A Bend in the River of Life (42 page)

In South Africa, Heather was suspicious about the authenticity of the gold jewelry because they were so cheap. She asked, “Rana, do you think they are real gold? How can they sell so cheap?”

Rana laughed and said, “No Heather, they appear to be real gold. This country is floating on gold. See, South Africa is the largest producer and exporter of gold and one of the largest in precious stones.”

Heather responded in excitement,” No wonder, they can sell that cheap! I will buy some more for me.”

Rana said, “How about buying some for Paula's future wedding also. I guess, you will not come here every now and then.”

Heather burst out into a giggle and said, “Rana, you are way ahead of me in thinking about the future of my children. No wonder, they care for you so much. Nonetheless, it is a good idea and I will buy some for her also.”

Be that as it may, one singular thing that opened Heather's eyes most on this trip was flowers. She was stunned to see the variety and abundance of flowers in South Africa as a whole and Bloemfontein in particular. Heather said, “To me, this is the discovery of my life! I feel stupid. We are in the flower business for such a long time. We import from Europe, Mediterranean countries and South America, but never from South Africa. I had no knowledge that South Africa was a big producer of flowers. I am really surprised.”

Rana said, “Heather, it could be for many reasons. It could be because of cost due to distance or middlemen cutting into the profit. However, there's no point splitting over the spilt milk. Now that it has come to your attention, let me arrange to introduce you with
few of our flower producing customers so that, cost permitting, you can initiate business with them effective immediately. Tomorrow I will talk to the General Manager of our South African operations. He will instruct one of our Account Managers dealing in flower business to introduce you with some of the leading flower producers and exporters. You may discuss with them the price and delivery mechanism. Since you are also a customer of my bank in London, both sides will be happy if any new business is generated out of your pleasure trip. See if you can close a deal while you are here. The beauty of my getting involved will be that you will get the best price and express service both from the growers and our branches at both ends. You will see first hand how you are worshipped by all concerned for promoting international trade. And your children and I will be your cheerleaders from the sideline. How do you feel about it?”

Heather felt important and burst out into a loud laughter. She said, “You are a master motivator, painting colorful pictures with a wide brush. I can see why you are successful in banking. This is how you motivate people. This is how you pushed me to own my business.”

Rana also laughed and said, “I do not know all these motivation business and painting colorful pictures with wide brush. When I find opportunities, I hate to see them slip away without any efforts.”

Heather said, “See, I always tell Paula and Joshua that you are my good luck charm.”

Rana said, “Heather, please don't say this till you strike a deal.”

However, the deal was struck easily and Heather was ecstatic. When she returned to London she did say this to her children that she came back from a combined business and pleasure trip. She was thrilled that even in vacation she could generate business. Soon she closed the first two transactions with two South African flower exporters. She was happy beyond description and so did Paula and Joshua. They celebrated the occasion. Heather said with lot of
emotion, “Rana, I do not know how to express my gratitude to you. I cannot tell you in how many ways your friendship has benefited me and my children.”

Rana said, “Heather, now you are embarrassing me. The benefits that you keep talking about are the natural concomitant to friendship; gratitude has no place in that. We talked about it long time ago. You thanked me and that's enough.”

On a Saturday evening, while taking a stroll at Regent Park in his neighborhood, Heather said, “Rana, for sometime I have been thinking of asking you a question, but could not quite come up with how to say it.”

Rana said, “Now, that's strange. Heather, we have been discussing so many things everyday. Why are you hesitating on this?”

Heather said, “It is very serious, very personal.”

Rana said, “Heather, we are not business partners. So everything we discuss is personal. You can bring up anything. What is it that is bothering you?”

Heather asked, “Can't you tell your company not to transfer you from here?”

Rana answered, “Heather, that would be contrary to my contract with them. But tell me first why you are asking me the question?”

Heather said, “Rana, it is for both of us. We have been so close to each other in the last three years that it does not make any sense not to get married and make a family.”

Rana said, “Heather, you are absolutely right. Many a times, I too thought of proposing this to you, but refrained from doing so, for I know that you have your divorce obligations due to which you cannot move out of London. In addition, now you have a business that you can't relinquish easily. On the other hand, I am an International staff of my company. My job is transferable. I am expected to be mobile. I have to go anywhere my company asks me to. I am a slave of my company. I have no choice. You are the owner of your company; choice is yours.”

There was an uneasy silence for some moments. Then Rana spoke again like a monologue, “There are some in this world who are born with problems and problems travel with them wherever they go.”

Heather said, “Rana, don't say that. Now you are getting hard on yourself. We all have problems. Let's sleep over what we have just discussed. I am hopeful that some solutions would be found.”

Slowly but steadily another year was coming to an end. The grapevine in the corridors of American Inter-Continental Bank was abuzz with the rumor of Rana's transfer from London. Most of the time the rumor mill proves to be somewhat correct. However, nothing was officially heard before the holidays. Christmas came and went with pomp and peace. Once again, Rana enjoyed Christmas with Heather and her children and then proceeded on his vacation to see his children. However, in the middle of his vacation there was a flutter. The grapevine came live. He was called by his boss to inform him that immediately upon his return to London he would be transferred to the United States. He was stunned that the message could not wait till his return to London. It only indicated that the transfer was rather urgent. However, Rana should have known better. For the move was not totally unexpected. After three and a half years in a posting, transfer in a multinational institution was a way of life and was inevitable.

In any case, Rana returned to London from vacation on a Saturday morning to wrap up his activities in two weeks and move to USA. Time was short, but so much to do and so much to say. Heather was at the airport with Paula and Joshua to receive him. She was understandably emotional. They met after a couple of weeks with the knowledge that he would be gone in a couple of weeks more. In future he might come from time to time on his way to and from India or to attend a meeting or two, but no one knew for sure if he would be posted to London again, for there were not many higher positions in London either. They drove straight to his house at Regent Park. In his absence for two weeks Heather kept his house
tidy. Rana decided to take it easy over the weekend, partly because of jetlag and partly due to sadness arising out of the ensuing parting. They spent two days mostly talking and brooding loudly what future might bring. It was not easy for either of them. They filled the vacuum in each others life for three and a half years. Neither of them knew exactly where they would end up.

Since the time Heather raised the dialogue about the possibility of his marrying her and settling down in London, Rana did not cease to think of salvaging their lovely relationship. On hearing the message of his transfer, Rana seriously deliberated on one of the ideas that needed substantial sacrifice on his part. However, he did not mind making that sacrifice for the sake of a life-long promise. Bearing this in mind, Rana did not waste any time on his return from vacation to bring his proposal to Heather. He said, “Heather, since the time you discussed the prospect of our getting married and settling down in London, I never ceased to think about the matter. The transfer announcement only hastened my deliberations. I think I have a solution that might find favor with you.”

Heather said, “Rana, I have also been thinking about it without any solution. I can't wait to hear your proposal.”

Rana said, “Heather, I know in the next 3–4 years you cannot move out of London due to your divorce obligations. You know how fast time has passed since we met almost 3 1/2 years earlier. Next 3–4 years will also pass in a hurry. I was thinking that if you agree, we can get married now. I can keep visiting you every month and on vacations and long weekends or whenever necessity demands. You can also visit me for a few days at a time whenever you feel like. You know that Paula and Joshua will be able to manage the business in your occasional absence. Later, when they become adult, you can join me in New York. Paula and Joshua also may join us and live with us as long as they want. In that event, you can sell your business but keep your house in London. We may spend our vacations and holidays in London. And finally, when I retire, we will spend the rest
of our lives also in London. Now I want to hear from you before I proceed further.”

Heather cried a lot holding his hand and said, “Rana, I will not be able to leave London. This is where I was born and when time comes this is where I wish to die. I may visit other places for a few days at a time on vacations and holidays. But if I move from here for a prolonged period of time, I will fall sick and die. Besides, I do not want to stay away from Paula and Joshua ever. That is the reason I asked you if you could settle down in London.”

Tension was mounting on her. Rana decided not to drag on that discussion anymore at that time. So he said, “Okay Heather, I understand what you are saying. On the other hand, if I don't go now, I will lose my job. So let me go to New York now and in an opportune moment I will find out if they would appoint me as a local staff in London. If they do, I know I have to lose my status as an International Staff and take a substantial cut in my salary and benefits, but I will be able to settle down here according to your expressed wishes.”

Heather said, “Rana, I think that will be better and I hope you will not misunderstand me.”

A thought streaked through Rana's mind that in this world there are those who are so attached to their soil of birth as to feel suffocated away from it! There are also those whose homes of centuries are mowed down for no fault of theirs and whose only home is where their livelihood takes them to. And the River of Life carries them both without any sense of joy or wounded sentiment.

During that weekend they did some work, organizing his personal effects, clothing, china, cutleries, some high value decoration pieces and miscellaneous other objects. There were a few items of furniture, rugs, pictures, decoration pieces and antiques that Heather used to like very much. Rana decided to give those to her as parting gifts and separated them from the rest. She was undoubtedly delighted but under the circumstances, her happiness was tinged with
profound sadness. Heather, Paula and Joshua used to love that house. So he invited them to stay with him till the day the movers would come and pack away all his belongings requiring him to check into the hotel for the last few days of his stay in London.

Time was galloping. Two weeks elapsed at the blink of an eye. Saturday morning arrived uninvited. It was time to leave lock, stock and barrel. All week long Heather and Rana talked about staying in close touch and maintaining the wonderful relationship. However, from his experience Rana knew that once the physical separation took place, it would be well-nigh impossible to maintain the relationship at an even keel, despite all the good intentions on both sides. Working with the bank for a long time he was also informed enough to know that once he was across the Atlantic, he would have hardly any occasion to go back to Europe except on vacations or meetings, because New York was the Headquarters of the bank. It was the Corporate Office and hub of all the activities around the world. Most important meetings with Global dimensions are held there and the ideas for the Training Seminars and the presentation materials also emanate there.

Rana's heart was aching for Heather because they had wonderful meeting of minds. They found love, peace and trust in each other. They both were born among the blue blood in their respective countries, but both suffered extra-ordinary losses by the quirk of fate. Every human being is incomparable in some ways or the other, but to Rana, Heather was simply beyond comparison. She was the joy of his heart, but perhaps he was not able to communicate that to her in many words. Nonetheless, he was sure that from his unusual commitment to her, from the manner he thought about her future, from the way he tried to ameliorate her financial constraints, she must have been aware of the genuineness of his love toward her. However, he was not oblivious of the fact that Heather was a single mother and every decision she took, she had to think invariably about her two children also. After suffering so much in her life before she met
Rana, she at long last found the pleasure of little stability in her life. That exactly was the reason, Rana's penetrative mind reasoned, she was little apprehensive of the uncertainty of life in an unfamiliar foreign land. He was not disappointed with her at all. On the other hand, he knew that he was moving only to comply with his company's requirements, for he was apprehensive that if he didn't, he might lose his high-profile and lucrative job without finding a compensating one. In any case, he was positive that Heather was going through an upheaval in her own mind with the unwholesome prospect of losing a loving and trusted friend like him. It was showing up on her face. As such, it was painful even to look at Heather's eyes.