My Secret Longing

Epilogue 2

               Nine Years Later

A decade back, when I collided with a woman in the Indian Embassy, I never imagined I would end up with a beautiful family. I remained an island back then with no clue what a good woman who loves you to death, even at your worst, can do to your life. She made me realize love is not a mere word you can throw about casually but a profound feeling which can only move you forward to be a better version of yourself.

My life with her pushed me to find my true calling in life. Because who could have guessed a workaholic businessman could become a management guru. One fine day when my eight months pregnant wife took me to her designer to pick up her dresses, I never thought I would discover my true passion. I casually went inside that small boutique shop on the main street when a young woman gasped and stood before me in shock. Also, I didn't believe my good looks got me that reaction even for a second.

The young woman finally recovered from her shock and said, " Mr.Rey, I can't believe you are in my shop." She was still looking at me like a Rock Star when I looked back at my wife, who just gave a shrug and smiled. To solve the mystery, I enquired, " You Know me?"

That young woman incredulously looked at me and said, " Mr. Rey, You are my idol. Not just me, many in our business school worship you. I don't know if you remember the lecture you gave in our b-school four years back. That was a life-changing event for me.

I remembered that vaguely because I avoided human contact like the plague during that time. But that B-school chairman prevailed and made me relent. I wouldn't say it was a lecture. I just talked about whatever issues I faced while building my business from the ground up and how I overcame every one of them.

I also talked about my very first investor, my mentor Mr. Joshua Pirelli in whose name I established my corporation. Till that day, I never knew my experiences could help someone.

Only when she said, " Mr.Rey, you should write a book. I used a lot of your ideas about diversification when I started my business a year back." I couldn't say anything. It was my wife who said, " Angel, he is working on it. I am happy that his ideas helped you. I had no idea you knew him, or I would have brought him sooner."

That girl Angel smiled at my wife and said, " You always forced me to call you Bhavishya, so I had no idea you were his wife. Thank you for bringing him here. I want to be like him someday, owning my own corporation with diverse textile operations."

That incident was an eye-opener for me. I learned how much difference I could have made in young people's life. Then I remembered my father's word asking me to change people's lives for the better. I then realized I could make a profound change by equipping young people with the necessary tools to reach their own success.

So I decided to step down permanently from my management role in my corporation. I wanted to surprise Bhavishya, but that day, she surprised me back with our two little boys Arvin and Hriday. How we came by their name was another story. She literally fought with me for a weak for not helping her decide any name. But the reality was that whenever I suggested some, she would reject it outrightly, but in the end, would pick up a fight for not helping. So it was her who picked up their names.

We were lucky there were non-identical because they are the worst trouble makers. Both our boys resembled me except for their hair color. They had their mother's thick black hair, not my brown hair.

When they were tiny babies, I used to look at them for hours, their little feet and hands. They added meaning to my life. Even now, when they call me Daddy, I always wonder what if I had not met their mother.

Even after a decade, that woman has me tied up in her little finger. She is our anchor. The fulcrum around which all three of us pivot. She still works for the city council. She also mastered the art of swindling money from the chamber for the city's development work. She received her doctorate in community development a few years back but still works for the council for a meager salary.

She created a family around us, gluing in people who played a big part in our life. After Rosie died two years back, Bhavishya was shattered. Daniel, Ryan, Angel, Rocky, Lucas, Gabriel, and Anna helped her come out of it. Before I married Bhavishya, I knew most of them but never made an effort to bond with them. But She created a big family consisting of people who had nothing in common except her. Also, I think she was right about Ryan and Angel. They are like water and wax, but nobody can question their chemistry, and we are all waiting to see where it leads.

Daniel is now the CEO of one of our companies. He managed me for more than eight years that is sample enough for his skills, but he accepted the position only after getting his MBA. In a sense, he is my adopted son, he still looks up to me, and I learn from him as well.

When I designed my own seminars, I never knew it would have that much reach, but now I travel to many B-schools and institutions in many countries. I am also working on publishing my book. Bhavishya always stood by me in all my new ventures. She never complained about taking care of our two little brats when I travel. We looked for housekeepers, but she still couldn't get over the loss of Rosie and replace her. I forgot to tell you about Rocky, who is having the time of his life playing with Arvin and Hriday. But he is old and has already exceeded his average life span. He still follows Bhavishya around like when he was young. I don't want to think about the day when the inevitable happens.

For a week now, my wife is not in the best of terms with me. She gets irritated at the sight of me. She is not talking with me because I planned a trip to the US for a seminar in Harvard without telling her. But what she didn't know was I canceled it. And there is another reason she is the way she is. But I couldn't gather the courage to come out with it.

It is like a Deja vu of when I was in Japan, and she wouldn't talk with me for a month. A sideways glare is all I get nowadays from my wife.

Today is the day I am going to tell her no more procrastination. Her back was to me, so I went near her, " Baby, we need to talk." She turned, and there it was the glare, " About what."

" About why you look like you want to bite my head off." She cleared her throat but didn't say anything.

" Baby, I have to say something."

She immediately said, "I know it. For a week now, I have had this feeling that you are hiding something. Come out with it. After ten years, you behave like you were back then," and started crying.

I pulled her to me, " Baby, please don't cry. Did you think about why you are crying and getting irritated by my actions?"

She still cried, snuggling against my chest. But suddenly pulled back, looked at me, and said, " Oh my God, I am pregnant."

She pulled me by my T-shirt, " You bastard, you knew, but you didn't say. I am 41. I don't know...."

But before she could say more, I hugged her and said, " Baby, we will manage. Anyway, we wanted a girl all this time. She punched me on my chest when I said that.

Though it was unexpected, I know we will manage. With my wife by my side, I know anything is possible.