyer asked if there was any proof of the same.

Braj Gopal said – yes, Devesh’s wife. Devesh got another shock while Braj Gopal continued. Devesh’s wife is still alive and in house arrest. Judge asks him if the man could lead him to place to authenticate his statement. Braj Gopal agreed and took them to an obscure place. When the door opened – Devesh could not believe that his wife was right there in front of him. His wife, too, went into shock, and they started crying. The man’s words proved right. Devesh was able to establish his identity with the help of his wife. His wife attested to the rest of the allegations. However, by then, the old man had left,  never to be seen there ever again.