I'm the Manager of a small marketing company. In fact I was an assistant manager with one of the major marketing companies only six months back. I had been working there for the last few years, but wasn't getting any breakthrough. There were senior people ahead of me and getting a promotion just on merit wasn't always easy in a large company. Whole lot of office politics goes around. So, on my 27th birthday, I decided to change my role from being a small fish in a big pond to try and become a big fish in a small pond.
Opportunities come if you really look for it. Within a few weeks, I could land a job, which fulfilled my expectations. Of course, for that I had to leave my hometown. That didn't matter much, as I wasn't such a social person that I would miss my friends or family.
The role was perfect. The owner was an established businessman and had owned some family business in garments. He wanted to diversify into some modern business of institutional products. Since I had the relevant experience and I could convince him in the personal interview with my innovative ideas, I got the job. The remuneration was good and along with that a furnished small flat too, quite decent enough. I also had the office car at my disposal too. The Boss had given me a free hand in selecting my own staff. He hardly ever interfered in my business; only made some casual visits to my office, occasionally. In fact, I utilised his business and government contacts, which helped in generating a better market reach.
My business was picking up, my life was satisfying. Since I was not so much of a social person, I preferred to remain indoors after my office hours. I enjoyed my own company and spent my time with my mobile phone and tab , reading books, watching news or sports or movies. I hardly had any personal visitors, nor did I visit anybody.
Office parties were exceptions though. For promotion of business or team bonding, I did organise small parties once in a while. Although, I'm basically an introvert, I could hold my own in any official gathering. Somehow, in my professional area, I could easily converse with people quite comfortably.
After one such office party, when everybody had gone, I was sitting with my Boss, the owner of our company, sitting and drinking. We had come on an official visit to an important customer's regional office based in Mumbai. We had thrown a party at the hotel we were staying at, for the Director and his family of the Company from whom we were expecting a major contract. The Director had come with his wife and daughter. After they had left, my Boss kept on drinking. He generally is quite controlled in his behaviour. Although he was quite friendly with me, but he had never divulged anything about his personal life. He had asked details about my family and background. I only knew that he lived with his wife and his only daughter at his plush bungalow. I had the opportunity to visit his house once only, where I did meet his wife; a very simple lady, with no airs of being such a rich woman. In fact, my boss also had a very simple standard of living, which was evident in the way his home was maintained. I somehow felt that there was melancholy in the eyes of the lady and the manner in which she spoke to me. I did not meet their daughter though, nor did they discuss anything about her with me.
That day, in the hotel in Mumbai, my Boss became a little too emotional. He had called me to his hotel room after having a few drinks already in the party. When he called for more drinks in the room, I stopped him. "Sir, please don't drink anymore, you have had enough today. I know your limits, Sir," I said.
He looked at me sadly and said, "Don't stop me my boy, let me drown my sorrow today."
I remarked, "What sorrow Sir ? We had such a good personal meeting with the Director and his family. He looked quite pleased. This contract is surely ours."
He replied, " I'm not worrying about business, my boy. I know you are capable enough to take care of it."
I said, perplexed, "Then what is disturbing you Sir ? Please share with me. You say that I'm like your son. I'll take care of your problem, Sir."
He smiled at me wryly and said, "You can't help me dear in this. This is my fate. I'll have to live with it."
I persisted, "Sir, at least let me know what is bothering you ? If you share your burden with me, you will feel better."
He relented, " Ok, since you are insisting and just because I like you so much, I think I can tell you.
Did you see the daughter of the Director, such a charming young girl. I too have a daughter of her age. I am sad because of her. "
I was surprised, "Sir, I don't know if it is too personal a question to ask, but is she not well ?"
My boss responded, "No, physically she is quite healthy, in fact, a rather too healthy. That doesn't mean that there are any mental problems... no, she is perfectly normal that way. Ok, since I'm telling you, there's no point talking in riddles.
To be frank with you, Amrita, my daughter is an adopted child. We had some medical problems and as such could not have our own baby. So after a lot of failed medical treatments, we decided to adopt. This was obviously not accepted very well by all the seniors in our family, but still we both decided that it is the best solution for our mental peace. We adopted a five month old baby girl from a very good adoption center.
Days were very happy for us in the formative years of the child. She grew up to be a healthy baby. We put her in a very good nursery school, where she was doing pretty well. Then we put her into the best English medium school in our area. It is from her 4th standard that the problems started surfacing. We all found out that Amrita was growing much taller and bigger than her fellow students. This happens for some kids, whose parents are generally tall. Both me and of wife are above average in height. I'm about 5'8" and my wife is 5'5". But by the time, Amrita was in class 5, that is of 10 years of age, she was almost as tall as her mother. Imagine, in school, she was head and shoulders above all the boys and girls in her class and even taller than most of the senior class students. In class 6 she even taller than most of the teachers, women as well as men.
The children at that age are very cruel. They used to jeer at her. They called her names like ostrich, giraffe, coconut tree, Baby Amitabh Bachhan. She used to cry, did not want to go to school on most of the days. Her grades started falling and she became very poor in her studies. The liveliness of her childhood had vanished. She became morose and brooding. We had no other alternative but to take her away from the school. We tried to put her into an ordinary Hindi medium school. She went there for a few months. But the same problems started there too. The children kept teasing her. Since then she never went to school. She never wanted to go out to any family functions too. The relatives were equally irresponsible and irritating. She spent most of the time in her room, with story books and listened to music. We kept some private tutors, and gradually she started studying at home. She completed her class 10 and passed the board exams in private.
One other thing happened. Since she was not having any exercise, she was getting fat. That was telling on her health. We spoke to her and explained to her about this. She was otherwise a very sensible girl. She listened to us and started exercising. But something must have been there in her original genes. She did lose her flabbiness, but became very strong like those foreign women athletes who threw discuss and javelin and shot put. She was over 6'1" tall and over 100 kgs in weight. This we had measured last 3 years back when she was 20 years old. She became interested in all these strength sports and started watching such videos. But she never wanted to go out and actually participate in sports."
I was listening attentively to this sad story. My boss continued. "Then two years back, on her 21st birthday, we invited some very close family members to our house. She was a little better those days. She came out to meet them; took her cousins to her room for a chat. There, one of her cousins told her the truth, which we had carefully guarded all along. That she is not our biological child, but was adopted. That broke the last straw. She again went back to her shell from that day. Since then she hardly talks to her mother or me. She had just once asked us very seriously, who her biological parents were. In fact, we also do not know the information, as that was the rule of that organisation from where we adopted her. She thought that we were purposely not telling her. She never asked again. But she never called us Papa or Mummy ever since."
My Boss started crying. Tears rolled down his eyes. I didn't know what would be appropriate for me to say to him. In fact, I was thinking what could be done. My boss was such a good man. I wanted to help him. I don't know what happened to me. I went and sat in front of him. I took his hands in mine and said, "Sir, I promise you that I will bring your daughter back to you. I have the confidence that I can make her normal again. Will you please let me try once."
My boss looked at me with a question in his face. "My dear boy, if you think that you will take her to a psychiatrist, that will not happen. She is fully in her senses, she has already refused to go to any doctor."
I said, "No Sir, I will not take her to any Doctor. All I want from you is, you let me know what she likes, what she is interested in now. I just want one area by which I can develop a friendship with her."
Boss said, "She loves music, sports as I already told you. Besides that, once when she was getting better, before this incidence happened two years back, she had told me that she wanted to learn computers. Also since she left school very early, she has an inferiority complex that she is not fluent in spoken English. But all that was earlier. Now she has just shut herself away from us."
I said, "Sir, it's getting late, you go and sleep. I'm also going to my room. Let me think about this. I still do not have any idea, but one thing I assure you that I will definitely find out a way to befriend your daughter. And then, I will truly bring your child back to call you Papa again."
My boss put his hand over my head. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he hugged me tightly Then I left him and went back to my room. Couldn't sleep well that night, was busy working out a plan to help out my boss in this problem of his daughter. Ultimately I could think of someway, how I could meet the Boss's daughter and try to get friendly with her. If I want to meet her normally, she wouldn't even come out of her room, from whatever I have heard about her from her father. During the flight back home, I explained my plan to my boss. Also tried to gather as much information about his daughter regarding her likes and dislikes. The next day was Sunday. I suggested to my boss that I would like to visit his house on Sunday. Boss should plan and be away from his house with his wife visiting some relatives or friends. The time should be such that no other domestic help should be available. That would mean that boss's daughter will have to open the door when I arrive. From then on it would be up to my calibre and my luck to strike up a conversation with her. I had the belief that if I behaved normally with her without making any negative judgemental comments with her, she will also behave normally. My boss suggested that after lunch around 1pm would be the right time.
On Sunday afternoon, I had called my boss over the phone just before reaching and he informed me his daughter was alone at home. Accordingly, I rang the bell at Boss's house just after 1pm. I had to ring the bell quite a number of times, before Amrita opened the door. She really was very tall and big. Especially since I'm quite a short man at 5 feet 3 inches, she looked huge in comparison to me. I guessed she must be about 6 feet 2 inches and she was wearing absolutely thin flat sandals.
I enquired whether my boss was in. She just said no. I introduced myself and told her that I'm the Manager of one of his companies and had been on official tour with him till yesterday. I told her that the customer wanted an offer right away which I need to send. But the data was in my Boss's computer. For that I needed the Boss's laptop at least, if he is not at home. I told her whether I could come in and work on the laptop. She wanted me to check from my boss whether it is permissible. So I called my boss and told him our pre-discussed story. My boss wanted me to handover my mobile phone to his daughter. He told her that this email is important and to let me in and give me the Boss's laptop. So I went into the drawing room and Amrita brought me the laptop. She was going away, so I asked her to wait, since it would not take much time. She sat down on one of the sofas. I opened the laptop and started working.
While working I started chatting with her. She was sitting just leafing through a magazine. I began by telling her about what I look after in her father's business. I told her that I'm new to this town and was living alone. "I'm not a very social person you know," I continued. "I keep to myself, reading, listening to music and watching sports on my phone. I listen to old Hindi songs, my favorites are Rafi, Kishore, Mukesh, Manna Dey." I mentioned these because I knew she also loved old Hindi songs.
"I loved all sorts of sports, you know, not only cricket. Actually my favourite sports person is Serena Williams. I just love the power and energy with which she plays. Such beautiful figure she has, tall and strong. You know I like those tall women basketball players. They look so graceful when they run and shoot. Also those tall, strong women athletes, the shot put, discuss and javeline throwers. I admire their massive strength. I also watch wrestling and boxing. You know, I once met Jhulan Goswami, the Indian women's cricket team's fast bowler at an airport. I was such awestruck by her magnificent height, she's 5 feet 11 inches, you know. I wanted to take her autograph and talk to her, but couldn't muster the courage. I regret that even today."
Amrita was just listening, without any remark. I had to draw her into a conversation. So I asked, "I'm only talking, I'm not allowing you to talk. Tell me what are your hobbies ? What do you do in your past time ?"
"I listen to music, watch movies and sports," she replied.
"Oh great, what sort of music and sports do you like ?" I said.
She replied, "I love old Hindi songs too. I also like athletics like javeline, shotput and discuss throwing. I like heptathalon too. I also like wrestling and boxing."
I laughed, "Great ! It seems we like the same things. You know, I'm basically an introverted person. I cannot generally make friends. But with some people I feel a vibe and I can talk freely with them only. Can I tell you something personal ? You see, I'm quite short for a man. But I always had something for a tall girl. That is the main reason, why I'm able to talk to you so much. Ofcourse I know that you are my Boss's daughter, actually my employer's daughter. I can't even imagine that you can be my friend. But still I'm so fortunate that I could talk to you face to face. It's as if I've met the woman of my dreams."
Amrita smiled for the first time, a sweet smile lit up her face. "You are exaggerating", she said. "I know I'm huge and ugly."
I said, "Madam, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. If you do not believe me, I can swear on my mother who is in heaven, that your figure is exactly how I daydream about how my girlfriend should look like."
Amrita got up and went out of the room.
I felt as if I have bungled. In my excitement, I might have said too much. But what I said was not any exaggeration. I really felt that way. I didn't know what to do next. I shut the laptop...Put it in the bag....and stood up deciding to leave.
I was turning towards the door, when Amrita came in. She came and stood in front of me. It seemed that she was weeping, her eyes were still watery. Standing so close, I had to really look up to her face , since the top of my head was even lower than her shoulders. She looked down at me and said, "I am sorry I went away so abruptly. Actually nobody has ever spoken to me like that. That is why I couldn't control my tears. I wouldn't have believed you if you did not mention about your mother. See I don't have any friends. If you still want, you can be my friend."
I smiled. Extended my hand to her. She accepted it. Her palm was so much bigger than mine, it engulfed my palm into hers completely.
I said, "Thank you Madam, you have fulfilled a long cherished dream".
She said, "Not madam, I'm Amrita to you."
I said, "Amrita, can I ask for two things from you ? Can I have your mobile number ?"
She said sure and gave her number. To which, I gave a missed call to pass her my number. She looked at me questioningly , "What else do you want?"
I smiled and said, "A selfie with you." She bent her head backwards and laughed silently.
Then I took out my phone and posed with her for a selfie. She took my phone from my hand and said, "My hands are longer than you, so I'll take the pictures." We took quite a few selfies. In each of them I was dwarfed by her massive size. She was not only taller than me by almost a foot, she was almost double my weight. I was about 60 kgs, she was 105 kgs, which I learnt later on. Then we sat next to each other on the sofa and I sent her the pics to her whatsapp.
She said, "You wait, let me get something for you." I said, "Don't bother, Amrita, you sit here. Let us know each other better."
She said, "Ok, you asked for two things from me. Can I ask for something from you ?"
I said, "Gladly, I'll give you anything which I can afford to."
Amrita said, "Can you spare some time for me and teach me computers and spoken English ?"
I said, "Sure, why not... You let me know how often you want it and I'll gladly help you in this."
She said, "I would want everyday, since I've just found my only friend. But it's upto you, since you will be having a long day in office everyday and I don't want you to strain yourself."
I said, "That is not much of an issue. I'll talk to your father on this and work it out."
Then we sat side by side and discussed about what exactly she wanted to learn in computers. She stopped midway and got up. I looked askance. She smiled sweetly down from her magnificent height. "I'll come in five minutes," she said and left the room. I took out my phone and sent a message to her father, "Sir, everything's normal now. You can come."
Immediately came his response. "I'm reaching in 10 minutes. Thank you so much, son."
Amrita came in shortly after with a tray in hand. She had brought some sweets and juice. She laid them on the centre table and came and sat beside me again. I said, "Why did you do this Amrita, I told you not to. Ok, now we'll share this. You take half of it."
She laughed and said, "Do you want me to get more fat by eating those sweets."
I smiled, "Firstly, you are not fat, you are well built, which is also quite proportionate with your magnificent height... And secondly you know now na, that I like my girlfriend to be much taller and bigger than me... the bigger, the better."
Amrita laughed, "You are so different, Sumit."
The bell rang...Amrita looked at me and said, "That must be my parents." She went and opened the door. My boss and his wife entered. As soon as I saw them, I rose to my feet. I said "Namaste" to boss's wife and touched her feet. My boss smiled, took my hands and pressed them denoting a silent "Thank you". Then he patted Amrita's cheek and hugged her. I saw both their eyes filled with tears ...the happy ones.
