The price to be paid

It had been a long time I was in dire need of a vacation. The moment arrived when my friend who is a bank employee called me asking if I were free for the weekend as the banks had called out a strike and he was free for the weekend. I said why not lets hang out and explore. He agreed. He arrived at my place on Sunday morning and we took a nice bike ride to Kashid a small town near Alibaugh. It took us 3 hours to reach. Though tiring the journey was fun riding the bike taking chances, waiting to observe beautiful and natural scenarios around, taking in the fresh air and feeling the cool breeze, refreshing ourselves in the midst of the greenery around. It was just very beautiful. Both my friend and I were over-whelmed over choosing this place for our weekend and were enjoying every second of it. We finally reached Kashid and booked a room for ourselves and went to sleep. As decided in the evening we took a ride to the beach for some water-sports and some relaxing massages and also to view the sunset. Least to mention also to flirt around with girls over there who may be tourists like us. 

We reached the beach and it was a great site to see. My friend and I soon ran out to the sea waters and took a dip to refresh ourselves with all the tiring aches we had because of the journey. He then decided to take a water ski ride and I decided to romance my pen and the words again so I just took up my book and sat at one of the shacks built adjacent to the beach. I was thinking deeply to write about something and was just looking around at the people around on the beach. They were all having fun. Suddenly, "Can I sit here if you don't mind?" I heard someone say this to me. I turned around to see and I found a man all dressed up in a nice black suit, by the make I could say it was Armani. His hair well cut and well groomed with jel applied in it. He was wearing a nice perfume by the fragrance I could not guess the brand but for sure it had to be the best given that he looked so classy he could not have compromised on the perfume too. "Yes." I just replied to him with one single word. He sat besides me on the plastic chair, but before that he cleaned it with his handkerchief. While he was sitting I couldn't help but wonder that there is something very very familiar about this man and may be I have seen him or known him from somewhere but I wasn't able to realize or recognize who he was and where did I ever meet him. But yes for sure there was something very strangely familiar about him. He then sat there and was staring at me. I could see it from the corner of my eye and was not able to focus on my writing. He then just smiled and told me "It happens." I was surprised and gave him a quizzical look. "You know when someone is sitting and staring at you, you cannot just think and focus on writing something." He was right most of the writers have this issue and I too had the same issue. I again wanted to ask him as to how does he know I was writing something but I guess he had already read my mind and answered," I was a writer once." I asked him then, "Oh so you are a writer, that's great so what did you writer which book or poem collection or may be a movie. Can you guide me with some tips.You would be a very successful writer I guess." He looked at me and said with a sad smile," My friend I WAS a writer I ain't anymore. I am now just a boring business man who earns money." He was seeming very sad when he mentioned he was a business man. "Being a business man isn't bad.Its a good thing to earn money after all money is important in today's world. Money pays for everything. It pays for your luxuries, your food clothing and shelter, your comfort, education, luxuries for the family and a lot more. I prefer being a business man than rather being a writer I have huge ambitions and I want to earn a lot and become hugely successful in business. What is so sad about that, I don't understand your sadness?" "Really, you want all those things you just said. Are you sure?" "Yes I am very sure." I answered confidently. "Then are you ready for the price to be paid in exchange of all that." "What can be the price for all that you deserve, I guess there is no price but hard work and smart work and dedication to your goals and ambitions." He looked at me and smiled when I replied to him with this answer. He then took a deep breath and pointed to a BMW standing in the parking area near the shack. I am a huge fan of cars and bikes looking at it I couldn't control but just whistled. I wasn't aware he wanted to say something. He took a deep breath and spoke again "Yeah! Thats the reaction I always gave when I saw that car pass around on the road and always told my self one day I will buy it. Today that car is mine. I have a huge bank balance. It is so huge that if I dont earn anything and spend every day nearly 1 million dollars then too my kids and their kids wouldn't have to earn forever. I have become very famous in the business world and have reached a huge level. From there everything else seems to be very small. Everything." "Wooowww!!! that sounds exciting. I mean you got everything you dreamed of, your friends and family would be so happy and proud of you, you would be enjoying your life so much. I mean thats what everyone wants isn't it a lot of money, luxuries and all and especially a car like that." "Friends?Family? Are they proud of me? Do I enjoy my life? Hhuuuhhh!!! My friend ever heard the statement money cannot buy everything. I lost all my friends because I was very busy earning money. Today they love me but they only have my memories with them. They don't complain that I don't meet them. But they are sad that their friend values money a lot. My parents can hardly meet me once a month that too just for a fraction of a second. They always tell me we understand son you have a lot going on. But I never get a chance to sit by and eat all the food my mom cooks, I do not get a chance to go out for a walk with my old father. I do not get a moment with my kids I cannot see them playing or going to sleep. I dont remember when was the last I kissed my wife and hugged her and told her that she is the most beautiful woman in the universe and how much I love her and appreciate her support. All these people don't complain but they miss me. They love me no doubt but I never get a chance to feel that love anymore. I have everything today but I am lonely. I use to write great poems and articles I had huge fans among my friends and others who loved my write ups, I even had a dream to get published but never had that kind of money for that, today I can buy 10 publication houses if I want and can get many of my books published but my mind and spirit have given up on writing and time isn't giving me the luxury to write. I end up one meeting with clients and land up on another in a fraction of a second. I use to listen to music and also wished some day could compose my own rap song but again the same factors denied me. I wished for a BMW. I did get it but I lost that stall where I use to sit with my friends chat for hours and have tea. I wished for the duplex penthouse apartment in the most classy part of the city, I did get it but I lost the lap of my mother where I use to put my head and go to sleep without any worries. I wished for huge money but I lost the woman I loved the most to whom I had promised the whole world. I became a business man but I lost the father I was when I held my child for the first time in my arms and it for the first time opened its eyes to me. I became a money making machine but lost that human being I was who was LIVING and not just EARNING.All this was just a price to be paid for the dreams I had. I never knew my dreams would ever have such prices to be paid. And now that I have realized that the cost has been too much I cant change it. The outstanding is too much yet to come my friend. " I was a little taken aback looking at this man's agony and I could remember people saying to me many times huge ambitions have huge prices to be paid and huge sacrifices to be made. But they never told what once a person achieves those dreams. Whatever this man said is the agony of all the business men. To receive everything back I know he will have to give away everything he has earned. But today he knows the price to be paid for getting everything back is far too cheaper than the price he paid to earn money. I just looked at him and I spoke " Yes I understand your agony and I also understand the addiction one gets when he starts earning money. But there is a solution to every addiction and to this one too. You are at a no profit no loss situation you have almost achieved everything you wanted and now its time to celebrate. Let go off some business deals it wont affect you much but take time out to be with your family and friends. Let go off some meetings someday but sit and write something you can. Let go off may be a day or two out of business take a leave and go and explore new places or sing songs to your self. And I promise you soon your agony will end. You will know that though you pay the price you can always bargain to make it a bit cheaper." He looked at me a little with a smile and told me "You are right I know I can and this is the reason why I have disappeared from my office switched off my cell number to go and meet my family and friends. I am sure my friends will surely come to catch up with me as soon as I call them. There is a lot to be shared about life with them." I was so happy I could counsel this man out of his agony and I wrote my cell number and passed it on to him "Here this is my cell number in case you ever need help do call me. My name is Kunal Dhiren Patrawala and you are?" I put my hand forward to shake hands with him he held his hand out and said "My name is Mr.........................Kunal Dhiren Patrawala." I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. 

My friend shouted out from the other side of the beach "Hey Kunal lets go for another dip man before its too late." I stood up closed my book patted my head and with a smile on my face said to myself 'It was nice meeting you Mr.Kunal Dhiren Patrawala"