What will you be remembered for?

Ronit was in hurry, it’s already 6 P.M and he had to reach his friend Nikhil’s house by 7 P.M. After all, it’s Nikhil’s birthday, how could he be late but considering the traffic situation in the town it looked very difficult to Ronit to reach at the time.

Anyhow Ronit managed to reach there at 7.30 P.M, 

‘Hey Ronit you are late even today‘ said Nikhil. ‘Sorry bro but you know the traffic here. Anyway happy birthday‘ replied Ronit. ‘Thanks Ronit‘- Nikhil.

Ronit didn’t expect so many people at the birthday party, but considering the kind of person Nikhil was, always energetic and extrovert, it was obvious he must have a lot of friends.

‘I am feeling bored man, Nikhil doesn’t have time today and I know nobody here‘ murmured Ronit. Ronit was a very introvert type person, have only a handful of friends, always busy in his work. He never actually talk with strangers.

Suddenly Nikhil came from another side towards Ronit and said- ‘hey, I know you don’t like to talk with unknown people but here all are my friends, they can be your friend’s too, so go and talk’ but knowing Ronit, Nikhil knew it’s not very easy for him.

Ronit was thinking what to do with a soft drink bottle in his hand. Suddenly a waiter with some soft drink glasses in a tray came towards Ronit from behind but as soon as Ronit turned, a small accident occurred. The glass broke and the waiter got a big cut in his right hand.

‘Hey are you ok, let’s go to a hospital, I will pay for you’ said Ronit.     ‘I am ok sir, I will go myself‘- the waiter replied.

Varun was watching all this from a distance. He came near to Ronit and said- ‘Hi, I am Varun, Nikhil’s childhood friend‘

‘Hi, I am Ronit‘ replied Ronit. ‘I am sure you have a lot of money‘- Varun. ‘And why do you think so?‘-Ronit.

‘Of course, the way you said the waiter I will pay for you (with pride)’ –Varun.

‘But that was my duty, he got a cut because of me‘-replied Ronit      

‘If I can remember, you didn’t say him sorry‘-Varun,                                               ‘But why should I, I didn’t do it intentionally‘-Ronit replied.    

‘That’s right but sometimes a sorry can do wonder beyond our expectation. Anyway don’t mind it, so tell me about yourself, if you are comfortable’-Varun

Ronit generally avoids this kind of conversations with a random stranger but in this circumstance, feeling bored and no one familiar to talk, he tried to talk with Varun.

‘I am 27 years old, work as a financial broker’–Ronit    

‘So that’s how you make a lot of money, but your introduction cannot be that short or you don’t want to share‘-Varun        

‘No, I don’t have so many things to share, mostly busy in my work, don’t have much time to do anything. and what you do?‘ –Ronit

‘Workaholic, that’s great by the way. I am 28 years old but still behave like a kid sometimes. I am  a writer, trying to write some books, sometimes write for ad agencies, sometimes a songwriter and I have a blog,  but actually, I started my career as a software engineer‘-Varun                                                                                                                  

‘Wow, you do so many things, but why did you left as a software engineer and become something else, I think former job did pay you much more‘-Ronit

‘Yeah you are correct, when I was in college, I also thought the same way. I can make so much money becoming a software engineer. Then I joined a company, which make software mainly for banks. After one year I lose my enthusiasm and excitement in that job somehow. I don’t know why but I began to think, I can buy a Mercedes or a big house doing this job, but many people now do have Mercedez and big house, so do people respect and remember most of them. I started to think, where I want to see myself in the future. I looked at my boss and thought at best I can be in my boss’s place in the future, but that didn’t excite me. So I left that job and begun to look closely at my nature and started doing things close to my nature, that’s how today  whatever I am.‘-Varun

‘But, don’t you think you have missed an opportunity to live a life, having things that many people only dreamt of, what’s the guarantee that people would remember you for whatever you are doing now‘-Ronit

‘Yeah there is no guarantee and I should not expect that also. But somehow I feel my worth for whatever I am doing now. And more lavish things mean you are successful, you are living a life what other people dreamt of, true but externally, to at best some people’s eye but that does not guarantee you internal success, which to me is more important‘-Varun

‘So, you think I am not successful internally, I can’t have inner peace‘-Ronit       ‘No, I never said that. It’s in your hand, how you build your life, everyone is different, one way doesn’t work for other, one must know his/her true nature and do things according to that‘-Varun

‘I have never seen a guy like you, the way you talk sometimes difficult to digest but it feels true. I never express myself truly to others or even to myself. I never think that way, maybe I am afraid sometimes, what if I don’t earn enough money, how would then people look at me? I want to do many things, I want to have more adventures, I want to become a fit person, I want to travel more but somehow I always postpone these things just for working more and earn more‘-Ronit.

‘Hey, work is great if you like it, you can work more also but work without life has no meaning. Work is a part of your life, not your whole life. So start making time for those things which you really want to do, you will be amazed how small things can change  life‘– Varun  

                                                                                                                                              ‘Thank you so much Varun, you are a very special person‘-Ronit                         ‘Hey, I am not any special, everyone is special in their own way. My favorite scientific hero Albert Einstien once said –

“A quiet and modest life brings more joy than a constant persuit of success bound with constant unrest”    

It was already 11 P.M, Ronit and Varun said bye to each other and leave. That night on the way to home Ronit thought, a stranger, whom he never liked to talk earlier can make such an impact on his life.

He decided to talk with strangers next time he will meet. ‘I have really missed so many good friends by not talking to them, don’t want to miss any more‘- said Ronit.