The tyranny of fate it seems was having the last laugh. All doors of opportunities were shut from all possible corners. A thief had stolen the suitcase which had academic documents, a passport and a joining letter from a reputed company. Back then in 1984 it was not easy to get those same documents re-issued. It needed a little more time than usual to get the job done. His dreams had come crashing down and everything looked so bleak. 

The assassination of the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi had caused anti-Sikh riots all over India. She was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguard that led to the upheaval. The situation was very tense and a lot was at stake. Jugal in this political chaos had lost everything that had mattered to him to start a life that he deserved. He was in Delhi, the capital of India, on that unfortunate day. 31st October 1984 was horrific for him on a more personal level. He was neither religious nor inclined to politics but he was awfully sad. 

Jugal without the passport just couldn’t board the flight the next day to Dubai, the capital of Emirates of Dubai, the country has seven emirates. He was to join an oil company as an accountant and all hopes had dashed. He was unlucky in love as from childhood he had a crush on his classmate Suman. It was a one-sided thing and very early in life fate had started playing with him. He had loving parents but they were never home together as they both worked as nurses in a private hospital. They had rotational shifts and as a child he lost out on so much. 

Jugal was a studious boy from the very start and his parents’ absence pushed him to focus on his books. Being an only child was more of a curse for him. He loved the company of people and that was the same reason he loved his school. School was pure fun. The oddity of his house situation bothered less this way. Whenever back home from school he busied himself with things that gave him happiness. He played with squirrels who lived on the tree behind his house. He loved his parents but he was distant. The neighbourhood was his peace and joy.

Jugal Sharma grew up before his time. While his parents were away he did house chores not as a duty but he enjoyed them. He loved to cook for himself whenever he got hungry, mini meals with eggs, potatoes and dal. Rice was his favourite filler. While hanging out with his neighbourhood aunties he had picked up this skill and his parents felt that they had given birth to an all rounder. Before leaving for work his mum used to heat the leftovers of the night for both her hubby and Jugal. His father used to catch up on sleep during the day and leave by 8pm. Jugal’s mother used to return by 9pm. 

Rarely did the family go out for fun escapades. Fun was to have his parents home together under one roof if either one had called in sick for work. This meant the world for him. Caring for them when they needed it the most had earned him a lot of their blessings. When did childhood transform itself into adulthood he had no clue. Fate loved to play hide and seek with him and somehow he was getting used to it. It mattered less that things did not work out his way but he managed to find happiness still. 

After losing out on the Dubai job and finally getting all his paperwork and passport re-issued, the desire to work abroad died a natural death. A second catastrophe had hit during that period. His father passed away and staying with his mum seemed right. Kanpur, the largest city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and also his birthplace, had lots of jobs to make it work. At the age of 26, Jugal, 6 feet tall, a curly-haired guy with soft features and a moustache looked suave. He started working as an assistant to the manager in a travel agency. 

It was good to stay close to a setup where he could never place himself at least then. Travel agencies catered to their customers who wished to travel abroad too. A couple of years of hard work promoted him to a manager and then there was no looking back professionally. During this course of time his mother’s health started deteriorating. Strenuous workload over the years at the hospital had taken the life out of her. Her health demanded someone close to take care of her. An arranged marriage was the only solution as loving again was out of the question for Jugal.

The hunt for a bride meant numerous meetups. Each time he met a girl for the purpose of marriage Suman always resurfaced in his heart. This chaos within used to take a toll on him but was not readable to anybody. After a year of hunting his mother was very happy when he finally chose Sangeeta to be his wife. She was a homely girl and that was the need of the hour. Marriage is a big step and Jugal aimed to make it work. Initial years there was a little reluctance to finally let go of Suman but their third anniversary brought good news as Sangeeta was expecting. 

It’s 2024, when he looks back Jugal smiles to himself. The journey was worth it. He is 66 now and a grandfather and owns a general store. His mother couldn’t witness the birth of his only son in 1990 as she died due to lung cancer. Life demanded many sacrifices along the way and through Sangeeta’s emotional support he was able to win in spite of whatever fate threw at him. He showered his son with the love and time he couldn’t get and educated him. Got him married, the entire family survived covid19 and are now all set to celebrate 2025 in Dubai with a bang.