The next morning, I woke up really late; the others were already getting their bags ready for that days outing. It was our last day in Oonad, and we would be heading back home the next day. My hands were still reeling under the effect of the previous days ‘hangout’, so I decided not to push my luck today.
“Guys, I’m not feeling all that well. My hands hurt a lot, I’m getting a little feverish; I think I’ll stay in. You guys go ahead.” I told them.
“Come on Andy, don’t be a spoilsport!” said Akki.
“Look, if it’s really that bad, it’s okay; we don’t want you to get ill on a trip. Relax here dude. We’ll meet you here by evening.” said Abhi.
“Yeah, you can chill here. In the evening, we can all go out for some ‘hot’ drinks. What say?” remarked Rags.
Everyone burst out laughing.
“Yeah okay guys. See you later.” I said, heading back to bed.
Only a few minutes had passed since the guys left, I was already wondering if I made the wrong decision. I mean, I would only get bored being here all day. Anyway, it was too late now. So, I would do the next better thing to lying down and watching TV. I thought I’d go to the city market a few kilometers away and get some brunch, and do some shopping maybe.
I caught an auto at the stand near the hotel and reached the market in less than five minutes. I had always wanted a good set of leather gloves, and I started looking for them immediately after a light breakfast. One shop I happened to pass by had beautiful leather gloves for display. I stood looking there for long, wondering if I really wanted them. Typical Andy behavior; I had gotten used to it.
“So are you planning to buy them or are you just a window shopper?” asked a familiar voice.
I turned around and froze. It was Ketan Dev.
“Hello Sir. I was just…I think I’ll pass. Leather gloves were just something that fascinated me since I was a kid. These ones are impressive, but a bit expensive.” I said, almost happy to find someone I knew, “Are you shopping too?”
“No, not really. I’m leaving this evening. So, I thought I could buy a memento for my colleagues but nothing is really interesting here.”
“Hmm.” I said.
“So, how’s your hand holding up…Andy, am I right?” said Ketan.
“Yes Sir. It’s fine; just pains a little now and then.” I said. He remembers my name, even if it was only a vague memory.
“Good. Are you in the mood for some good coffee? I know this great place close by.” asked Ketan.
“Sure Sir.” I said.
He led me through a maze of streets to a rustic, but rather spacious coffee shop, The Jungle Stop. The name didn’t really make sense to me, considering it was in a hill station and not a jungle, but I didn’t complain. Maybe the ornamental plants around the hotel were supposed to indicate a jungle of sorts- I don’t really know, but if Ketan Dev was recommending this place, maybe it was worth trying. We were seated in a hut-like hotel with a big balcony, overlooking the beautiful mountain ranges of Oonad; greenery sprawled out over as far as the eye can go. A few sips into my coffee, I realized that I had underestimated its value from its name. This was by far the best coffee I’d had in ages. Great coffee, nature’s lap and one of India’s top CEOs for company – I suddenly felt a sense of confidence radiate in me. I was beaming with pride at this moment, when my train of thought was broken by Ketan.
“Our last encounter was a bit abrupt, don’t you think? You told me a few incidents from your life and I probably did not respond in a manner befitting them.”
“No sir, it’s quite alright” I said. I was feeling quite magnanimous in this ambience.
“History does repeat itself Andy, but I find it ironical that I am sitting face to face with it” he said.
It was probably the first time that his sage like calm had disappeared to give way to a dreamier look. He was reminiscing, from his own past; I presumed.
“When I spoke to you yesterday, I felt like it was another time period altogether. Do you know the story of how we founded Dev Technologies?” he continued.
“Yes Sir, but in bits and parts.” I replied, wondering where this was leading.
“Well, ‘bits and parts’ are all that the world knows. Dev Tech was a dream that I did not know would get fulfilled some day. I was like you at one phase in my life. I must have been 25 then.” said Ketan, as I ordered another round of coffee.
He continued, “I got a job within a few months of graduation, and I always thought that once I got a job, life would be set on track. It’s funny how things turn out though. How have you been feeling since you lost your job?”
“I think ‘devastated’ sums it up. I feel like a loser, like nothing I do was ever good enough. Someone around me was always doing better at life, and I am stuck in a rut” I said.
“My sentiments exactly! I lost my first job too, and I had done nothing wrong. It was not downsizing like these days, but the company I worked for made a few bad compromises and the employees had to bear the brunt; 12 of us were left jobless when it shutdown.” said Ketan.
“It still didn’t bring you down, right? You weren’t letting one bad incident drag you down.” I said, rather enthusiastically.
“It was not just one incident Andy, and that is why I relate seeing you with history repeating itself. I was once in love with a girl, and we had planned to marry after I settled down. Losing that job had lead to many bad things, and losing her was one of them. She married someone else and today she’s probably leading a happy life with her family somewhere. The toll it took on my family was worse. My father was a government employee, and his retirement and my joblessness had coincided in a way I cannot quite describe. I applied for jobs in lots of companies, but there seemed to be a bias against employees of a corrupt organization, no matter how blameless we were. I felt so helpless that there were literally times I planned to end my own life.” said Ketan, lost in thought.
I just sat there awestruck at the proceedings. I could relate so much to what he was saying, and could now see why he was telling me this.
“I don’t know what stopped me,” he continued, “maybe it was the prospect of accepting defeat which I did not like, or maybe it was hope. For many nights at a stretch, I would sit in thought, and brood over the things that had happened. One day, after several rejections, I just decided I’d had enough. There was a need to streamline my approach to life. I planned really hard on how I would do that. I also worked relentlessly in getting approval from like-minded friends for investing in a venture I wanted to start. They were skeptical about it first, but the idea was so well planned that even they found it hard to refuse. Everyone invested small amounts, and helped me setup base. From a small shed with a few PCs and a few programmers, Dev Tech was born. Today, it has evolved to where it is now.”
He beamed in delight as he spoke about his journey, and I couldn’t help getting inspired on a great level. His focus shifted now to me as he sighed and started, “Listen Andy, if there is one lesson worth learning and learning early, it is to treat your disasters as your ally. Your response to them decides the course of your life. Don’t just react to things that are going wrong, learn to respond to them. You are a bright young man and have a great future ahead of you. Use this opportunity to learn from your problems, and grow from them. I know how this phase feels, but the only way to come out of it is to simply come of it – period. You just have to decide what the solution is, rather than brood over the problem.”
I nodded fervently. Every word he said was making an impact on me, and I wanted to make something out of my life as well.
“Put your career as a priority and work hard to making it great. Everything else- money, love, and happiness will follow. Plan well and execute to perfection. You will definitely succeed, Andy.” he concluded.
“Thank you Sir, I will try my best to walk the path you have shown me.” I said, too moved to say more.
“I’m leaving in a few hours, so I’d better get moving” he said, rising from his chair. “Here’s my business card. Mail me about your progress Andy. I’ll try to respond whenever I can.”
“I’ll surely do that Sir. Thank you so much for everything.” I said, shaking his hands.
For the first time in a long time, I had experienced something like this. On a random trip with friends, I met a man who not only rescued me but also ended up becoming my mentor. I contemplated asking him to help me out, but then decided against it. Somehow, all this seemed to be a divine plan to bring me out of this pit I was stuck in. I felt stronger and more confident from that very moment. I quietly left for my hotel, knowing that I had much work ahead of me.
…
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