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Gauri, a young village girl holding firm views about morals a...
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Unsalvageable, appalled, and mildly spooked, I put the telephone down after recovering from the alarming news shared by my secretary.
It was early January, a good time for touring the state and enjoying the cool weather as compared to the scorching heat of summer. The city of royals was flooded with foreigners who had traveled far to capture the essence of culture wafting off from this golden soil. In the crowd of sundowners, one African stroller got into a brawl at an infamous nightclub and was later indulged by police. I don't give two cents about the incident but judging the involvement of Raghuveer, I had to collect my bearings and raid the police station at 3 in the morning with a team of lawyers.
I sat on a wooden chair in the middle of the station with my blood boiling and my face masked in nonchalance as the servants of the law tried to fish for any loopholes. The khaki holders kept staring at me, masking their judgment concerning an unruly prince.
He has crossed all lines this time. The officer informed how they caught him dealing drugs. I knew both of my sons like the back of my hand. They would never take on such a degrading habit. Raghuveer was wild, he partied every night, slept with women- both single and married, drank alcohol, and smoked cigars, but he had sworn his innocence on his mother's cold grave. He wasn't involved in substance abuse but was a victim of wrong timing. I was worried if the news has already leaked or is in the process of reaching big ears and loud mouths. After two hours of constant bickering and removing his traces from the spot, the policemen apologized for the misunderstanding and released him in good light.
I wasn't happy.
When he emerged from behind the bars, he had this large grin on his face which melted the moment he absorbed the tension oozing from my rigid frame.
'Dad, it is not what you think it is. I didn't...'
I didn't let the stubborn man finish. At 24, I expected him to be more responsible and sharper. He wasn't the same broken teenager anymore and has split out of that old shell. After intense training and accurate knowledge of 7 years, he climbed the corporate ladder in no time and shined like a true leader. But the menace refused to leave old habits behind. In his prime, he has broken more hearts than one could count on their fingers. Left many stringing and ashamed.
I simply shook my head in disappointment and left the station with him following my trail. As soon as we settled in the car, I punctuated my ultimatum.
'You're leaving tomorrow for Chennai to establish a new branch of the company. Grab me a contract worth millions from the government in a year or else kiss your position Goodbye. I am sure some more deserving candidates can achieve greater goals in less time. This is your last chance Raghuveer, don't disappoint me. Or I'll disown you. It is better to cut a poisonous branch than let the whole tree rot and die. If you are getting my gist, you would manifest your attitude in the right direction.'
