Good Morning Sahib.

Sharad was travelling frequently across the country and many a times abroad since he has been a CEO of the company he has been working for last eight years. Right now, he was in the Mumbai international airport’s transit lounge waiting impatiently before some expected noise was due in some time. But, what can be the source of noise at international airport. In these places people try to be very quiet and sophisticated. Sometimes Sharad wondered why ? Will the aeroplane refuse to take the passengers speaking loudly or even speaking at all or will it get disturbed by people talking and will auto-pilot’s flight plan will go awry in its computer’s chip.

Never mind, he has to catch up with a business client and an important one in another country. But, still something in his sub-conscious mind was poking about a kind of expected noise because some ambient voices were now faintly audible. To his shock Sharad felt a light crawl on his leg, like some four legged thing was crawling on him. And then the expected noise came into his ears, the alarm clock was on a mission to wake up his master no matter how high it has to squeal. The four legged thing crawling on his leg came into vision, Sharad and Shikha’s ten months old daughter “Betu”, along with the alarm clock was trying to wake up her maaa. And saw towards her maaa(mother) with an expression that her maaa(father) isn’t responding. This was thing Sharad and Shikha were literally fan of. Their daughter called them both “maaa”. She was too young to utter any other meaningful voice. Also, the easiest thing to pronounce for a child is the word “maa”.

Shikha lifted up the little princess and made her sit on daddy’s chest. Betu patted Sharad on shoulders urging him to play with her. He was awake now, his CEO dream was over and there he was a Senior software engineer working in a very big and reputed Europe based MNC. His wife, Shikha, was also employed in the same company and was a level up than Sharad. She was his Team leader. They were now married for 2 years and Shikha decided to quit the job a few months back after they had the baby. Sharad was due for a promotion in a couple of days to the Tead leader’s role in his current project and was also recommended to work with the client’s team in Chicago, USA in coming 3 months. He then, will have to leave for US with his family for around three years.

Sharad carried her little princess to the bathroom and started brushing his teeth with Betu playing in his other arm with his hairs and his shaving brush he gave in her hands. Quickly he got ready for the office and came out of his flat to get into the elevator. He always felt moving in the elevator made the slowest part of his journey to office. He came out went to the parking and a very familiar and expected voice came in, “Good Morning Sahib”. Shambhu, the building’s night watchman was finishing his shift. He greeted Sharad every morning since two years. Sharad also, replied back “Kya haal chaal hain Shambhu sahab ?”.He felt kind of attachment with the old man. The old man was very compassionate and was particularily attached with Betu. He always played with her when Shikha took her for a walk in the evening or sometimes in night with Sharad also accompanied his family.

Sometimes the old watchman often adviced Sharad out of his age old  experience with this world. Sharad has lost his parents before getting  married to Shikha. First his father passed out and then her mother  couldn’t take the loss for long and she too passed away. This was also  one reason Sharad listened to the old man as there wasn’t anyone  elder than him in family who can advice him. The old man used to be a  part of the celebrations on festivals and birthdays. He was known to  the family for a long time when Sharad was in college. Sharad was now  ready in his car to jostle his way for the office through the Mumbai’s  gruff morning traffic. Sharad intended to sell off his real estate property before leaving for US because there won’t be anyone to look after as he has no siblings. Selling off the property and some land in his village will make a huge amount of money, lets say around fifty million INR.

Sharad’s day in office was an excellent one, his project manager gave him a good news that he has to leave for US in just one and a half months. That evening Sharad was very excited, he had plans to never come back once he left India. Who is here for whom he must come back ? Shambhu met him in the parking, Sharad gave in him the good news. Shambhu congratulated him but his voice was shaky. He asked whether Betu and Shikha also be going with him ? Sharad told him yes they will also be going. Shanbhu hugged Sharad tightly and went away to his small room nearby the building where he lived with his wife and son. His son worked as a taxi driver. His teary eyes left Sharad disturbed. For the first time he felt like he will be leaving behind some one on his departure from the country.

Sharad went home, played with Betu for sometime till she went to sleep. He discussed with his wife what happened in the parking today evening, his conversation with Shambhu. Shikha also felt bad thinking about how Shambhu has been the part of their family for long and he’ll left behind. But, what they can do they have to leave anyways, for their better future for their little daughter’s better future. Thinking and discussing about the same they went to sleep.

A week later Sharad’s and his family’s visa processing and other formalities before leaving started. He also called upon some of brokers to sell off his real estate property in Mumbai as soon as possible. In the mean time he and Shikha thought out something for Shambhu. One evening Sharad called Shambhu and his wife to his home and gave them the keys and registry papers of his furnished house in his village and five hundred thousand INR. Sharad and Shikha figured out this won’t be a problem for Shambhu to shift there as he was from the same village as of Shard’s father. At least he can do this much when he was ready to raise around fifty million INR by selling off his properties in India.

Shambhu broke down, his wife too, had tearful eyes with all the blessings of the world for Sharad, Shikha and Betu. Shikha too brimmed with emotions as both these old people cared for their family and her little princess. Sharad hugged Shambhu and promised to send back address and contact phone number when he will be in US. In the background Betu struggled to get off her maa’s(mother) arms for her maa(father) to play with her on the song “Lakadi ki kathi, kathi pe ghoda, ghode ki dum pe jo maara hathoda, dauda duada ghoda dum utha ke dauda”, by being her ghoda. The hard work of Sharad and Shikha paid off for their lives and life long endurance on Shambhu’s part paid off too. There were very few days left for Sharad to listen to “Good Morning Sahib” and reply back with “Kya haal chaal hain Shambhu sahab ?”.