Business Talk

Rahul Malhotra, a young man with curly hair walked into his dad’s bedroom wearing a white kurta pajamas.

 ‘Hi Dad’ he said with hesitation, he rubbed his hands to keep him warm as he witnessed the open window, he walked towards the window and closed it to avoid the cool hair entering his room.

Sanjay Malhotra, an old man, in his 60’s with his fit physique turned his attention to his son ‘Had your breakfast?’

Rahul nodded his head, Sanjay commented ‘I wonder you eat or not, why you look thin? Look at everybody in this family, everyone looks healthy, while you on the other side looks a homeless with a simple dress, I can go one. But then, you are never going to listen to your dad, what made you walk in to my office room?’

Rahul stared at his dad, Sanjay waved his hand to his son face as he stood there in a trance.

Rahul wanted to say it boldly, but how could he? when his Dad, a millionaire in his city reside in a 5 acre land, owning a large amount of wealth running a family business created by his father, who is still alive living in same large palace. For Rahul, everything is his grandpa, he proposed his plan to his grandpa last night, and he didn’t even react, after an hour of explaining his grandpa simply walked away not saying a word. Now comparing the reaction of his grandfather he wonder what his father would say and stood in front of his father, thinking in different ways how to propose to his dad about his next plan, he was so confident with his plan until the moment he walked in.

‘Rahul? Can you hear me?’ his dad said.

Rahul, opened his mouth ‘I am going to start a new business, and I am not going to take care of our family businesses’ now he made everyone to open their mouth. Rahul expected a scene now, like a scene from the typical Indian television series, his momma use to enter such emotional talks in the family, and she make it a bigger one. As Rahul’s eyes started to search, his mom entered the room. Rinki, Rahul’s mom, no one had a clue where she came from, or where was she standing and don’t even know whether she heard what he said.

Rinki, walked in the room ‘Oh god, what happened to my child, why he is talking like this? Please forgive him, he will continue our family businesses, he is our only son waiting to take care of our business, don’t kick him out of our house’

Rahul stared at his mom in shock, he remembered the Netflix drama he watched last night, and his mom reacted more than the actress that paid.

Sanjay stood up from his seat and walked towards his son, Rinki kneeled down and held Sanjay’s leg and cried to stop her husband from beating her son.

Rahul watched them both, couldn’t express more, he sighed. Sanjay stopped and helped his wife stand up, asked her to make some butter milk for him. Rinki wiped her tears and winked at his son, she whispered while she crossed him ‘now tell him, he might approve’ Rahul raised his eyebrows and stared at his mom as she walked out of the room.

Sanjay adjusted his throat to let his son know that he is standing in front of him. Rahul turned his head to his Dad. Sanjay put his arms on his shoulder ‘Son, we are doing this family business for more than 35 years, your grand pa had started this business, standing in the middle of the market, selling our product for 499 Rs/- only. A business strategy that lot of corporates follow these days, whatever you buy, they reduce a rupee, if it 1000, we sell it 999/- if it is 450, we sell it 449, it is all numbers game my son, and that is only one trick of our business, and you can learn more. As you spend most time with your grand pa, you can learn more from him and take ownership of our business, you are our only hope to continue this family business. You are a smart kid, and that’s why grand pa loves you so much more than your two elder brothers. He likes smart kids’

Rahul with a smile ‘But I….’

Sanjay stopped, Rinki entered with a glass of butter milk in a silver glass, placed it beside her husband. Sanjay relaxed in a sofa as Rinki handed over the butter milk in her husband hand. Sanjay asked her to explain to her son how important it is to run this family business.

Rinki nodded her head, walked close to her son ‘Beta, listen to your dad for once, good kids will listen to their parents, and live successfully, don’t you want to live successfully? Like your grandpa, like your dad, learn from them dear, you are doing it right?’

Rahul was shocked at his Momma and tried hard to realize where she supports to him or his dad. Rahul stopped his mom seriously then replied ‘Mom, I can no longer take care of daddy’s business, nor I am going to create a new brand for a same product like my brothers did, but this is a different idea mom, if dad could invest in it, we can become more than a millionaire’

Rinki started to sob ‘I swear someone had cursed our son, look at his eyes, this is not our son Sanjay, our son never behaves like this, we should call our Mantir Ji, conduct a Pooja and tie a powerful rope on his hands’ she sobbed again, while Sanjay nodded his head, Rahul rolled his eyes and wondered if there is an Oscar in real life, he would definitely nominate his mom.

Rahul hugged his mom and told her to relax, walked to his dad ‘I need 1000 Rs in cash, and a month of time, I will turn that into 10 lac in a month’

Sanjay looked at his wife in shock, she started to sob more seriously, Rahul lost his patience and commented ‘Momma, could you please stop this sobbing drama (She sobbed again) I taught you to act like this momma, you remember the series I watch? (She nodded) the mother of the heroine in that story, she gets paid about a lac for one show, and have you ever satisfied with her glycerin tears? (she shook her head) you are doing better than her, I will recommend you to be in that drama for half the salary, I am damn sure, you will be the next leading actress of that show(she hung her head) ‘

Sanjay replied to his son ‘How can you do that? Are you involved in some sort of drug dealing business?’

Rahul walked to the window while he searched for a marker, his grand pa walked in.

Mr. Vikram Malhotra, he is the father of Mr. Sanjay Malhotra walked slowly with the help of this walking stick, showed his stick in the direction where Rahul stood and asked him to come. Mr. Vikram started to talk ‘Rahul, keep the ideas with yourself until you succeed, you are a smart kid, not like your dad, he believes in ideas and follows that religiously, not much of a creator, but a dedicated son. When I ran this business, I lived in a small house until I handover this to your dad, I gave no importance on my wealth, but I saved a lot and focused on business only. Your dad followed my ideas, worked with dedication and focused more to look like a successful person, invested all my money on this land, not bad, he saved some money, but he is focusing more on looking successful than actually being successful, all the credits he gets is from my name, from my brand, and your two elder brothers used my product with a different brand and still they are following my ideas. But you, have an Idea that no one in this family had. I will repeat again, go out, and never disclose your idea to anyone. I can see myself in you, go out and make a new brand. Take care of my son, like he took care of me’

Rahul with a smile nodded his head ‘I will grand pa, with your blessings!’

Sanjay in shock ‘But dad, our family business?’

Vikram smiled ‘What your two other sons are doing? Selling the same products, just advertise, that you have renamed our product, as simple that’

The End.