One day I will meet him but I don’t know when, where and how

I came back from my official tour on Sunday morning by train after three days of traveling in and around Siliguri and Gangtok markets. Along with me, my Dy. GM (Sales) was also there, but he left Siliguri a day before by flight to Head Office at Hyderabad via Calcutta.

In the evening we (me and my wife) visited my younger brother’s house at Bhowanipur where both my parents were also staying with him. My father was sitting on the chair in our balcony, with his eyes closed and he was reciting Gurbani as usual. After touching his feet I sat down on the floor. He immediately opened his eyes, simply hugged me with a broad smile, pulled me up and made me sit on the chair lying in front of him.

He started asking questions about my health, my tour and my boss who was traveling with me to Siliguri. Before I could start responding to his questions, he started speaking on his own, he explained everything to me in minute details about my tour. He told me the name and colour of the car in which we were traveling from Siliguri to Gangtok. He even told me about the conversation we had in the car and I was amazed and surprised to know all about it. He was very happy when he was telling me those things but I was not concentrating on his conversation, because I was getting suspicious, tense and worried to hear these things from him.

How the hell he knew everything in details and the most worried thing was the conversation which I had with my Boss was in English and my father cannot read, write or speak any other language except Gurumukhi, then the way he was explaining to me everything in details which had happened between us during the said tour as if he was also traveling along with us.

Before I could ask him any more question/s he suddenly became very serious and said “Charan, finally my letter has come and I have to leave next Sunday night, at 8:40 P.M., therefore, please don’t go on tour, alright” and I answered him jokingly, “Bapu ji, where are you going, leaving me alone here?”, he answered to me in a very sad and low voice, “Charan, how long can I stay here, I am 80 (years) plus, I have to go one day and that day has come, it’s that simple, try to understand, it’s Almighty's wish”. And he reminded me about Shri Guru Nanak Sahib’s Gurbani which says: 'Hukum Razai Chalnaa Nanak Likhiya Naal'.

Thereafter, he started telling me about many things which I had to do being his eldest son. He also told me to look after my mother and both my brothers as an obedient son and elder brother and I should not run away from my duties and responsibilities.

With regard to my Daughters marriages, he said, “do not worry, they all will get married into good families in due course of time so you need not worry at all”. But to be very honest, I never believed what all he said that night, I thought, may be he was feeling very low that’s why he was saying such depressive things to me and I left that night with total confusion, chaos and a very heavy heart.

Next Sunday, my younger brother came to my house with his wife and children to have dinner with us and when we were about to have our dinner, suddenly phone rang and my sister-in-law (youngest brother’s wife) informed us that Bapu ji is not feeling well and he is calling us immediately.

All of a sudden, last Sunday’s conversation flashed in my mind and I started shivering on remembering his last statement. It was already seven past ten and I was staying at Behala which was 20 KM away. We immediately rush to Bowanipur and reached there at 8:15 P.M. and by that time, the Doctor had also arrived and he told us to rush him to the nearby Hospital immediately because he had severe heart attack.

I could not speak a word, my brother called a taxi and we took him to the Hospital which was very close to our house. Meanwhile, my brother had called his friend whose sister was working there as a nurse and we reached emergency ward of the Hospital around 8:30 P.M.; although the Hospital was over crowded but still the Doctor immediately attended my father and after preliminay check-up, he called the nurse, gave some instructions and told us to wait for some time due to very heavy rush at the emergency-ward.

Meanwhile, all of us were standing and waiting for him to be admitted. My father was lying on the stretcher when suddenly he told me in a very low voice, “I have to go now” and all of a sudden he stopped talking to me, his eyes and mouth were wide-open but he was not there and at that very moment the big watch hanging on the wall of the emergency-ward was showing the time 8:40 P.M. to be precise. I started shouting, crying, yelling and calling for the Doctors in a very loud voice, because my father stopped talking and was not responding to my repeated calls. Everyone came rushing towards us and the Doctor also came forward and after thorough check-up he said “ I am sorry”.

I was looking at my father, weaping and uttering following words repeatedly, “This is not done Bapu ji, you can’t go like this, leaving me alone, how I will survive without you tell me, I love you very much, don't go please, wake up because I can't live without you, Bapu ji”.

And to my utmost surprise, I am still alive and survive although more than eight years have passed since he left me alone but I strongly feel and believe that one day I will definitely meet him, but I don’t know when, where and how?.

With Prayers

Gurcharan

We meet Angel sometimes in the form of a Customer also

I was just entering the site office of my valued client’s (a reputed and respected Builder of Ghaziabad) when someone called me from the back in a very loud and harsh voice –“I told you earlier also that we don’t need your products then why are you visiting our office again and again?” And before I could answer him back, I heard another very loud and deep voiced from the inside chamber of the said office –“please don’t stop him, let him come, I have invited him”, and in a very harsh voice and unpleasant gesture the Director – Projects and Purchase allowed me to step inside his office.

I was trying to meet with the CMD (Chairman and Managing Director) of this company for last one month, but I could not get any success in meeting him. With continuous efforts and repeated follow ups with the CMD’s office, finally I got an appointment to meet with the Director who was also the Head of the Projects and Purchase of the said company, instead of CMD Sir.

I had prepared special ‘power-point presentation’ for the Director – Projects and Purchase, along with our products and services details which we intended to offer to this particular group; but it so happened that during the pp-presentation time, he was not concentrating on the said presentation and was also not showing much interest in it. At the same-time he was not asking any question also. It became a one way communication, but I continued. Meanwhile, the repeated interference by way of phone-calls which he was getting on his two beautiful mobile phones, further deviated his attention from my pp-presentation, but I kept on talking about our products, its features and how we can add value to his company’s products and services. I was halfway through with my presentation when he told me to ‘Stop’ and made a sarcastic statement by saying “thanks for your presentation, your products seems to be good, but we have already decided to buy another brand, anyways, we will try to use these products in our next project, alright?” And the said meeting was for-closed without any positive outcome and results.

I was more than convinced that the CMD will definitely like our products provided I can get an appointment with him. I was sure; I will be able to convince him, but my luck was not in my favor this time, but still I wanted to make one more try, may be God may favor me next time. Therefore, I came back at the reception and asked the receptionist about CMD’s next visit to the office. She told me that CMD is not well and he may not come for another week or so because he is having severed tooth ache problem.

I requested her to give me his residence address. She hesitated in the beginning but after my repeated request, she very kindly gave me the address. Same evening, I visited CMD’s residence. He was actually not well and was taking rest when I called upon him. I met with his family members and requested them not to disturb him and told them about the purpose of my visit. They listened to me very tentatively and requested me to leave my visiting card and assured me that someone will call me from his office next week positively.

As promised, next Monday afternoon, I got a confirmation-call from CMD sir office to meet him on Wednesday at 4 p.m. sharp. And here I am today, at 3:45 p.m. when I was entering his office someone called me from the back. (He was the Director and elder son of the CMD). Thereafter, the receptionist came running to me and guided to CMD sir’s office personally.

I was totally surprised to meet CMD Sir. He was in his mid 60’s with silvery grey hair, wearing white full sleeved shirt and trousers. Looking like a Saint, who came from the heavens and sitting at this office to meet me. He welcomed me with a soft smile and told me to be seated and instructed his staff to send tea and snacks. I was totally shocked and amazed to see his reception which made me at ease, calm and comfortable at the same time very relaxed.

He very politely and in a very soft voice told me to start with my pp-presentation. He watched 15 minutes presentation very carefully, asked questions in between and told me that he liked the product very much. At the end of the presentation he asked me only one question: “Can you install 3 units of your wonder-products as a trial order within next three days at our sample flat?” And that was the sentence for which I was waiting for a very long time. I could not believe my luck, but yes it was true and CMD sir was not joking with me and he was serious and he meant what he said.

We executed the said trial order within next three days very successfully and after comparison with their existing products they told us to submit our quotation first for the 1st phase of their existing project and at the time of finalization of the order, they decided to finalize the orders not only for their existing project but for all their three forthcoming residential projects also.

I can never forget that very moment when this customer came in front of me and told me that they liked our product very much and they want to buy it. I pray to the God Almighty to make all my customers like the CMD sir who is more than a customer to me, who is like a living Angel for me. May god give him long and health life along with lots of wealth, name, fame, recognition and all his dreams may come true, Amen!

With prayers

Gurcharan