Congratulations!

Gautam

By the time I had reached the second to last sentence, I was up from the table, air-punching and dancing around. Realising Maa was asleep not far from the kitchen, I covered my mouth guiltily before sitting down and hitting reply.

Good evening, Gautam.

Thank you for your e-mail. I appreciate the offer and look forward to working at BusinessForward. I am available on Monday, should you wish to arrange a meeting to finalise the offer.

Many thanks,

Ashray

I hit send and closed my laptop screen, not bothering to shut it down the correct way. I packed my laptop back in its bag, switched off the kitchen light, and made my way to the bathroom. Switching on the bathroom light, I turned the nozzle on the shower. Removing my suit trousers, I folded them neatly and placed them at the door before removing the rest of my clothes and putting them in the laundry basket. I got into the shower, smiling. Perhaps this was the start of everything new in my life. Maybe I would find a woman who would settle down with me now, someone who would accept my mother as a part of our home. I felt that my dreams were almost within reach. I also knew that dreams were one thing—that you needed to find your purpose, believe ardently and your dreams would come true. But the truth is, those people who are successful, those who actually manage to achieve what they set out to do? Those are the people who get up every day and work hard, work persistently, to ensure that they surpass those who continue to only dream.

I got out of the shower, dried myself, and wrapped the towel around my waist. I did a little dance before leaving the bathroom, folded trousers in hand.

In my bedroom, I hung my trousers up, making a note to fetch my jacket and tie from the coat rack in the morning. Putting on a white t-shirt and a pair of track pants, I grabbed my journal and opened it to a blank page. I had begun keeping a journal a few years after I moved in with Maa, not only as a way to cope with my feelings, but as a way to keep my memories with her alive. Throughout my teen years, I wrote down all my victories and achievements, so that whenever I felt I had failed or couldn’t achieve something, I could look back and motivate myself. Maa found the journal once; I knew this because it had moved from its original position. I didn’t mind that she had read it. I never had anything negative to say about her anyway. Tonight, I penned down the details of my interview, how smart I looked when I left the house this morning, and how I managed to open up to the director of the company. I ended the entry with a copy of the email I had received from Gautam.