Estranged

"Honey, I am ready, let's go" exclaimed his wife as she descended the broad stairs of the big mansion. Her makeup, the black colored saree (saree is a typical dress worn by Indian women) she wore along with the glimmering jewels, enhanced her pulchritude. Sure, she was comely. Her husband did not seem to hear or notice her. She carefully stepped down from the stairs of their prodigious bungalow and playfully wrapped her arms around the neck of her husband, who seemed riveted to his laptop. That day was the young couple's anniversary, and her husband, Vivek, had promised to take her out for dinner that evening. Without even moving his head, Vivek reciprocated stolidly, "darling, something has come that needs my attention; I am afraid we will have to cancel today's event. Can we postpone it to some other day"? Isha, his wife, was taken aback by the cold reply as she never expected one. Coming back to her senses, hurtful, she replied, feigning to be composed, "it's ok honey, we will go some other time," hiding her disgruntlement as Vivek's parents looked in despair! Her eyes were moist with tears as she tried her very best not to show her emotions in front of her in-laws.

Vivek was an established entrepreneur and an astute businessman. He had flourished quite a handful of businesses and had made a fortune in all his enterprises; he kept on expanding his business, growing his vested interests at the hint of any opportunity. He was in the acme of his career, and his enthusiastic quest for business opportunities continued unabated, and as luck might have it, whatever he touched was gold! It was a Midas touch! Whatever endeavor he stretched his hands into, it made a fortune. Few people in this world are outright lucky. Whether it is their business acumen or hard work or anything else unbeknownst to the commoner us, things seem to be smooth sailing for those kinds of people.

Remember the adage "Like a glove"?

Now we are likely to imagine that Vivek came from a businessmen's lineage, that entrepreneurship ran in his blood. Quite the contrary, Vivek was not born with a silver spoon; he was the third son among four siblings born to a low-income family of farmers. His father and mother eeked out a living just enough to make ends meet. Vivek was no stranger to poverty from his childhood. He grew up enduring all the hardships of growing up in a low-income family. Even at a tender age where normal children enjoy school and play benefits, Vivek could not afford any such luxuries. Vivek used to accompany his brothers and sisters and helped his father in the fields. Despite the hard work, their family often used to be in debt. The only time they enjoyed good meals and a good time was during the harvest festival. They had food products to sell and, therefore, could afford good food for a few days. Tired of living in indigence, a latent wish to become opulent and well respected in society was deeply imprinted in young Vivek. He developed an indomitable itch that he would not let himself follow in his father's footsteps. He yearned to become a rich man, drive a big car, domiciliates in a big bungalow in a prestigious neighborhood. Well, it is a dream that scores among us aspire for, but our friend was determined!

He was a precocious guy and had some preliminary schooling; bereaved from the school to be a helping hand to his father and brothers on the farm. Fortunately, One of his teachers recognized his fervent interest in studies and persuaded his father not to devoid him of education. Vivek put his wish in front of the teacher and requested him to convince his father. The teacher accosted Vivek's father and vehemently persuaded him to allow Vivek to continue his studies. He further talked to a few landlords in the village to see if he could get any beneficiaries who could support Vivek. Fortuitously, a rich landlord, was forthcoming and offered a helping hand to help Vivek carry forward his studies.

He soon left his birthplace and had to go to the city where he was supposed to join a reputed school. It was apparent that studies were his only option. It was the only vehicle through which he could achieve all that he had dreamt of. He could never get himself distracted from anything else in the world apart from his education. He was a bright student, no doubt. He studied religiously and came out with good grades. By the time he finished his schooling, it had become evident that he had developed a penchant for business administration. He never wanted to be under the reigns of someone. He wanted to be an independent entrepreneur.

He finished his MBA practiced as an intern and later as an employee for a couple of years in America to gain experience. He moved back to India, perhaps not out of patriotism, but he saw a plethora of opportunities in his motherland!

To cut a long story short, he became one of India's coveted young entrepreneurs in no time. He got married to a beautiful girl named Isha. He eventually brought a pretty big mansion that was to be his domicile. He also got his parents to live with him, although they reluctantly agreed to relocate from the village.

It seemed that heaven was this distance away for Vivek. He had everything in the world that anybody would aspire to! But in the world, there is nothing like a free lunch. It might sound like a hackneyed phrase, yet it is true. Life is about the sacrifices we choose to make. To gain something, you have to lose something.

He was bathing in all the glory. His successes had smitten him, and he was bathing and drunk in all the glory. His ego bloated as he became more and more self-aggrandizing. Knowingly or unknowingly, that started to have a pernicious effect on his personal world. Sure, success was addictive. Each day he was so engrossed in his inexorable quest to reach his definition of the pinnacle of success that his personal life began to quiver. He spent too little time with his aged parents and on his young wife. He used to be out of the house before the family members woke up and return back home after they usually slept. His family couldn't remember that last time they all had lunch together.

As his quest for reaching greater heights kept on rising, his relationships on the personal front plummeted. His father used to watch how his son was moving to the point of annihilation. He tried to talk to his son but was unable to talk him out of the problem. He used to miss important family functions and get-togethers. The obsession reached the climax when he could not attend his mother's funeral as he was traveling overseas. Well, this was it! His father could not take it anymore. No father in the world would withstand such a behavior. Filled with grief, his father moved back to his village.

Slowly, Vivek began to lose his relatives and friends. Long before he knew, his wife was the only relative he had. The reality started to seep into Vivek as he now started to realize his mistakes. He wanted to atone for his past mistakes. Was his obsession towards his worth it? His relationship with his wife was also on the brink. She also had moved to her father's house. Realizing that he could not afford to lose his wife no matter what, he dashed home to go to his father-in-law's house and get his wife back and to salvage the relationship. He quickly got ready, and as he was about to leave the house, the doorbell rang. There stood the postman at the door nonchalantly, holding the divorce notice in his hands!!