Perpetually Mine

Chapter 2

"To really appreciate life, you got to know when you'll die"

- Joe Rogan

CHAPTER 2

It was about 6:00 in the morning when Abir stood at the edge of the balcony of his room thinking.

Abir Rajvansh had always known he would die young. No, He had never thought that as a child. He had had a happy childhood which was tarnished by only one thing. The death of his father Manik Rajvansh when he was 7.

He had felt angry and sad, but not particularly grief-stricken. It was never his dad he was close to, But his Bade Papa, Mehul Rajvansh. He felt he had a special relationship with Mehul. Not because Mehul treated him more special due to the death of his own dad. Not because he loved Kunal, Kartik or Ketki less. Mehul had always loved his children equally.

Abir simply felt that he had a special relationship with Bade Papa due to the fact that he knew him longest. After all, He would always have a year's experience over Kartik and a whole three years over Kunal. And Ketki! A full four years....

Mehul Rajvansh was, quite simply, the very center of Abir's world. He taught him how to write, how to ride a horse, how to handle business and how to treat people. Instead of sending him to school with the driver like all the other kids, Mehul had gone personally with him and gave him a heart-heart talk where he reassured Abir that everything would be alright.

And it was, as Abir knew it would be. Mehul never lied. Abir loved his mom and Badi Ma! But it was for Mehul, that he did everything. Right from getting good grades to every other accomplishment in his life.

And then 8 years ago, when Abir was 20 and in Harvard Business School, His world had come crashing down. His mentor, his life inspiration, his Bade Papa was dead. Everything had changed.

It is funny how one's life could alter in an instant, how one minute everything could be a certain way, and the next it's simply ... not. Abir remembered coming back home and looking at his Bade Papa lying lifeless and still. He saw his crying family. Badi Ma, Mom, Kartik, Kunal and Ketki. He had looked at Mehul and looked at him, staring at him for hours, barely blinking.

And when he had left the room, he had left with a new vision of his own life, and new knowledge about his own mortality.

Mehul Rajvansh had died at the age of forty two. And Abir simply couldn't imagine ever surpassing his mentor in any way, even in years.

Shaking himself out of these thoughts, Abir went to go get ready for the day, handling his huge conglomerate business.

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Later that day, at the very moment Mishti and Kuhu were discussing Mr Rajvansh, the subject of their discussion was relaxing at a club with his two younger brothers, enjoying a late afternoon drink.

Abir ( leaned back in his leather chair, regarded his scotch with a thoughtful expression ) : I'm thinking about getting married.

Kartik, who had been indulging in tipping his chair drunkenly on the back two legs—fell over.

Kunal started to choke.

Luckily for Kunal, Kartik managed to regain his seat fast enough to smack him on the back, sending a piece of fruit sailing across the table.

It narrowly missed Abir's ear.

Abir let the indignity pass without comment. He was aware that his sudden declaration had come as a bit of a surprise. Well, perhaps more than a bit. "Complete," "total," and "utter" were words that came to mind.