The sky Turns Pink

The sky over the mountains was pink as if flushed with first love. She sat frozen to her seat enraptured by the sight, forgetting her surroundings even forgetting to breathe. A polite cough broke the trance and she had looked back to find an elderly gentleman smiling down at her.

'Its beautiful isn't it?' He asked, she had only been able to nod in answer while clearing the spare chair of her papers and books. She had offered the chair to him, he sat down and together they had watched the pink slowly turn into magenta to a deep purple to a despondent indigo.

Only when the first star twinkled in the sky had they started talking. Rather he had asked and she had answered. She had been a little wary of telling a stranger that she was traveling alone, that she had fought and lost the battle for normalcy in her life and was now on her own.

He had kept asking questions the way only those who have seen everything the world has to show can, brushing aside decorum and the need for privacy and she had gradually opened up, telling him about her failed relationships, about her going nowhere career, about those dreams and hopes that had survived the carnage and had clung on to her.

They had moved to the hotel bar, an old fashioned place with mahogany furniture, tiger skins and a discreet looking barman. She had mentally approved, smiling inwardly at her companion who looked like he belonged right there. Like a true gentleman he had held the door open for her and quickly moved to pull out her chair for her. His old world chivalry was charming.

It had been easy to prattle on about how it had all begun, rosy dreams much like the sky they had witnessed. And again how sky like her once rose-colored dreams had turned into dark nightmares.

A silence had fallen as she had finished her story and not knowing what to say next she had suddenly realised that she had been telling this man her deepest thoughts and she knew nothing about him, not even his name. But how do you ask a man in whom you just confided your life story what his name is?

She looked for a different question to ask, anything to get the man to speak about himself. And just when she had decided to ask, he began speaking.

'I am a self made man. No, don't think that mine is a rag to riches story and I am going to bore you with the details of how I made my first million. I was born in a family that was well off, could afford to send me to a reputed school and college and after my studies send me on an all expenses paid trip to Europe. I grew up with good food, family and friends and consequently failed to realise the worth of any of these.

My travel through Europe was an eye opener of sorts apart from teaching me the pleasures of the flesh it also taught me how to manage for myself' as he said this he looked up at her and smiled. She smiled back trying to gauge whether this was as innocuous as it sounded or was he alluding to anything more.

Before she could make up her mind he continued, 'The second evening of my homecoming, my father sat me down saying we need to talk and I assumed he would tell me he is handing over the business to me. He however began with all that he had done for me and finished with the words "I started in this world with an average education and not much knowledge about the world. I have given you the best education possible and let you roam the world to get a feel of it. From tomorrow you are on your own. I will not pay for anything anymore, you may stay in this house but all other expenses will be borne by you. Son, I am sure you will do your father proud by creating a name for yourself'.

The world crashed on me, I was dreaming of occupying the corner office and he was not even offering me the job of a lowly clerk. Instead he wanted me to go and fend for myself. My blood boiled how could he be so unfair to me, his only son. I could only nod and walk out of the room.

The whole night I had not slept, thinking what I could do or rather all those things that I the son of a successful businessman could do. With dawn I reached the conclusion that it wouldn't be difficult at all to find a cushy job with one of my father's many business associates.

However it wasn't as easy to make up my mind and go and ask for a job, felt like a pauper, humiliated not really sure what to say and cursed my luck for having parents like mine. Three days passed before I could muster the courage to go and speak to a gentleman I had known since I was a toddler. I was welcomed like a family member and as I thought of how to ask for a job, he said 'you know I value your father highly and this challenge he has put to you has greatly impressed me. '

I came away without asking for the job. I understood it was his way of telling me that he had been told not to offer me a job and he would not strain his relations with my father for me. My frustration level was high, for the first time in my life I had been denied something I wanted.

I moved out of my house stayed with a friend for a few weeks and then through a uncle of his was placed in an obscure hotel in Nainital as a front desk guy. A year passed before I spoke to my dad though I had informed my mother of my whereabouts.

I still remember that Diwali night, mother had insisted that I return home for Diwali and I succumbed to her wishes. I had hesitated at the door; there was a party going on inside when a sudden hand on my shoulder had guided me in. My father's self assured voice had introduced me to his guests while I shook hands and smiled at them not daring to look up at him. A mixture of hurt pride and ego making me stiff'.

She had smiled, "I know the feeling it is abhimaan something you can feel only with someone you love and whose love you are assured of."

He smiled in agreement and continued, 'A lady whom father introduced asked me the question I was dreading, with a simpering smile she asked what I did and before I could answer father replied on my behalf 'he earns his own bread and works in a hotel in Nainital'. I was struck by the pride and assurance in his voice and it has stayed with me all these years. The problems I had faced in adjusting to the life of an ordinary executive with a limited salary and a demanding boss had melted away as for the first time I understood my father's contribution to my life.'

'I had gone back to my job with the determination to do well and when seven years later father had asked me to come over and join his firm, I had accepted the offer not as an inheritor but as a professional. My passion for my first vocation remained and I was able to buy out the hotel I had worked for at the beginning of my career and add to it others, making it into a chain of respectable middle-class hotels across northern India.'

She had looked on hoping there would be more but the gentleman seemed quite content to let things hang there and occupied himself with his drink. Not being able to bear the suspense she had finally asked, 'why did you tell me all this?'

The gentleman looked up, smiled and said 'Just so you know that the sky doesn't change colors from pink to indigo, it turns from indigo to pink also.'