Perception

By Mohammed Shahezama

Defining Success through a New Lens

• Author: Mohammed Shahezama 

• Short Story.

• Genre: Fiction, Motivation Tale of success.

• Word Count: 7638.

  
  
  
  

About the Author:

Mohammed Shahezama is an aspiring writer from Mysore, Karnataka, India, with a passion for mystery, supernatural, and philosophical fiction. He previously published Misconception – Redefining Reality with Writer’s Pocket and strives to craft engaging, thought-provoking stories that resonate deeply with readers.

Perception

Defining Success through a New Lens

The alarm rang at 6:00 AM, waking Steve. He opened his eyes while still lying in bed. His eyes were slightly red, and he did not feel at all refreshed. Though he had slept for six hours, which is the minimum requirement, he felt utterly exhausted. He could hardly move, and the day's routine was already running through his head.

Steve didn't have to wake up at 6:00 AM, but his corporate job was so far away that to log in by 10:00 AM, he had to wake up at six, prepare his food, get dressed, and leave for the dead-end job he had been doing for the past eight years. He lived alone in a metro city, in a cubicle-sized apartment. After packing his breakfast to eat during his commute, he joined the public, with dry eyes, as if they had lost the sparkle that represented his dreams.

Steve Gates looked like a millionaire businessman name, but he was just a middle-class guy from a semi-urban city. He was the first college graduate in his family, and like every typical middle-class family, they had hoped that his college degree would make him rich and make them proud. Steve believed in this story for a really long time. He was good at storytelling and simple artistic designs in his college days, but he didn’t focus on these skills as he was told by professors, teachers, and society that success lies only in a degree education, not in artistic talent. He even agreed to this notion.

There was a time when Steve wanted to do many things and learn many skills. He was always amused by detective series and movies, and he loved the idea of learning these skills. It was a childhood dream he thought he would fulfil once he started his job after college. He was so excited that he subscribed to a monthly detective skills magazine that cost about 10% of his salary. He subscribed even before receiving his first pay-check. Another reason he chose his apartment was due to rumours that a private investigator lived there decades ago and solved many cases with his deductive skills.

However, Steve couldn't even start this journey because he never received even a single copy of his monthly subscribed magazine, which was supposed to be delivered to his mailbox. For several months, he checked with the mailman, the post office, and the magazine company, but they all responded that, according to their records, the magazine was being delivered to him. After a few months, Steve forgot about the fight he used to have with the mailman every month. As his job stress increased and he became more occupied with work, he didn't reinstate his subscription after six months.

Now, he was working away from home, at a job he didn't like. Initially, he worked hard, driven by his family’s expectations and his dream of achieving financial goals. The result was more work and promotions and other benefits given to others. After a few years, when he was actually close to promotion multiple times, he refused the opportunity because he always had an unsettling feeling that if he accepted the promotion, the responsibilities would increase, and no amount of money was worth the stress and extra work, which would steal his personal time.

At that time, the decision seemed good to him. But now, after eight years in the same company, in the same role, with the lowest salary for an employee at his age of 32, it was killing him. The decision to spend more time with family had now forced him to stay in his away-from-home, small, crappy apartment even during holidays or weekends. 

He could not face his family for his underachievement and the decision that had cost him his career. The simple answer was that he was just not fit for the corporate working nature; he wanted to work freely. A few years back, he realized that he wanted to become a writer, but as the job timings were demanding, including the 12 hours a day he spent commuting, the exhaustion never gave him the chance to enhance his writing skills. He eventually quit writing after a few short stories, as the competition in the market was really high.

It was a usual day at the office for Steve. Despite working diligently, he had no friends in the office. Perhaps it was because he was doing an entry-level job, typically held by younger employees. His contemporaries had either left for better opportunities or become his supervisors, making it demotivating to engage and make new friends.

As he worked, he noticed a commotion in the pantry, the designated break area. Though he had no friends, people knew him. Pausing his work, he decided to take a break to find out what was happening. Stirring sugar into his black tea, he approached the source of the commotion. Someone was showing a news flash on their tablet, and it wasn't good news. The headline read that a young employee had committed suicide after working at a company for just nine months post-graduation. This was the employee's first job.

The news was shocking because the employee had been a prodigy since school, excelling in mathematics, with a master’s degree and having cracked the most difficult competitive exam in the country for accounting and finance. At just 22 years old, the employee had secured a dream job with a seven-figure salary—Steve's dream salary.

Steve rushed back to his desk, inadvertently throwing his black tea into the dustbin along with the sugar. In his haste, he spilled some on his white shirt. He searched for the news article about the deceased employee. Reading the article, he learned that the pressure of the job and the high salary had been too much. The role was critical, and despite the employee's prodigious skills, the workload was overwhelming.

The employee, also a tennis genius, had mentioned in several newspaper interviews that tennis was a stress relief without which he couldn't survive. Unfortunately, the heavy workload and responsibilities left him with little time to sleep or spend with loved ones, let alone play tennis. Despite the luxurious apartment provided by the company, he could not enjoy it as he was always busy. He couldn't make friends or visit family due to work responsibilities. In the end, he felt that jumping from his 26th-floor apartment was easier than enduring the stress of his job.

Though the employee was dead, the company insurance was enough for his parents and siblings to sustain themselves for decades. However, since it was a suicide, the family would need to go through court hearings to claim the insurance, by twisting some clauses. Yet, the family did not want to do this, as no amount of money could bring back their brother and son. They declined the insurance, even though the company's job pressure could be argued as involuntary manslaughter.

Steve was puzzled by the family’s decision. He asked himself, "Who doesn't want the money?" Then, whispering to himself, "I mean, I know that no amount of money will ever replace the life of that employee, but the money could solve their problems!" After thinking about it for a while during his commute back home, he gave up on finding the answers. He convinced himself that the family was just being emotional and, in time, they would go to court and get the money. After all, their brother/son had worked hard for that company, and they deserved the compensation. At least it would ease their financial issues.

Then Steve started considering his own life. "What am I doing with my life?" he questioned himself. "What if I die one day? I don't even earn much, let alone have insurance!" He felt a chill run down his spine. "Well, I should continue to work, that’s for sure, but maybe I should do something in my life to be remembered by." Then he noticed the open article on his mobile about the employee's suicide. He noticed the author's name and saw that more than a million readers had viewed it in just 12 hours. Whispering to himself, he said, "No matter what this author achieves or doesn't achieve in life, he will be known for this article for the rest of his life. If not by all, at least his family will know his name was published."

Then it hits him.

"I know what to do!" he says to himself, a bit louder than intended, drawing the attention of fellow passengers in the subway metro train.

"I will contact this publishing house and make sure to get a story published a fictional short story in their online newspaper. This way, my dream of being an author and storyteller becomes true, even if just for a while. I may not become a famous writer, but the story will be printed in the fictional story section of the newspaper, online, and it may even appear in their hard copy newspaper. I can frame it, and at least I will be known for something. Though it may be small, it will be an achievement."

The newspaper company was called ‘The True Journal’. As soon as Steve got home, he wasted no time and contacted the company to inquire about publishing. After the query, he realized that since the paper is the most famous publishing company in the country, he could not publish his short story unless he was a well-known author or a member of the Fiction Writing Committee. Unfortunately, the committee membership was equivalent to four months of his salary, which he could not afford.

Despite the disappointing news, Steve was on fire that day. He wasn't exhausted that night; instead, he was searching for all the news publishing houses that publish short stories daily. He had already contacted 14 companies but still had the energy, despite rejections for similar reasons. His eyes sparkled again because, after a long time, he had a dream of doing something, even if it was small—he just wanted to achieve it.

After contacting 20 publishers and newspaper corporations, he was tired but persistent. He decided to hit the sack and try again the next day. As he freshened up, had dinner, and went to bed, he felt too excited. The rush wouldn't let him sleep easily. He then remembered a publishing company from his college days. It was a local company in his city that was quite famous. Being local, he had a chance. The newspaper and publishing house was called ‘The Common Man’, and they recently started online publishing along with paper publishing.

He got off his bed, grabbed his phone, and searched for the company. It was there, and there was a section where his short story could be published. However, the story had to be new. He had to contact the team and start writing the story within the given time, typically a week. The best-written story would be published. It was midnight, and he had to wait until the next day to get more information, but he was restless. He wanted to start immediately, so he explored the website to know the rules.

The rules were simple: the story had to be new and written only after informing the publishing officials. It had to be submitted within a week. A new story meant it should not be published anywhere on the internet, and it should not have been published and removed from the internet. If the publishing house discovered it had been published before, the author would be disqualified. Though Steve didn’t know how the publishing house could verify if a story was old or new, he didn't want to take the risk. He decided to write a new story. Despite there being no reward for getting published, the competition was high. It was open to everyone, including well-known authors and newbies or just occasional writers.

The next day, when the alarm went off, Steve woke up feeling refreshed. He was smiling and visited the office full of energy. He was doing his job with a smile, engaging with co-workers, and working efficiently. His face was glowing, reflecting his happiness and excitement about contacting the publishing house and starting his story.

It was the last working day of the week, and the upcoming weekend brought him joy because, for once, he had something meaningful to do. After finishing the day and reaching home, he contacted the publishing house, registered himself, and started writing the story. He also learned that the story had to be sent to the publishing house only through the post, meaning it should be either handwritten or a printed version, attested by the author’s signature. The complete story had to be submitted in one submission, with no re-submissions allowed.

This process was a bit unusual for an online publishing house. However, the company, being well-known for paper publishing, adhered to traditional ways. This meant that after writing the story, it might be published after a month or two, as the selection process was entirely manual. But Steve’s motivation didn’t waver. He was determined to participate in this competition, where the reward was simply getting a story published, leading to no fame or money.

Steve now had to write the story over the weekend and submit it by next Friday evening. However, despite all his motivation, he had no idea what to write about. His laptop was open, but he hadn't even written the title of the story. He tried his best, but Saturday ended, and he hadn't written a single word. He had everything ready, like ready-to-cook food, burgers he ordered, cool drinks in the fridge, and a nice setup to write comfortably—but no idea what to write.

He wrote a few lines he wanted to add at the end of the story, assuming it would become so famous that people would want to reach out to him: “If you want to share your feedback or engage with the author, you must subscribe to this publishing house company.” It was a far-fetched line, just something he wrote out of excitement. 

It was frustrating. He had wasted the entire day and even half of the next day without writing anything. He convinced himself that writing wasn’t for him. Maybe he should simply give up. He thought, "I’m not a writer. I’m just a guy with a dead-end job who’s not fit for the corporate world. I’m an underachieving fool who thought I could publish a story in a publishing house’s newspaper. What a foolish idea."

With these thoughts, Steve went out with his headphones on and walked to a nearby small bridge. Though it wasn’t a big bridge and there was no water below it, Steve sometimes walked on the handrail, which was made of concrete and wide enough to walk on. As he was walking on it, listening to music on his headphones, he was unaware of his surroundings. Usually, it’s a peaceful bridge, as people prefer a detour rather than taking a chance on a cracked bridge. While he was in the middle of the bridge, he turned to the side where he could see the dry ground full of garbage. He felt a touch on his knee from behind. He turned around and noticed a school girl who looked upset. He removed his headphones to listen to what she had to say.

"Please do not do this," Steve heard her say after removing the headphones.

"I’m sorry, what do you mean?" Steve asked, surprised.

"I know you may have issues, but taking your life is not the answer," replied the little girl.

"What do you mean, taki...," before he could reply, he realized that the way he was standing on the bridge might have given the wrong impression that he was about to jump and commit suicide.

So he smiled and turned to her. She was a little girl of around 12 years, giving life lessons to Steve as if she had recently learned about suicide and the value of life in school. He listened to the girl, then smiled at her and said, "I understand, dear. Thank you for letting me know this. I will not jump." Steve got down from the handrail. The girl smiled and went on her way on her bicycle.

Suddenly, Steve's mind raced, and a smile spread across his lips. "Eureka!" he exclaimed. "I just got the idea for the story!" He rushed back home. It was 6 PM. Though he had finished all the snacks he had stocked for story writing, he didn’t need them now. He was on fire and started writing his story.

Steve wrote his story in such a way that the first part introduced the characters and their journey. However, the story's complete understanding and main message only became clear in the second /final part, which served as the conclusion. 

To put it simply, the first part was a metaphorical story with symbolic characters, while the final part explained what the metaphors and characters represented. It was a risky approach—if readers understood it, they might appreciate it, but if they didn't, it would just be a story no one wanted to read. Therefore, Steve had to ensure the story was compelling enough for readers to complete the first part and then proceed to the final part for the revelation.

Steve spent four continuous hours writing the story. Then, proofreading, editing, and formatting the story as per the publishing house's guidelines took another three hours. Finally, within an hour, he printed it, signed it, and prepared it for submission. The only task remaining was to add the story and the relevant form into an envelope and post it. Exhausted, he slept at 2:00 AM.

The next day, Steve woke up at 6:00 AM when the alarm went off. He realized he wasn't prepared to resume work, so he quickly got ready, packed his food, and left for the office in a hurry. He didn't have time to get the envelope ready to post, so he decided to post the story the next day, as he was already running late.

The day at the office turned out to be more interesting for him. He felt a sense of accomplishment after a long time. After office hours, he felt relaxed while traveling home. He started to see things differently and began thinking positively. When he reached home, he put the story, which he had attested and signed, into the envelope along with the form requested by the publishing house. He made sure to enter the correct address on the envelope, ready to post it in the morning on his way to the office.

As planned, the next day he posted the story and got busy with work. Days went by, and he was aware that the story had to go through the mail and the selection process was manual, which could take a month or two. As weeks passed, he started to work more diligently. He began mingling with people during his commute and at the office and connecting with neighbours around his apartment. He also started meeting like-minded authors online and became part of the writing community. Life was going great for Steve.

It had been about six weeks since he posted the story. He remembered that once seven weeks had passed since submitting the story via post, authors could call the publishing house to check the status of their submission and find out if it was selected. As the seventh week neared its end, he felt both excited and nervous.

The day before he was supposed to call the publishing house, after returning from the office, he felt relaxed because the next day was a holiday. He could simply relax and possibly write a new story after calling the publishing house, regardless of whether his story was accepted or not. He didn't want to get demotivated and was determined to continue writing. But he was really looking forward to seeing his story published.

Due to these mixed feelings, he couldn't sleep, so he decided to clean up his apartment, which hadn't been cleaned in ages. After posting the story by mail, he hadn't even put his stationery back in its place, and it was a mess. While cleaning, he found something that made his legs shiver and shocked him. He realized that he had missed including the final part of the story—the conclusion—without which his story was just a pointless metaphorical piece.

This realization blocked his mind for a while. Gradually, the sparkle in his eyes vanished. He felt demotivated and helpless again. He knew there were many possibilities that his story might not get published, but the thought of it being rejected because of a mistake he made—neglecting to check the contents of the envelope—was heart-wrenching. He lost all hope again and got so stressed that he passed out.

The next day, he woke up to a typical day, though it was a holiday. The only thing he did was lie on the bed doing nothing. He didn't even call to check the status of his story submission, as he was sure that incomplete stories were rejected without a second thought. He thought about it for half the day and then decided to ignore the part where he aimed to publish something to let people know he did something, even if it was little. He decided to continue his life as it was before—just a boring life with nothing to look forward to.

The next week, Steve just went with the flow at work. On Friday, while he was minding his own business and working at his desk, Tony, one of his colleagues, approached him.

"Congratulations, Mr. I knew you deserved it this time!" Tony said.

"What do you mean, Tony?" Steve replied with no interest.

"Are you kidding me?" Tony responded, surprised.

"I don’t have time for your games, Tony," Steve replied irritably.

The next moment, many of his colleagues gathered around his desk, congratulating him. Steve peeked at his laptop screen and noticed an email. Over the recent weeks, his work quality had improved, and he had been selected for the Employee of the Month award, which would be presented at an event scheduled for a week later.

The congratulations from his colleagues were heart-warming. Steve felt so delighted that he had lunch with them, and there were laughs and conversations. Even the manager and other staff members recognized and congratulated him. The next half of the day was less busy, and he spent the entire time with his colleagues.

As the logging out time approached, Tony asked Steve, "So who is coming from your home on the event day?"

"I wasn't aware that we could bring family members on this day," Steve replied.

"Hey, mate, do you even read the HR emails? Normally, we're not allowed to bring family members to these events. But this time, since the company President is visiting our office that day, the company's hosting a special event with better food and including the families of award winners. That's why..." Tony kept talking, but Steve's mind was elsewhere. 

For the first time in his life, he had achieved something. Though it wasn’t his story getting published, it was a small award, and he had no family member coming to mind to take them to the event. How did things come to this?

He then noticed that Tony was still talking, and the logging out time had reached. Steve thanked Tony and left for home. While traveling towards his apartment, he realized the next day was the weekend, and he felt impulsive. He just wanted to do this. He took out his phone and called his mother.

"Hello, Mom..." Before he could continue, his mother responded, "Steve, my son, how are you, my dear?" Her voice was filled with tears of happiness. This made Steve emotional, and a tear of joy dropped from his eye.

He then prepared himself and said, "I am coming home tomorrow, Mom. I want to see you."

"That’s wonderful, son! Please come soon; I can’t wait to see you," his mother responded with a burst of happiness. Steve could hear her telling everyone in the background that he was coming home. This made him realize how much his mother loved him. She didn’t ask about his job, how much he was earning, or whether he got promoted. The only thing that made her happy was that her son was visiting her on the weekend. Steve ended the call with a smile on his face and tears of joy flowing like a river.

After reaching his apartment, he wasted no time packing his stuff and left for his hometown. Initially, during transit, he was excited knowing his mom would be happy to see him, and he really needed that. But then reality hit him harder. It wasn't just his mom at the house; he had an older brother, Victor, who had always worked hard and supported the family and Steve's studies, and a younger sister who looked up to him for guidance.

Now, as he returned home for the weekend, Steve felt the weight of his accomplishments—or lack thereof. All he had achieved in his 8-year career was a bi-monthly office award and a joke of a salary at an entry-level post. These thoughts haunted him, his heart raced with fear. But he convinced himself that he had to face them—after all, after facing his mom, brother, and sister, he also had to face the taunts from other family members whose kids were earning fortunes and traveling the world.

When he arrived home, to his surprise, his siblings were thrilled to see him. They spent time together, sharing stories and reminiscing about the good old days. His mom cooked his favourite dishes, and they barely slept, spending most of the weekend talking. The conversation never drifted to Steve’s career struggles or the success of his neighbours and cousins. His family was so supportive and kind; Steve thanked God for such a family who focused on his positive side—his award, staying in a rumoured investigator's apartment, and not getting involved in financial frauds or criminal activities. They were happy he was safe, sound, and trying his best, living a life on the good side.

Though he didn't meet the family members who might have taunted him, technology played its part. While Steve was home, he got almost 15 video calls from relatives, showcasing their children's achievements in foreign countries, grand weddings, new cars, and bungalows. But none of this affected Steve, as his family’s kindness and support were enough riches and treasure for him, far more valuable than materialistic possessions or fame.

After a fun weekend in his hometown, Steve decided to return to the city and his apartment on Sunday evening. He planned to sleep during the journey so he could wake up early at 6:00 AM and resume his work life.

The next day started as usual with his alarm at 6:00 AM. The only difference was that he was no longer stressed or exhausted. The happiness and support from his family over the weekend had lifted the burden of underachievement from his shoulders, providing enough motivation for him to work continuously until his next visit home for special occasions or festivals.

His life resumed with work, but now he engaged in a few extra activities, learned new skills he was always interested in, and even started writing. Although he had little time to write due to his long office hours, it was his choice to work and learn other skills for the long run.

The event to award him the Employee of the Month award was scheduled for Sunday. On Friday night, after returning home from long hours of work, Steve decided to clean his apartment so he could rest on Saturday and be fresh for the award event on Sunday. While cleaning, he indulged in junk food—cheeseburger and French fries with lots of mayonnaise. He accidentally spilled some mayonnaise on the floor. Although he cleaned it up roughly, the floor remained slippery.

Later, while putting his clothes back in the cupboard, he slipped on the slippery spot and fell forward, breaking a part of the cupboard and revealing a secret cabinet. Inside, he found a key with a plus symbol. Realizing it matched the design on his mailbox, Steve rushed to test the key. To his surprise, it fit perfectly and opened a hidden compartment in the mailbox.

The hidden compartment contained Private Investigator magazines and a three mails from 'The Common Man' publishing house. Steve understood that the mailbox was designed to separate light mail like letters and bills from heavier items like magazines, which ended up in the hidden compartment. Excited by his discovery, Steve pondered what the mail from the publishing house could contain.

As he opened the mail, he realized one of the letters were sent after 04 weeks of the submissions, and the second was sent on 07 weeks after his submission and the recent one was delivered last week. With questions racing through his mind—especially since he had sent an incomplete story—he wondered why he received the mail. 

Finally, he got comfortable and opened the envelopes one by one. Inside, he found a letter from the Chief Editor of the publishing house, a weekly magazine which usually comprises the compressed version of the entire news which was published by the publishing house in that relevant week, and a copy of his story attested by the publishing house.

The letters read:

Letter 1: Shortlisting Notification (Received after 04 weeks of submission)

Dear Steve,

Thank you for your submission to publish your story with our newspaper. 

As you are aware, we receive thousands of stories every month. Although we are a local paper, we are taking small steps towards becoming an online news company. I am pleased to inform you that your story has been shortlisted for publication. 

This time, we decided to publish the selected author’s story online before it even appears in our local newspaper's hard copy to see the impact.

Regards, 

Shawn M. Harness 

Chief Editor 

The Common Man

Letter 2: Positive Response (Received after 06 weeks of submission)

Dear Steve,

I am excited to share some great news about your story. 

We posted it on our website and social media channels, and within 24 hours, we received an overwhelming response. Your story garnered over 2 million views, countless likes, and was shared around 200k times. This unexpected popularity has even boosted our subscription numbers, thanks to a line in your story encouraging readers to subscribe to our publishing house.

In short, your story has become a sensation and has helped us gain more than 1,000 new subscribers within a week. We have decided to publish your story on our website for an extended period, and it will also be featured for two continuous months in our local hard copy newspaper.

Regards, 

Shawn M. Harness 

Chief Editor 

The Common Man

Letter 3: Final Reminder (Received while Steve was in home town)

Dear Steve,

I hope this letter finds you well. 

We are thrilled with the response to your story and are eager to officially publish it with your name.

As per our company’s policy, we need you to visit our office and sign the consent form in person. Until this is done, your story will be published as 'Anonymous.'

Please reach out to us, along with the enclosed attested copy of your story, as soon as you receive this letter to finalize the process. Once you sign the consent form, your name will be published, and you will be featured in a small interview in our newspaper.

Regards, 

Shawn M. Harness 

Chief Editor 

The Common Man”

After reading the letters, Steve’s heart raced with excitement as he read the letter. His incomplete story had turned out to be a sensation! The publishing house not only wanted to feature his story online but also intended to print it in their local newspaper. He could hardly believe that an honest mistake from the publishers had brought such a wave of new subscribers and attention.

All he needed to do now was sign the consent form in person, and his name would be officially recognized with the story. The encouragement and support from his family, along with this unexpected success, reignited a spark of hope and motivation in Steve.

All Steve wanted to do was sleep early so he could wake up refreshed and visit the publishing house to get his name officially published along with his story. But he was so happy that he could hardly sleep. The excitement made him restless, and time seemed to crawl. Thousands of scenarios about the next day ran through his mind, and yet only a minute had passed. Eventually, after hours of tossing and turning, Steve finally drifted off to sleep and woke up at 8:00 AM.

Feeling like the happiest man on earth, Steve got ready to visit the office. He wanted to look like an author—or at least what he thought an author should look like. He donned formal pants and a shirt, a pair of glasses, and a pen in his shirt pocket. He knew he wasn't going to be interviewed on TV, but he wanted the picture in the newspaper to be perfect, if it got printed.

The previous night, while struggling to sleep, he did some exploring about his story. He discovered that it had gone viral because people resonated with the struggles depicted in it. They wanted to share their perceptions and be part of the conversation on the publishing house's website and social media. 

Although he knew what he had written, he wanted to experience his story from a reader’s perspective. So, he read the first part of his story, the only part that had been published, and decided to share the final part—the conclusion—during the interview.

As he travelled to the publishing house office, he searched for his story online, eager to see how it was being received. To his delight, he found that an admirer had created an audio version of the story. He decided to listen to it on his way to the office, relishing every word of his own creation.

The audio reads:

“In a jungle—an extraordinary one, mind you—the animals, though wild and predatory, had agreements based on the jungle's condition. For instance, during disasters, they agreed not to hunt or hoard food until the crisis was over. The decisions in such times were made by the pride of lions and the herd of elephants.

But this story focuses on a tiger and an eagle. There came a time when the jungle faced alternating bouts of heavy rain and extreme heat biweekly. For two weeks, the land was flooded, making it hard for land animals to survive. Then, the following two weeks, the intense heat dried out the trees, making it difficult for birds and tree-dwelling animals to survive on the ground, as they had no energy to fly, hunt, or stay on leafless trees.

In light of these events, the lions and elephants decided that every land animal would be paired with a tree animal or bird until nature resolved the situation. During the heat, the land animals would protect and ensure the tree animals/birds were fed and survived. During the floods, the land animals would live in trees with their paired birds/tree animals, who would be responsible for feeding and protecting them since the land animals couldn’t defend or feed themselves completely in the trees.”

Now that’s an alliance made for survival!

During a pairing, a tiger and an eagle were matched together. Despite the tiger's ego and nature as a predator, he managed to follow the rules, protect the eagle, and ensure the eagle's survival during the first two weeks of scorching heat. The tiger was kind and protective of the eagle.

However, when the land was flooded, the tiger, as per the agreement, climbed a tree with the eagle to survive. The tiger was immovable as he needed a strong grip to avoid falling into the water. It was now the eagle's responsibility to ensure the tiger's survival and feed him. Though the eagle did feed the tiger, he also took advantage of the tiger's immovable situation by pecking him and flying away, knowing the tiger couldn't retaliate. This made the two weeks painful and annoying for the tiger, who was just waiting for his turn.

When the heat season returned, the eagle had to depend on the tiger to survive. Despite the tiger's determination to pay back the hospitality, he remained principled and decided not to stoop to the eagle's level. He fed and protected the eagle during this difficult time, hoping for the same treatment when it was the eagle's turn.

After two weeks, the rainy and flooded season returned, and the eagle reverted to his mean behaviour, making the tiger's life miserable. This cycle continued for six months, with the tiger struggling to keep himself together. No one knew how the eagle was tormenting the tiger when he was vulnerable, causing frustration and demoralization for the tiger. 

The tiger considered bringing the matter to the lions and elephants, but without witnesses or proof, he couldn't do anything. Moreover, as a powerful predator, no one would believe his situation.

As the flooded season continued, the eagle continued his routine of pecking and flying off, making the tiger angry and helpless. One day, the tiger's reflexes kicked in, and he defended himself with a paw swing, injuring the eagle and causing him to fall into the flooded water. Other eagles rescued the injured eagle, and the tiger awaited judgment at the end of the flooded season.

When the flooded season ended, the tiger was brought before the court of lions and elephants. It seemed the jungle residents and decision-makers had already made up their minds. 

Despite the tiger's explanations, no one believed that an eagle could torment a powerful predator like him. No one understood the mental pressure and stress he endured. They only saw a tiny scratch on the eagle's chest, not the deep scars on the tiger's mind. Judging based on appearances rather than facts, the decision-makers banned the tiger from the jungle, deeming him unfit for society, while the eagle was considered a brave creature who survived the supposed torment of the powerful predator tiger.”

As the story ends, Steve reaches his destination, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. He enters the publishing house, approaches the receptionist, and awkwardly says, "Hi, I am Perception, the author of Steve Gates." The receptionist laughs and replies, "Okay, I will let Mr. Harness know and check if he can meet you. Kindly be seated."

"Thank you," Steve responds, mumbling and cursing himself, "What the hell is wrong with you? Now she's definitely going to think you're not the author. She might even call the police for such a stupid thing you just said. How could you wrongly introduce yourself, you idiot!"

Just a minute later, the receptionist informs Steve that he can meet Mr. Harness. She hands him an access card and gives him directions to the Chief Editor's office. Steve enters Mr. Harness's office with nervous feelings, but once the conversation starts, he realizes that the Chief Editor is a kind person. Mr. Harness explains how wonderful Steve's story is and how it benefited their business. He reveals that Steve will be paid for each day the publishing house publishes his story, both on the website and in the newspaper, which amounts to a handsome side income—equivalent to six months of his current salary. Steve is amazed and shocked at the same time.

Moreover, Mr. Harness offers Steve a job. The job responsibility is quite simple: after announcing his name as the author of the story, the publishing team has predicted that having a column for Steve to write his stories, which also have social messages, at least once a month can boost their sales even more. In short, Steve has a job where he just needs to write one story a month and respond to readers' intriguing questions to make the newspaper more engaging with the audience. The salary is double what he earns at his current job.

Though Steve says he will think about the opportunity, in his mind, he has already decided when to resign from his current job and join "The Common Man" newspaper and publishing house.

After the discussion, Mr. Harness asks Steve to head to reception to sign the consent form, collect the cheque, and get further instructions about the interview. Steve reaches the receptionist, signs the form, collects the cheque, and the receptionist says, "Please go to the media room, your interviewer is waiting for you."

"What, now?" Steve responds.

"Yes, sir. But don't worry, it won't take much of your time, and I suggest you hurry now, as we are already live!" explains the receptionist, providing him with instructions to reach the media room.

As Steve walks to the media room, he thinks, "Live? Am I interviewing on TV?" Once he arrives, he notices that the publishing house's internet influencer is live. This calms Steve down a bit, as it wasn't a news channel live broadcast—something he feared might cause him to blurt out something foolish and ruin his writing career before it even started.

Steve takes a seat next to the influencer, who says, "Hello Netizens, and please welcome our viral author, Mr. Steve Gates!"

"Thank you for having me, Miss Soniya," replies Steve.

The interviewer asks questions for about 20 minutes, covering his personal life, how he came up with the idea for the story, and other basic things. Then Soniya hits him with a question:

"So, we understand that it was a metaphorical story, and the audience has to use their own perspective to interpret it, which I think is genius. But I and our audience want to know if you have any of your own perspectives."

"Well, I do..." Steve begins, taking out the conclusion page of his story, but Soniya interrupts, "I am sorry to interrupt you, but before you answer that, I would like you to see the top three interpretations of your story."

Soniya continues, 

"The first was sent by Mr. Norris, a married software engineer, who interprets your story as a toxic domestic relationship: 

A husband (the tiger) is in a relationship with a mean wife (the eagle). The husband works hard and supports the family, but at home, he faces constant emotional abuse and manipulation from his wife. She publicly portrays herself as a loving partner, but privately, she belittles and torments him. Despite his efforts to make the marriage work, the husband is unfairly judged by society, which sees him as the aggressor due to his outward appearance of strength. This can also be true for a toxic relationship before marriage, or the roles can be reversed, with the tiger being the wife and the eagle being the husband.

The next perception is from Mr. Jack, an accountant, who interprets your story as workplace bullying: 

An employee (the tiger) is targeted by a manipulative co-worker (the eagle). The employee is dedicated and hardworking, always willing to help others. However, the co-worker continuously undermines his efforts, spreads rumours, and takes credit for his work. The management, only seeing the co-worker's charm and the employee's quiet demeanour, sides with the co-worker. The employee's mental health suffers, but his concerns are dismissed due to the co-worker's persuasive facade.

The last one is from a college student, Ms. Natasha, who interprets your story as school dynamics: 

A diligent student (the tiger) is bullied by a seemingly popular classmate (the eagle). The student excels academically and tries to stay out of trouble, but the bully constantly picks on him, both physically and emotionally. Teachers and other students don't believe the bully is capable of such behaviour because of his charm and social status. The diligent student is left to suffer in silence, his achievements overshadowed by the bully's manipulation."

"Wow!" responds Steve.

"I know, right? So, coming back to you, Mr. Gates, what was your perception?" asks Soniya.

"Well, you know what," replies Steve, crumpling up the paper in his hand, "the story’s true potential is left to the reader. With your top three interpretations, I'm very happy that my story was so well understood by the readers. It's a dream come true for any author if the story is rightly understood. So, my perception doesn't matter here. It’s the story I wrote for the people, and it’s their story. I don’t want to diminish it by sharing my interpretation because every interpretation is a part of the story."

"That’s well said, Mr. Gates, and I hope your message is well received by the audience," replies Soniya, ending the interview.

Steve leaves the office with a smile on his face and throws the conclusion he wrote in the dustbin. His story doesn't depend on it. He walks towards the next phase of his life, where he has the option to work in a job he can genuinely enjoy—a dream not everyone gets to experience. And just like his story titled "Perception," even his perception of life, the definition of success, family, and colleagues, changes for the better.

Dedication

Dedicated to everyone struggling in their careers, relationships, studies, and other aspects of life. Keep trying and never give up, because one day, we will get what we deserve. The key is perseverance.

By Mohammed Shahezama