It has been raining since morning, there seems to be a new energy flowing in the whole environment. The plants look more fresh and green, the tip-tap of the dew drops is adding music to the ears, the smell of the wet mud is enriching the senses; all in all a perfect romantic ambiance. Professionally it’s a big day for me because today we have launched our first ALL India Mock Common Admission Test Series. For the uninitiated, Common Admission Test is one of the toughest MBA Entrance test for admission in premier Business schools in India such as Indian Institute Of Management. Every year around two hundred thousand people compete for 1200 seats across six IIMs. Hence the competition is tough, and so is the preparation. Students take a number of Mock Tests before the main Exam, which is held on the third Sunday of November every year. People from across the country register for these mock tests to judge their performance viz a viz the rest of the lot with whom, they would be competing for the big game. This is a big accomplishment for us because Scratcher launched this company in November 2006, and then I joined him in May 2007. Till November 2007 it was just the two of us who have managed the company; then in December 2007, we launched our second company with another partner. Since then, things have rolled in at a pretty fast pace, within four months of launching our second company we opened our 2nd office as well, and with God’s grace have got an excellent response so far. The competition is neck tight in our industry because there are a few players, and most of them have got strong hold in the market from past 25-30 years. This day would be registered in bold letters in the history of our company.

I am both elated and depressed at the same time. Elated for the aforementioned reasons, and depressed because I would not be there to raise the toast in the evening with the rest of my partners. This feeling of loneliness and helplessness has been sinking in me from many days now. All the more because of the behaviour of my parents who keep scolding me, and asking me to choose between Scratcher and them. Since morning I have not been talking much with anyone but somehow I am never able to avoid my talks with my mom.

Today we were watching a reality show, which is apparently hosted by one the celebrities from Bollywood. This man has a record of dating many women in the past. My mom and I went to the kitchen after watching the show to prepare lunch, and she cautiously says:

Look how people move on…date someone at sometime and then move on with another one. You can’t keep clinging on to one person all your life. Leave that guy(Scratcher) and we will find a better* guy for you.

I said-

Oh! You mean I should date someone-leave him after sometime- then move to the next and then next and I should keep doing this all my life.

Suddenly she realized that this is not what she had wanted to say or rather what she had wanted to listen to. She changed the topic but I think she took a bitter gulp then, and kept it inside her to take out the venom later on.

Later we sat down to watch television, and suddenly she said-

I pray that you be born as an orphan in your next birth. You also pray the same for yourself.

I was spell bound, and felt so claustrophobic that I left the place. Tears trickled down my face as soon as I entered my room. I am not eloping so that my parents don’t have to go through all the disgrace, and this is what I get to hear on and off. I agree that my mom must have not meant what she said but she did SAY. I wonder whether parents can use such words for their own kids. Words are like scissors; they can cut you deep and would leave a mark even after the cut is healed.

* Would she please define the word ‘better’ for me? She hasn’t met Scratcher, she doesn’t want to know anything about him, and she has decided that he is not the guy for her daughter. How can she find a better guy for me until and unless she least of takes an idea about how Scratcher is. I don’t know who is behaving immature- my parents or I?