Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} The Fortune Teller   Two years ago I was 27, just completed my Master’s degree in Management and had a sound-salary job at a bank which I still do have. Being the elder son, I often used to get suggestions and sometimes pressure, of which I was completely used to by then, about getting married. But, I had been shunning all those kinds of suggestions and pressure from my relatives and friends. It wasn’t, I didn’t want to get married, but I didn’t believe in the drab and boorish ‘arrange marriage’. As soon as I finished my Bachelor’s, I was in a kind of quest looking for someone of ‘my-type’. But, regardless of all my endeavour nothing came out that could make me a happy man and above all a woman’s man. My nearest and dearest friends blamed my untalkative nature and an inherent shyness towards girls for that. They may be correct to some extent, but, what I personally think is that, I didn’t let girls understand much about myself and that was the thing lagging in me.   My mother is a religious woman; she never misses any of the religious rituals that take place around the neighbourhood. In addition, she has a hobby of visiting some sort of fortune tellers or palm readers every now and then in a month. One day me my brother, Asish, only two years younger than me, were sipping tea, sitting on the balcony. Actually, Asish is a Computer Engineer but he finds it more applauding to be called as a ‘hacker’. I don’t know what kind of job he does, but is always busy sitting inside his room in front of his lap-top. And when I ask him he simply says, “It’s a kind of on-line job.” But whatever he does, he makes a good money out of it and that is evident from his new lap-top, a second-hand motor bike and hours long conversation with his “janu” on his mobile phone.   “Pawan, Pawan.” My mother called from the kitchen, downstairs.   Holding the tea in my hand, I went down to the kitchen.   “Aren’t you off today?” She asked.   I nodded.   “Yesterday, Rekha told that there is a fortune teller who is good and almost accurate in prediction and I have his address, its not too far from here.” She said in a breath.   I understood she wanted me to go along with her to see that fortune teller. For her peace of mind also I couldn’t deny going there. That afternoon we had a visit to the fortune teller.   He had a decent, two-storied house, which was quite impossible with fortune telling only. On the way my mother told me that he has some kind of paper-business and is only a part time fortune teller. He was a man in his mid fifties with white mustache and black rimmed glasses. He joined his hands as soon as my mother entered the room, where he was sitting on a sofa, under a fan. I did the same for him as he looked towards me through his glasses. He began to calculate something in his small note book after my mother told him my date and time of birth.    â€œLucky man, you are. You have come with a lot of wealth.” He said and had a quick glance at me.   Hearing that my mother had a delightful smile on her face. Amazingly, he told many things that resembled with my past and present life. After a while, he stared long in his note book and said, “A woman.” And continued, “Within two weeks, a woman will come in your life.” I considered it as a bluff. But, somewhere inside, I was equally delighted and excited.   A week later, I was having lunch at a restaurant nearby the bank where I work. I was about to leave when two girls came and sat just opposite to my table. As I walked through the tables, one of them said, “Hello.” I turned back and stood still facing one of the girls. Then she spoke, “Would you first bring us some water?” I couldn’t think what to say, “I’m not the waiter.” I replied and walked towards the counter.    To be continued………    Last edited: 24-Apr-09 10:24 AM