Well, coming back to the present again it is three years now. I haven’t been able to completely dispel the pain of losing Rahul, but it is a sweet kind of pain now. Time has helped a lot in the healing process, time really does heal wounds. But the major factor that helped me was the bundle of joy in my life, our daughter Rahil which means one who shows direction. It was a name I had thought of that last day and now I would not consider any other.
It was like the name was his presence in our lives. The name and the conversation before his death always makes me feel like he knew all along. Anyway, whatever the reason the name suits her perfectly because she has given direction and purpose to all our lives. It is due to her, life is bright and beautiful for us.
But due credit goes to another person as well who helped me in my time of need and crisis, that is my dear friend Abhi. Abishek Mehra, who is now the CEO in the company Rahul worked for. He was the man the bosses 133
had asked to help me. He not only helped me with Rahul’s office assets but also with the house papers, the bank issues, the law suit that I had filed, then there was the need for IT setup for expansion of my business - he even helped me with that.
He even helped arrange a hefty loan for me in the beginning when everything was still in process so that I could fight my case which I eventually won and became richer. But that money I did not use I left it to Abhi to pay for the loan with interest and the rest to put in Rahil’s name for when she is older.
He just got involved in all the facets of my life before I even realised. It started as just basic office help, but we became friends in just a matter of time. When I sit to think of it I remember snitches of my conversations with Rahul who used to talk about his second in command. He was the one person Rahul trusted to the hilt. But the name never really registered, and we never did get to meet personally.
It was one of those things where Rahul would plan or think of inviting him and it would just fall through. But at my lowest Abhi came through as no one else, he is everything Rahul had said and more.
I remember having this conversation with Abhi some months back -
“Abhi, how come you stayed? I mean not that I am not glad but being ordered to sort Rahul’s desk and help his widowed wife must have pissed you. And to top that I was rude those first few weeks in fact I remember throwing a book at you when you came to the house for the papers and files.”