• Second Chances •

48. He is different

"So. What do you think?"

Shailesh turned around to look at Ram who was standing at a distance. He let out a dreamy sigh.

"You are showing me a dream..." he whispered.

For it was a dream. Never had Shailesh imagined to be standing in such a pretty building. As he stood by the window that looked out to the garden, to the community temple, to the clean and safe playground; he was a little overwhelmed. Could his family's life be all this? Never had he thought that he could also look out of his window and not be greeted by filth but by safety and beauty.

"Nope!" Ram smiled. "It's reality. And it can be your reality if you agree to all of this."

"But what if those people aren't convinced and hurt my family?" Shailesh rocked on his heels. It was a scary thought to go against the elements. And it perhaps must have shown on his face. Because in the next moment, Ram walked towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

In a comforting voice, Ram urged, "Aren't your children worth taking the risk for?"

Ram then inserted his hands in his pocket and walked away. Standing by the window, he looked out at the distant sea. In a gruff voice, he mumbled, "I am doing this for my dad and he isn't even here. He is dead. But you do a few things for your loved ones, don't you?"

Shailesh's eyes misted over. Even his father had tried hard. He didn't remember a single day from that man's life when he had not struggled. It was a sorry life. That's how poverty is. You struggle and struggle and then die one day. It's a daily war for survival. He truly didn't want his children to say the same about him. He didn't want them to suffer.

"I can't promise you anything..." Shailesh told Ram honestly. He really couldn't. He very well knew that it was an upscale battle.

Ram turned around and smiled at him. "Don't. Just try. That will be enough. Even I am trying. That's what a very nice woman asked me to do. I keep swimming with and against the tide because that's the right thing to do. It's my promise to her. I try. Every day. You do the same. It's enough."

"Shailesh."

Someone called him from behind and the surprise registered on Ram's face. Shailesh turned around and saw a man in his late twenties holding out a visiting card.

"This is my card. Whenever you guys decide to talk, call me. I think if we have a company representative, it will be better. I take care of such things at Kapoor Urbans."

"Shubhu, you don't..." Ram started. 

The man put his hand up. "Bhai, let me handle this please."

Shailesh looked at this exchange with a little curiosity. Was that new man Ram Kapoor's brother? They both couldn't be any more different from their obvious demeanour.

"Here, take the card!" Shubham tried to hand it over to him.

Shailesh shook his head. "I don't need this card. Let's meet tonight at 2 AM. You can ask your driver for my address. He knows it already because of Ram sir."

"Okay..." Shubham nodded and shook his hand as Shailesh noticed the shining happiness on Ram's face for the first time since he had met him.




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"Do you want anything?" asked Priya. 

To say that she was surprised would be grossly inaccurate. For the first time after her marriage, she had seen Shubham come into Ram's room. Such things never happened in the Kapoor household.