Destiny

Destiny

The telephone rang; it was my irrepressible sister, calling at 6:30 am on a weekend, it must be something important,

“Have you got the newspaper?”

“Yes, why? Has there been an earthquake? For Pete’s sake I am still in bed.”

“Wake up you lazy bones, were you watching the late night film?”

“If you must know, yes I was.  You make it sound as though it was a blue film.  Alright, I have the newspaper.”

“Check out the classifieds.”

“You must be out of your sweet mind, this early in the morning and you want me to read the Matrimonial, you got to be joking.”

“That I am not, and remember the old adage, early bird catches the worm.”

“I am not interested in any worm, just my beauty sleep if you must know.  Anyway I will call you back in ten minutes, let me at least brush my teeth, I feel yucky.”

“You don’t need to call, I am just telling you, I have seen an advert and it seems very promising.  I am going to touch base with the contact person.”

“No, you are not going to do anything of the sort.”

“Yes, I am, you don’t know what is good for you.”

“But listen, at least….” I spluttered as the line went dead.

My sister, diligently perused Friday’s Matrimonial Classified as a financial controller of a hotel, she did the Auditor’s report.

I ran my finger down the classified, ‘60 year old man seeks a 24 year old….. cannot be this one, an IIT educated boy seeks a beautiful, highly educated, homely girl……geez how can a beautiful, educated girl, be homely…… I give up.’    Then I spied, with my little eye what my sister had, the advertisement in the Friday’s Classified section read, ‘Widower with two young children ……. please contact Shailesh at ……..’ this had to be it.

It had been over two years since William and I had been in touch.  We had quarreled and had not spoken to each other ever since.  Meanwhile, I had been given to understand that he had opted to transfer back to his home country.  Out of sight out of mind……. I suppose so.

After a disastrous marriage and a failed relationship, the last thing I had on my mind was matrimony.  But then I had discounted for a bulldozer of a sister.

The long and short of this conversation saw me winging to Mumbai, over the next weekend, to meet up with the prospective groom.  Aarthav and I got along famously; we had dinner together and spent the next day getting to know each other as best as one could in a span of twelve hours.

The next logical step was to meet his little daughters. Aarthav invited me to America, where he resided, his family having migrated in the early 50’s.

America, here I come.  Easier said than done!  Mutually convenient dates, cheap fares, application for leave and then the visa formalities, all had to be sorted out.

“So what is the big deal?” my ever optimistic sister exclaimed.  “If they don’t sanction your leave, resign,”   everything or nothing!  “Get a travel agent to make your booking.” She had an answer for everything.

Anywhichway, I had my tickets, my American visa stamped in my passport and two days before I took the flight to JFK.   Shailesh and his wife were at home to smooth out the final details, the phone rang, and I knew from the long ring, it was an International call.

“Hello…” I froze in disbelief.

“Hello,” I replied, keeping my voice as non committal as I possibly could.  I was trembling.

“It has been a long time.”

“Yes, I know, I have guests at home, please can we talk later?”

“Sorry, I will call you tomorrow.”

It was William, after all these years, today of all days, I could not believe it.

The next day, I was on my way out, baggage stowed in the taxi, just the house to be locked.   The call came, as promised. 

“Do you love me?”

“I don’t know.”

“I will be in Dubai, sometime next month, can we meet?”

“Call me once you are here, I have to go.” I called off.

As the taxi took me to the airport, I consciously drove out any doubts from my mind.

Alighting at the departure lounge, I checked the board, Royal Brunei was delayed, that meant, I would miss my connecting flight to JFK at Frankfurt.  A fervent plea to the RB station manager had me rerouted via Zurich.  I breathed a sigh of relief, called Aathrav with my new arrival details, checked in my baggage and settled to do what I love doing, rounds of the Dubai Duty Free shopping.

Flight to Zurich on Cathay Pacific was superb, the food excellent and service, which can only be had on a Far Eastern carrier.  I opted to catch up with my sleep, in lieu of watching a Western on the movie channel.   I only woke up as the announcement to ‘fasten seat belts’ was being made.  I had a couple of hours before my connecting Swissair flight to JFK; I would have ample time to freshen up.

I watched as the ground came up and the plane made a touch down.  Zurich, memories came flooding as did tears.  Sholka, get a grip on yourself; I sternly rebuked myself, even as I collected by hand luggage, to disembark.

I knew it would be cold, but was totally unprepared for the blast that hit me.  Gathering my overcoat close to me, my head down, I walked through the aero bridge, only lifting my head to locate a washroom.

There he was, at the security.  I dropped my hand luggage as William came up to me,

“What are you doing here?” he asked incredulously.  “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

I was too stunned to answer.

“Where are you going?”

“To New York”.

“Why,  where is your boarding card?” He had picked up my luggage, “come on I will walk you down to the departure gate.”  “Are you going to get married?”

“There is a proposal; I am going to meet the family.”

He stopped short, “Shloka, have I lost you, I love you,” saying that he gathered me in his arms and kissed me.  As an Indian, this public display of affection, in front of so many people, unnerved me, mortified me, and thrilled me even more.

(It also took care of wanting to brush my teeth!)

“Will you be there, when I come to Dubai, next month?”

“Yes.” I could barely manage the monosyllabic moronic answer.

I travelled to America, took in all the sights, fell in love with Aatharv’s little daughters, but when, Aathrav tried to hold my hand, I swiftly moved away.  I knew then, there could be no one else in my life but William.   For all the time I was there in the U.S. of A, he was the only one I could think of.

It would be good three years before William and I finally got married.

Recalling that trip and taking stock of how it all happened, I know I had been very particular while making my travel plans.   I had deliberately opted to transit through Frankfurt avoiding Zurich.  But fate had decreed otherwise.

William still does not know what brought him, that day, to the airport two hours before his duty time; however, he does know why he was at the security at 5.30 in the morning.  Apparently he had come to get some coffee and when the flight from Dubai was announced, to check whether any of his friends were on board.   (So he says!)

I just know it was my DESTINY.  All’s well that ends well.