Guru.

“You know, these Five Stars really aren’t my taste. I’d rather have a tea from a wayside shop.”

Raghav stopped in the lobby of The Grand Cedar to clean his glasses. Navin looked at his ex school teacher father in desperation.

“Come on dad, you are the father of the CEO of the largest real estate agent in India. You cannot eat from some unhygienic wayside motel.”

Raghav sighed in mock desperation. His son was right in a way, but old habits die hard.

The father son duo walked into the humungous main dining area. It was the size of a football field- both length wise and breadth wise. And it was packed.

Raghav turned to face Navin, a smile playing on the old man’s face. “Didn’t you book a seat for us?”

Feeling like a complete nincompoop, Navin looked around. A man in a suit was standing at the far end of the hall, surveying the entire place. Navin walked towards him.

As he approached, the man looked at him with a warm hospitality. “Yes?” he enquired.

“I would like two seats for my dad and I.” Navin pointed to Raghav standing behind them. Raghav smiled at the man.

Something visibly shook the man. Surprising Navin, the man broke into a half run and fell at Raghav’s feet.

Even more than Navin, it was Raghav who was surprised. “Stand up son.” Raghav gently helped the man back to his feet. He was somewhere in his thirties and as he stood before Raghav with folded hands he had tears in his eyes.

“Who are you son” Raghav asked kindly.

“Sir, I’m so glad I met you now. You will know me sir, I was your student, Alex Abraham.”

Realization dawned on Raghav as his memory flew back seventeen years to that day when the results were announced.

*

“ I don’t know sir, I wrote the exam well enough, but it’s just that there is just way too much competition. Two thousand applicants for fifty seats.”

Alex and John Abraham were standing outside St Paul’s College. The results were to be announced that day. Raghav smiled at his student’s father.

“Don’t worry John; your son is the best student I have had in decades. I have full faith in him.”

“I know sir,” said John, in the clipped accent he had acquired from his days in the military, “I am sure of his success. I have even organized a party after the results are to be announced to celebrate my son’s success.” Turning to Alex he continued, “Don’t you agree that this is way better position to be in than that of a glorified cook as you had wanted to be.”

Alex had almost opened his mouth to answer when the commotion at the entrance disturbed him. The results had been put up. He rushed away to look at the results, a tensed Raghav and a beaming John stayed behind.

It took two minutes for Alex to push his way through the people and look at the results. When he returned to the two waiting adults, he had tears in his eyes. Raghav felt sorry for the boy. He went forward to console him, but John got there faster.

The sound of a palm slamming against a cheek resounded throughout the area. Everyone gathered there turned around to see a man, his face red and contorted in rage walking away from a boy; the boy was holding his cheek and sobbing uncontrollably.

Raghav stared after the retreating figure of John in disbelief and disgust. He turned his attention to Alex. The boy was breaking down completely. Everyone was staring at them.

“Come on Alex.” Raghav gently led Alex away from there. He put him in the passenger seat of his Maruti as he himself positioned himself behind the driving wheel.

“Alex, look out your window.” Alex did as he was told.

There were a lot of beaming faces there, the successful ones. Their joy at having achieved what they wanted did nothing but deepen his own wounds of defeat. It seemed sadistic of Raghav to ask him to see that.

“Do you know why they are smiling?” Raghav asked in his kind voice, and answered it himself, “It is because God has given them a very small gift. And do you know why you are not among them? It is because God has a much bigger gift for you than that.”

The Maruti started and drove towards Alex’s home. Raghav wanted a word with John.

*

“After you spoke with him, my father agreed to send me on a hotel management course as I had always wanted. And from there it had been a steady climb to the top. If I am anywhere in the world today, it is because of you sir. You are my Guru. Thank You, sir.”

Raghav took one long look at his student; and then, in front of all the dining millionaires and an astonished Navin, Raghav, like a father to his son, embraced the Managing Director of The Grand Cedar.

“Bless you, my son.”he said.

__END__