LITTLE WAYS DOWN THE ROAD- PART 9
That day as he sat thinking about her, someone came and sat down beside him.
He turned sideways to see a girl on her early teens with an innocent smile, small eyes and a fair complexion, sitting at a distance, looking at him curiously.
He gave an awkward smile.
"Are you the businessman Arjun?" she asked him. Her voice had more childish tint to it.
"Yeah. How do you know?" Arjun wasn't so surprised.
The girl pulled out a folded magazine from the pocket of her coat and unfolded it. It was a business magazine. She opened it and showed him the page which had a picture of him. "I read this just a few minutes ago and recognized it was you," she said.
Arjun remembered giving a personal interview to the magazine reporters some days back. They had said then that they would publish it in their coming issue. He hadn't bothered to look at the printed one.
He took the magazine and read what they had printed.
"So, are you very philosophical?" the girl asked.
"No. But my friend is," Arjun smiled.
"Why didn't you tell her name?" she asked.
"Because I don't know."
"Why didn't you go for her?"
"Because there are reasons others can't understand."
"Are you saying that because I am too young?"
"No. I am saying that because there are things you have to experience at a much higher stage than now."
She put out a pout and said, "Anyways, I am Pooja." She gave him her hand and he shook it courteously.
"Hello Pooja. Pleased to meet you. You came alone?" he asked her with a smile.
"No. Dad and I come jogging every morning. He is standing there, talking to his friends," she replied, pointing at her father.
He turned to see her father and realized she looked more like him.
"He gave me that magazine to hold it," she continued.
Arjun smiled at the kid and sat silently.
After a while, the girl's father came to pick her up. She introduced Arjun to him and they spoke casually for a few minutes before she left with her father.
She grinned jubilantly and said, "Bye. Have fun."
It struck Arjun somewhere. He sat on the wall, thinking how Miss. D used to say, "Have fun, enjoy it," everyday.
It gave him a heavy heart. But he consoled himself saying, "Cool Mr. J, cool. Relax. She is out there somewhere. She is always with you."
He went back home and asked his man-servant to get him the magazine before evening. That night, as he lied on his bed, he opened it and read the article.
PERSONAL INFO-
NAME- Arjun R.
DATE OF BIRTH- 18th August 1985
PLACE OF BIRTH- Mumbai
PRESENTLY STAYING AT- Vishakhapatnam
EDUCATION- MBA
BUSINESS LINE- Chain of hotels, restaurants and shopping malls across the country and overseas transport.
FAMILY- Father who established the business. Mother is home maker. Both are presently staying in Mumbai.
After a lot of questions about business policies and practices.....
Q- What made you get into the business line? Was it because you were interested in it or to maintain the family's hereditary job?
A- It isn't either of them. There was a time when I wasn't able to figure out what I really wanted. I was sort of aimless. My mentor then told me a few things, "If you go on trying to find something out, then after an year, you will find yourself again in the same spot, unable to decide on one thing. Just do whatever pops into your mind first. Follow your instincts. Take risks, learn from mistakes. Don't ever think too much than needed. Follow your conscience." It was then that I decided it was time for me to step into something new, test my skills, taste new waters. I decided to look into one sector of business for practice. After a few months, I became confident that I can manage everything, that this is what I really wanted. I never had to look back again.
Q- Right in the personal front, there are never any rumors on your personal life or any baseless link-ups. How do you take care of that?
A- I have already had my own share of relations in life. Some people don't have the patience to do the same thing again. Some don't have the courage to do that. I don't have the interest. I am totally content with the people I have in my life. So I never go out with anyone or have late-night parties or get involved in any gossip-leading things.
Q- What is the ideal way of spending life according to you?
A- Life is never a confusion. We need to have a clear view of everything, distinguish what is what. Just because something happened in a way you didn't think it would, you shouldn't back off. Escaping is never a solution. Walking out into the real world, moving with the common people, having some time to think what you are doing, these are the makers of a normal person. Common people have ideas which we can never dream of. To underestimate anyone is a foolish act.Instead of wasting time pondering over the past, we can live in the present beautifully so that tomorrow, when it becomes past, we don't have to repent anything. One should never think "Why didn't this happen that way?" Because destiny has its own path. Everything that happens has its own reason. We should never question that. If you have no malice in your heart, then it is all good that will happen to you. That's what life is."
Q- In all of interviews, you always speak about mentor but you never tell the name. Any reason for that?
A- (Smiling) I don't know her name myself. Some relations don't have definitions. Ours is one such relation. All the same, she is my friend, philosopher and guide.
Q- You never shy away from sharing your personal issues with media. Is there any possible reason?
A- The only thing I learnt from my past is, never try to hide the most strong thoughts in your mind. Sometimes, the damage it does causes a lot of pain. Anyways, secrets always give rise to unwanted speculations. That's how rumors start. I don't want others to think the other way about my life incidents or talk about it as a gossip. Whatever should be known will be a known fact, it should be told.
Q- What is the best philosophy you follow?
A- Learn from the past, live in the present. Do what you really feel like doing and don't have regrets. Head out freely for your interests. Be unstoppable and unquestionable.
Arjun closed the magazine and shut his eyes tightly. He hadn't realized it while speaking to the reporter. But he saw that now clearly. That whatever he had said, it was all what he had learnt from Miss. D. They were her words. And he had spoken them without actually realizing it. They had just tumbled out from his mind and voice.
He switched off the bed lamp, pulled over his blanket and sighed remembering how everyone around him have constantly been saying that he had changed. He had brushed off these comments saying he was the same as he had always been. But he had understood that now. He had changed completely, undoubtedly. There was too much of Miss. D in him.
He smiled, loving the fact that she was in him and slipped off into a slumber with the smile intact on his face.
TO BE CONTINUED...........!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Q- In all of interviews, you always speak about mentor but you never tell the name. Any reason for that?
A- (Smiling) I don't know her name myself. Some relations don't have definitions. Ours is one such relation. All the same, she is my friend, philosopher and guide.
Q- You never shy away from sharing your personal issues with media. Is there any possible reason?
A- The only thing I learnt from my past is, never try to hide the most strong thoughts in your mind. Sometimes, the damage it does causes a lot of pain. Anyways, secrets always give rise to unwanted speculations. That's how rumors start. I don't want others to think the other way about my life incidents or talk about it as a gossip. Whatever should be known will be a known fact, it should be told.
Q- What is the best philosophy you follow?
A- Learn from the past, live in the present. Do what you really feel like doing and don't have regrets. Head out freely for your interests. Be unstoppable and unquestionable.
Arjun closed the magazine and shut his eyes tightly. He hadn't realized it while speaking to the reporter. But he saw that now clearly. That whatever he had said, it was all what he had learnt from Miss. D. They were her words. And he had spoken them without actually realizing it. They had just tumbled out from his mind and voice.
He switched off the bed lamp, pulled over his blanket and sighed remembering how everyone around him have constantly been saying that he had changed. He had brushed off these comments saying he was the same as he had always been. But he had understood that now. He had changed completely, undoubtedly. There was too much of Miss. D in him.
He smiled, loving the fact that she was in him and slipped off into a slumber with the smile intact on his face.
TO BE CONTINUED...........!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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