A rented room at a barrack located in Kalyani threw dark looks. Amidst the blackish enclosure, a man in his 40s lay on a bed covered with creased sheet, not washed for months. His face was shabby with beard, and the hair uncombed, but his eyes were hunting for some celestial light.
At his young days, he had dreams to attain celeb status. He tried his hands at glamour world with dancing, singing, anchoring and what not, but he faced the brunt most of the time.
Years passed, he received jolts as usual. He grew weak from within. One day, he thought of ending his life. He went to the banks of Charsarati and urged the goddess Ganga to claim his life.
He was about to jump, but he stopped, not in totality. He fell into the river and screamed aloud. He thought he was getting drowned, but the fate saved him. He splashed water around and took some refreshing dips. Out of excitement, he admitted, "I am a fool. What I was doing? God always gives us a chance. We fools don't grab it". By saying so, he came out of the river and walked to home.
The man put on fresh cloths and had his lunch. He enjoyed a cool sleep through the afternoon, and at evening, he went to a nearby temple to offer prayers. The next day, he started with zeal. He dropped at an advertising firm and met with the owner. He was searching for a managerial job.
The owner didn't entertain him first, but soon his heart melted after observing the hung face of the tired man. The agency owner offered him the job, and the man soon learnt the tricks of running a successful business. He continued with his job, but somewhere he was not happy.
After the daybreak, he would retire to his room and go to the flashback. He decided to exploit his passion once again. Every night, he wrote a poem pertaining to love, hatred, nature or whatever thoughts popped up in his mind.
One day, after leaving the office, he stopped by a newly opened restaurant at the Central Park. He felt happy when he saw a band performing live in front of the guests. The curious man asked for the restaurant owner and he was guided to the cabin.
The man sought permission to sit and that was granted. He explained the reason for the meet. The man sparked the conversation by reciting a self penned poem. The owner was impressed and said, "What next?" "Sir, I wish to recite a poem for your guests on the eve of the Valentine's Day" was the answer from the other end. The owner agreed, and the man turned up the next evening with lots of hopes. He was allowed to sit at a chair stationed at the corner of the restaurant.
The jolly well owner in black drag gave a cute smile and asked the man to wait for some time to avail the slot. 45 minutes passed, but there wasn't any response from the other end.
The impatient man left the chair and approached the owner loitering among the guests. Then the owner said, "Look, here is a big rush today. I think no one will be interested to listen to your poem. You come tomorrow" The man gave a blank nod and left the place.
He dropped at the restaurant the next evening after closing the office. The owner was there, but he wasn't friendly that moment. He said that he would place the matter in front of his manager and he would take the final decision. By saying so, he went out of the sight.
The restaurant manager came and asked about the purpose. The man repeated that he was interested to recite a poem. The manager suggested the man to sit outside the restaurant and wait for some time.
Thirty minutes passed. The answer was a big 'no'. The hopes were shattered, but the interest wasn't.
The man was filled positivism, lying on the bed, trying to soak in heavenly thoughts.
