This is the story about a boy in his teens whose name was Victor. And like his name, he wanted to be a victor. Something that eluded him always. And he also wanted his story to have a happy ending, always. And that too eluded him, always. Every time, he took out to do something, he failed. He wanted to paint a beautiful picture. But never could fill all the colors.If he did, they got smeared at the last moment. He wanted to win a running race. But never could win any. He came close once but fell down in the last lap. His leg got entangled in another runners leg. He wanted to sing to a crowd. He was never allowed. When he was, he got a sore throat. He fell in love twice.The first girl never noticed him. The second one soon found another one who was good at getting frequent happy endings to his quests. So much as he aspired, happy endings always eluded him.
Many years passed. And he grew bigger and older. Life was going on. Nothing was wrong. Yet nothing was great either. His quest for a happy ending was still on. And happy endings continued to elude him as much as before. He wondered if that is ever going to happen. And then something happened. Yes the boy met the girl as it happens in every story. And this certainly was a situation that demanded happy ending. So one afternoon, Victor met Cynthia. She had come to apply for the same job which Victor had applied for. Both sat in the visitors' lounge waiting for their turn. But it was afternoon, and the employer walked out to have his lunch. This left the two of them thinking about what to do next. So they talked to each other. And decided to have lunch together. The lunch got them into longer conversation. And then it got over. And the interview got over next. None got the job. They walked out together and agreed to have the evening coffee together.
Both sat in a busy cafeteria on a nearby street. As the conversation progressed, Victor felt a strange feeling of comfort in talking about his own things to Cynthia. He told Cynthia about the happy endings that he always chased. And that they never happened to him. At least till now. Cynthia listened to it quietly and went into deep thoughts. After a while, she broke the silence. "Victor, we do not yet know each other well. But if you do not mind, can you meet me at the Imperial street on next Sunday?" Victor agreed. He generally had nothing to do on weekends. And Cynthia seemed to be a sensible person to spend the next Sunday with.
On next Sunday, both met at the agreed place. After initial hand shakes, Cynthia turned and started walking towards a building on the other extreme end of the road. Victor just followed. It was an old building in a dilapidated state. They entered it silently walked through a passage which had a few rooms resembling class rooms. Cynthia guided him to the stairway that took them to the first floor. Victor was wondering what is on Cynthia's mind. But he soon got his answer. Cynthia opened the door to a room which was really dark. He saw a lamp dimly glowing on a wooden table and sat an old man on a chair with his head sunk in a notebook kept on the table. He was writing slowly making some notes in it struggling to see his own written words in the dim light of the lamp. The old man had countless wrinkles on his face. He had few hair on his head. And though his eyes seemed to be alert, he did not seem to have noticed the presence of two more people in the room. And then suddenly Cynthia walked out of the room and Victor followed her. She kept on walking till they left the building and entered a nearby cafe which had few people sitting inside. She went and occupied a street facing table and Victor quietly joined her.
"Are you wondering what I am doing?"said Cynthia. "Umm ... yes." replied Victor.
" That old man is my father."
" Oh is he? Why didn't you introduce me to him?"
" I would have. But he can't hear anything."
" Ohh ..."
" He is a mathematician."
" That is nice."
" Yes. He studied under some very accomplished researchers.He was the most gifted mathematician of his times"
"Interesting. But what made you take me to him and then come back without saying a word?"
" Victor, my dad spent 55 years of his life in maths research. He was and is still one of the most gifted mathematician that this country has ever seen. But you know, his work was stolen at least three times before and published by some other folks as their own."
" That is unfair. He should have taken those people into court."
" Now that is the whole point Victor. He never wanted to do that."
"But why?"
" He always said - My rewards come from the solutions I derive. Not from the recognition people give. I enjoy the thought process and then the thrill of reaching the solutions. Nobody has ever been able to rob it from me. And that is all I need. For anything else, my paycheck does the needful "
Now it was Victor's turn to go into deep thoughts. His whole past life experiences came in front of his eyes. His painting was the most beautiful thing he ever created while it lasted. And when the paint got smeared, all the colors merged into one. His race got him get the best early morning experiences that he ever had. And though he stumbled in the last lap, the practice sessions in the lovely winter mornings were still fresh in his mind. And though he could never sing to a crowd, but his practice sessions made him feel the beautifully written lyrics as if they told his own story. And though he twice failed in love, he still can't forget how his ears used get warm and red when he fumbled with words trying to make a conversation with his teenage sweet hearts. He could now see so many happy stories of his own life. And the endings hardly seemed to matter. And all that seemed to have happened within a matter of last 30 minutes.
He looked at Cynthia. And she did not look like the girl that he thought she was. He was speechless. He just kept his hands over hers and covered her palms with his own. He could barely say, " Thanks !" and walked out quietly.Cynthia looked at him with a gentle smile on her face. He was no more looking for happy endings. Just looking to have many more never ending happy journeys. She waved at him when he was not even looking back and herself made a quiet exit. This indeed was a happy ending !
Many years passed. And he grew bigger and older. Life was going on. Nothing was wrong. Yet nothing was great either. His quest for a happy ending was still on. And happy endings continued to elude him as much as before. He wondered if that is ever going to happen. And then something happened. Yes the boy met the girl as it happens in every story. And this certainly was a situation that demanded happy ending. So one afternoon, Victor met Cynthia. She had come to apply for the same job which Victor had applied for. Both sat in the visitors' lounge waiting for their turn. But it was afternoon, and the employer walked out to have his lunch. This left the two of them thinking about what to do next. So they talked to each other. And decided to have lunch together. The lunch got them into longer conversation. And then it got over. And the interview got over next. None got the job. They walked out together and agreed to have the evening coffee together.
Both sat in a busy cafeteria on a nearby street. As the conversation progressed, Victor felt a strange feeling of comfort in talking about his own things to Cynthia. He told Cynthia about the happy endings that he always chased. And that they never happened to him. At least till now. Cynthia listened to it quietly and went into deep thoughts. After a while, she broke the silence. "Victor, we do not yet know each other well. But if you do not mind, can you meet me at the Imperial street on next Sunday?" Victor agreed. He generally had nothing to do on weekends. And Cynthia seemed to be a sensible person to spend the next Sunday with.
On next Sunday, both met at the agreed place. After initial hand shakes, Cynthia turned and started walking towards a building on the other extreme end of the road. Victor just followed. It was an old building in a dilapidated state. They entered it silently walked through a passage which had a few rooms resembling class rooms. Cynthia guided him to the stairway that took them to the first floor. Victor was wondering what is on Cynthia's mind. But he soon got his answer. Cynthia opened the door to a room which was really dark. He saw a lamp dimly glowing on a wooden table and sat an old man on a chair with his head sunk in a notebook kept on the table. He was writing slowly making some notes in it struggling to see his own written words in the dim light of the lamp. The old man had countless wrinkles on his face. He had few hair on his head. And though his eyes seemed to be alert, he did not seem to have noticed the presence of two more people in the room. And then suddenly Cynthia walked out of the room and Victor followed her. She kept on walking till they left the building and entered a nearby cafe which had few people sitting inside. She went and occupied a street facing table and Victor quietly joined her.
"Are you wondering what I am doing?"said Cynthia. "Umm ... yes." replied Victor.
" That old man is my father."
" Oh is he? Why didn't you introduce me to him?"
" I would have. But he can't hear anything."
" Ohh ..."
" He is a mathematician."
" That is nice."
" Yes. He studied under some very accomplished researchers.He was the most gifted mathematician of his times"
"Interesting. But what made you take me to him and then come back without saying a word?"
" Victor, my dad spent 55 years of his life in maths research. He was and is still one of the most gifted mathematician that this country has ever seen. But you know, his work was stolen at least three times before and published by some other folks as their own."
" That is unfair. He should have taken those people into court."
" Now that is the whole point Victor. He never wanted to do that."
"But why?"
" He always said - My rewards come from the solutions I derive. Not from the recognition people give. I enjoy the thought process and then the thrill of reaching the solutions. Nobody has ever been able to rob it from me. And that is all I need. For anything else, my paycheck does the needful "
Now it was Victor's turn to go into deep thoughts. His whole past life experiences came in front of his eyes. His painting was the most beautiful thing he ever created while it lasted. And when the paint got smeared, all the colors merged into one. His race got him get the best early morning experiences that he ever had. And though he stumbled in the last lap, the practice sessions in the lovely winter mornings were still fresh in his mind. And though he could never sing to a crowd, but his practice sessions made him feel the beautifully written lyrics as if they told his own story. And though he twice failed in love, he still can't forget how his ears used get warm and red when he fumbled with words trying to make a conversation with his teenage sweet hearts. He could now see so many happy stories of his own life. And the endings hardly seemed to matter. And all that seemed to have happened within a matter of last 30 minutes.
He looked at Cynthia. And she did not look like the girl that he thought she was. He was speechless. He just kept his hands over hers and covered her palms with his own. He could barely say, " Thanks !" and walked out quietly.Cynthia looked at him with a gentle smile on her face. He was no more looking for happy endings. Just looking to have many more never ending happy journeys. She waved at him when he was not even looking back and herself made a quiet exit. This indeed was a happy ending !
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