The Reply...!

It all started with a phone call. I had purposely left away my mobile that evening when I left for a walk alone. I had started going for long walks whenever I wanted to get some me time and from the past two weeks it has become a daily routine. It acted as a stress buster for me. Whenever I went for such walk I made sure I didn't carry my mobile phone along. At-last I had started doing what my mother wanted me to do, give some rest to my eyes. She was right, my job was such I had to be glued to the computer  screen throughout the working hours and when I was not working I was using my mobile.



The phone call was answered by my mother, she had finally learned how to answer calls on smartphones. But she was still of the opinion that the basic mobile phones were a better choice than these high end mobile phones. She had no clue that the phone call would have such effects, if she had the slightest of the clues she wouldn't have answered it. Even before the call was disconnected she had tears in her eyes. It had only been two months that finally after two years of her persuasion I had agreed to fulfill her only wish, I had brought her to the city where I worked. Being a single mother it was always going to happen, its not that I never wanted this to happen but I had delayed it as much as I could because I wanted to live a bachelor's life and I was happy that I had finally agreed.

Bringing her along meant happiness for her and for me too. I finally could do away with trying different dhabas and tiff-in suppliers as a source of my daily meals. It felt good too that finally someone was waiting for me at home. Life had changed and a sense of responsibility had been instilled in me. I finally said good bye to clumsy way of my life after two long years which I thoroughly enjoyed. Living with my mother meant that I had to get used to a routine that included an early morning walk, a daily visit to the temple and spending time doing things which she wanted and I liked it. It helped me to change the monotonous life which I was leading from past two years.

When I had spent a year and a half with my organisation an opportunity came along my way, my organisation required a handful of young staff to work in their offshore locations for a tenure of two years. It sounded good as it meant two years of fun, that was my initial reaction. And why wouldn't it have been that way, though I loved my work place yet I was getting bored because of the monotony and I wanted a change. Without giving it a second thought I applied and even days after applying I wasn't sure whether I would shortlisted or not.

Few months later my mother came to live with me and my life changed for good. Only here presence provided the change I was looking for. Once she came along my rented place started looking like a home and I was no longer looking for a change in my work location. She provided the much needed stability to my otherwise an unstable life and I had find happiness in the same previously a boring life for me.


When I came back from walk that day, my mother had prepared tea by then. She looked a little disturbed, I thought it must be because of the soaring temperatures of this city which she was still not used to. It was over tea my mother handed me my phone and told me that my HR manager had given me the call. I looked at her and she continued "You never told me that you have applied for a transfer , that too so far?? She couldn't speak more and she started crying. I consoled her and told her everything , she heard me calmly and told me to do what I want. My HR manager had requested a call back from me. I called him up and he gave me the news that I have been provisionally shortlisted as one of the probable for the offshore assignment. I had been given a night's time to decide if I wanted to go or stay back, he hung up telling me to reply him in the morning before office hours.

That night was a pretty long one. My mother had become normal then. After dinner we had discussions and a lot of them. She wanted me to do what I want but she never wished to go back home and lead that same life again. She had lived alone for years and didn't wanted to lead the same life again. For me, I was not sure whether I really wanted to go as I had already got the change I wanted in my life but missing such an opportunity could be big loss just at the start of my career and working in an off shore location was something personally I could only dream of. At the same time I never wanted to leave my mother alone again. I was unsure about what I really wanted to do and my mind wandered considering both the options and the possibilities of where they would lead me to. I hardly slept that night and I can say the same for my mother too.

I had to call my HR manager with my with my answer. He had given a night only to decide my fate but I wasn't able to decide it till the morning. I hardly talked with my mother that morning. I could clearly see the tension on her face. She dared the fact that I would leave her and run after the opportunity. After breakfast I decided to call my HR manager seeking a day more for my reply he awaited, as I picked up my phone and dialed him I remembered the happy face of my mother, the precious moments that we both shared in the last couple of months came before my eyes and I had tears of joy in my eyes. As the call was connected I had decided what I wanted to do and hence, what my reply was going to be, finally I had realised where my happiness was....!

  

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