The Kamarpara Cartel

Sometimes the worst possible thing you perceive is something to bring you the best possible outcome. Sometimes life brings in front of you certain signs you can't help but ignore. All it takes is a bit of courage and the universe opens the door to its treasury in front of you.

It all started when I was seventeen. My mother was diagnosed with acute cardiomyopathy and my father being an "honest" government employee was unable to bear the expense. I could see how my well-established home started breaking apart. How my mother slipped into hopelessness and my father turned to alcohol. Every day was harder and harder to witness. I wanted to help them out. However, what could a seventeen-year-old do in front of acute despair? Turns out a freaking lot!

The only friend I had in school was Santu Saha. A happy-go-lucky airhead who had the same twist of dark fate as mine. Due to a sudden misfortune, his father lost both his legs rendering him unemployed and miserable. It was getting harder and harder for him to bear the school expenses and soon it was imminent that Santu would drop out.

"Hey bro, would you mind coming to my house for a while", Santu asked one fine morning while we were going to school.

"Yeah man sure. Do you want me for something?"

"I don't know how to say it. But my backyard is full of strange weed and it is smelling like someone dumped a corpse out there. It has been a long time since the yard had been cleaned. Dad used to do it but now..."

Before he could complete his sentence I jumped " Yeah! sure. No problem I will help you"

After school, I called my parents and said that I would be late. My dad was too drunk to comprehend me but I think my mother understood. I went to Santu's house. If I had to describe the house I would say that his house looked like a dilapidated medieval fortress with vines and ferns growing along the walls. The porch was lined with pigeon droppings and as soon as you would enter you could see a plethora of birds basking in the sunlight as the afternoon sun peeped through the horizon. You could smell the sultry riverine essence as the Ganges* was a neighbor to his once-majestic household.

"Take this", Santu handed me gloves and weedicide and escorted me toward the small forest which had grown in the backyard.

"Do we need to do this by hand"

"Duh"

As we started clearing out the forest we kept

talking about trashy rap songs, girls from school, our problems, how life is too hard. We then became philosophical and argued about the importance of life, the existence of God, how nihilism is the ultimate code etcetera.

While I was talking with him I found a strange yet familiar plant growing in a damp corner of the yard. My eyes became wide. I slowly crept close to it. I was sure it is what I thought it was.

"Santu check this out"

Santu came closer and his eyes gaped at the sight of that. A mother-flipping marijuana plant was growing in his backyard and the entire time we were all oblivious to its existence.