Sitting by his own office and gaping at the window, working up startegies to get past the latest business problem at hand, he probably was the most content man around. He was rich...monitarily, educationally and morally. He had the world at his feet.
It was 10.30 am and it was time for tea. It was his office and tea was served to him at his desk. There was a small tea stall next to the office and a small boy working there as a cleaner would bring it up to his desk. Everyday the boy would knock on the door, carry the hot cup filled to the brim, gingerly, trying his best not to spill and carefully place it on the table. He would then walk away without so much as lift his head. This was routine. Being a busy man, he could hardly bother about a 9 year old cleaner!
Today, something changed. The boy came as always and placed the cup and started to walk away. But he recieved a 'thank you', said matter of factly, in a tone that comes when said without deliberate intent and as a habit. The boy swirled, his eyes lit up and a smile appeared across his face. Turning away from the window, surprised at the sudden movement in the lateral vision, he looked at the little boy and reciprocated the smile.
This was the beginning of a series of smile exchanges which over a period of time led to small talks. Through these talks, he learnt that the boy's parents stayed in the village at the outskirts , that his father is a farmer, he being the eldest of four children works by day adding to the family's income and goes to school by night, that he wants to become a big, rich man when he grows up. The small talks stirred a spirit of charity and he would give petty amounts as 'tip' to the little boy.
The boy looked forward to these one-minute-word-exchanges and would run to the front of the tea stall evey morning and evening to see his new friend arrive and leave office. He once got lucky and actually got a ride in the car. His friend had told him that to be a big rich man, he has to study very hard and be sincere in whatever he chooses to do. And he was determined to do just that!
One fine day, as the boy smilingly placed the cup of tea, he told his friend that his father had asked him to return to the village and help out in the fields, as he could no more afford to keep the boy in the city. His night school would stop, but he would try to find one, close to his village. He still wants to be a big ,rich man. Sadenned by the news, he told the boy, that he was also leaving the city as he was opening a new branch of the office in another place and would have to be there for the next whole year. He then wrote his number on a piece of paper and asked the boy to call him in a month's time and he would arrange for his schooling at his own cost. That was last in the series of one-minute-word-exchanges.
He left the city and his new office was established, but that one phone call he was waiting for never came.
Today as he sits by the window of his new office, the office attendent brings the usual cup of tea. But his tea has stopped tasting ever since that 9 yr old cleaner of the neighbouring tea stall left the city, coz that tea was accompanied by smiles, innocence and dreams....
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