The Ruined Rainbow

CHAPTER 79

Sahil

A brilliant shade of bright blue blended the sky with a tint of golden yellow. Lustrous glimmers of the sun arrive as invitations to the day. Fresh rain droplets skid down the green and new leaves. A calm, soothing breeze arrived, and many trees shrugged, teeny yet impressive water droplets falling down their branches and foliage.

The topmost floor of the most affluent hotel in Varanasi has one intriguing spectator. The luxurious, opulent room watches its inhabitant with great interest. The ceiling-to-floor glass windows are dangerously clean, running the length of almost a wall. The rich, embroidered curtains are mildly separated, allowing the onlooker to stand and gaze at the view of the holy city afore.

I watched, with my hands in my pocket, as one pair of the rain droplets glid from the glass window of the topmost floor of the hotel, one racing the other and both mutually falling on the earth. 

The in-house telephone jangled, and I walked across the carpeted floor and took up the call,

"Yes. One coffee. Three sachets of sugar. No, make it four sachets. Thank you."

And sure enough, ten minutes later, a waiter dressed in the resort suit arrived in my sumptuous room with a kettle, necessities and, as mentioned, four sachet sets of sugar. He proposed to pour it for me; I didn't deny it.

He ran the coffee in a fancy and expensive-looking mug.

"How many sachets shall I empty, sir?"

"All of them," I said tirelessly, yanking a pair of jeans and a clean white T-shirt from my trolley.

He was mildly apprehensive, but he didn't need to be told twice. However, he did hesitate before emptying all the packets of sugar.

"Here is your coffee, sir. " he extended it to me; I gestured at the table beside him.  He obliged. "Have a nice day."

"Thank you. " I nodded.

He looked like he wanted to say something but then decided against it. He bowed once more before finally exiting the room. However, just a minute after the door closed, a knock was heard.

I was about to have the first sip of my coffee just then.

Placing the mug down, I reached for the door. I was surprised to see the same waiter who was here to pour me my coffee a few minutes before.

"Yes? Did you forget something?"

"Sahil, sir, can I please-" he faltered before saying, "Can I please get your autograph for my son? He is your fan, and he loves you."

I smiled genuinely for the first time in the day.

"Of course, what is there to hesitate in asking that? Come in. Do you have anything where I can sign upon?"

"Sorry, sir-" he said sheepishly.

"That's not an issue; I saw a book here; I'll tear a page," I said, reaching out for a hotel's complimentary diary, which was placed over the glass table, along with a few magazines.

"Why did you hesitate in asking for the first time?" I asked, tearing a page and keeping the hard bounded diary below for support, and I scanned for a pen. Luckily I found a pen stand right beside the magazines.