One day, on the train...
They had nothing to say to each other. So they looked in
different directions trying to focus their gaze on random things. The moving
train did not make it too easy for them. Time and again, they would be jerked
forward and suddenly look at each other. Once or twice one of them smiled but
then it looked unnatural and he looked away.
The baba was
decked in beads, bracelets and saffron. He had this sharp smell about him,
which was not particularly bad but kind of pungent and reminding Dheeraj of
something which he could not place. Anyway he was nervous because he had the
biggest meeting of the year to rush to, his promotion discussion with his
manager, manager’s manager and manger’s manager’s manger. But he had not
anticipated an unexpected delay in the morning conference call with his team in
the U.S. And now here he was.
The seats had been full by the time he had boarded the
train and he had preferred to stand near the door instead of inside the
compartment. He saw the kid standing near the other door. College student
chewing gum and listening to music on his ipod. Young, just commencing his
life, having tall dreams, unrealistic dreams, probably. A foreign returned graduate
earning a packet on the name of his Wharton degree probably. A reckless kid
finding his identity, probably.
Dheeraj sighed in anxiety. He had called his manager an hour
back and told him that he would be able to make it for the meeting almost just
in time. Dheeraj had prepared the proposal carefully and there was no way it
could be rejected. The baba was
singing some prayer song now. He seemed so content and peaceful that Dheeraj
was almost fascinated by him. Normally he was the one far away from any of these
miracle men. In fact he almost considered himself an agnostic. It could be his
nervousness about his career prospects that was making him slightly interested
in this Godman now. So he decided to ignore him and look away.
Images from the office kept flashing by. His colleagues had
been promoted before him, even those who least deserved it. Dheeraj was always
the last to be noticed, may be because he was quiet and unassuming, he did not
believe in buttering his bosses, buying them presents or singing their praises.
But he knew that this was what was required in today’s tough political
corporate world. Even though he tried to pretend it did not exist, all of this
very much existed and proudly so. In fact recently that girl who shamelessly
flirted with his top boss had been promoted as the Head of the Security
department. Bah! What the hell did she know about security!
“Don’t worry, your meeting will go well today.”
Dheeraj was shocked.
The baba repeated:
“Don’t worry, your meeting will go well today. Your time has come.”
“How do you know? What?”
“I know a lot.” The baba
smiled.
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