The Mitesh Kanani

He woke up early morning at five, like his usual routine. It was a bright and chirpy morning. The first rays of the Sun were starting to make his window glow bright. This was the time of the day which he enjoyed the most. He was awake, yet not out of bed. After a few moments, he felt his wife get up from the bed and leave the room for the morning chores. He heard his kids wake up. It was the best feeling in the world. Every morning when he heard their voices, it made the days better and life more beautiful.
It was the same routine every day. He closed his eyes and listened to the hymn of his day starting around him.

His wife was shouting. She had the task of getting the kids ready, meanwhile instructing the household help to get the things ready. After that, she too would need to get ready to leave for the job. Seldom, when they fought, she would complain that he never helps her. Secretly, he knows that she is a self-made woman and this was the time when he was giving her space. Secretly, she also knew that he is awake before her and he listens to everything. It is the sort of silent secret between them that they never made.

Today morning was different. He lay on his bed, listening to his kids getting ready. He smelled the eggs and the toast getting ready. He heard his wife come into the room and then take out clothes from the wardrobe to get ready. He finally got out of his bed and made his way to the washroom. On the way, he noticed the time. He was five minutes late than his usual time. After refreshing himself from a sound and carefree sleep, he went to the drawing room. His kids were still in their rooms. He took the newspaper from the study table and carried it onto the breakfast table. His kids joined him minutes later and greeted him affectionately. He hugged them both back. They were ready and all set to leave. As they settled, breakfast was served on the table. His wife too joined them minutes later. She was ready to leave for work, or at least that is what she would say. They had a quick silent breakfast and the kids left for their school soon after that. They both hugged him and greeted him farewell before leaving every day. They did so today as well. Yet, there was something that made him long for more. He kept looking at the direction of the door even when he could not see them anymore.

He was already late. He took a quick bath. When he came out, he expected that his wife would have left already. But she informed him that something went wrong with her car and the driver needed to take it for repair. She was calling a cab. He had one presentation to take and it was not very urgent but he was a kind of man who does not like to be late. His wife knew this. However, out of the unexpected blues, he said that she need not call the cab and that he would drop her to her office. It felt weird when he said it but when his wife was sitting beside him, in his car, it felt the obvious thing. He could not help wonder how he had not done this for so long.

Outside his wife's office, he made a quick call that he was going to be little late. Then, he insisted on walking her to the office building from the parking. His wife was sure that she was with a different man. He loved her, she knew, but never did he show it before like this in the nineteen years of marriage. She did not know what to speak to him and he too kept the silence. When it was time to say goodbye, she turned to him and smiled. He felt as if he was seeing this woman for the first time. It was a miracle of how could she do all the chores, be perfect in her job and yet he was blessed to be with her. He kept looking at her till she disappeared from sight.

It felt like forever that he stood waving to his wife, but he would give away anything to do it again. Finally, he turned to leave. It was not much but he had to cross a road to reach his car in the parking. For the first time in years, he was in some other world. He definitely loved his family but today he was valuing what he had. He kept remembering his children. He thought of how much they had grown and how much he had grown with them. He thought of his wife and all the distance that she had come with him.

He was in his own thoughts and did not even realize that he came to the road. He was almost on the other side when he heard the brakes screech and a car stopped just millimetres away from him. It took him a moment to sink it all in and he fell down when it did. He was not hurt by the car but the shock had shaken him completely. In a matter of seconds, there were swarms of people around him, offering him all sorts of helps. He was still shaken to speak. He just kept nodding his head to refuse.
Slowly, people retreated to their lives. There were still few who insisted on accompanying him to the car. He was perfectly fine when he reached his car. He thanked the people who accompanied him and then opened the door of his car. Just as he was about to enter, he felt someone's hand on his shoulders.

He turned to see that there was an old lady. She looked nearly as old as his mother would have had been if she were alive. Something about the lady, made him stop completely. She was smiling to him and he smiled back.

Lady - “I saw what happened child. I just came to say, God is really kind on you. May God bless you.”

The lady smiled for a moment longer and then left. He stood there astonished. The shock was gone, just like it had come, in a second.

He sat into his car, drove to the place where he needed to give a presentation. He was guided to the podium, in front of hundreds of new associates for the firm. They were bright smiling faces. He smiled back. Every smile reminded him of the smiles he saw on his kids faces. He recalled his wife face when she waved to him. He remembered the old lady and how she had blessed him. That day was indeed different. He had learned a new and very important lesson. It is very important to know your blessings. You might relish them but if you don't know them, you would not be thankful for them.

When everything was ready, he closed his eyes for a second, took a deep breath, thanked God for all the blessings that he had received and those he is yet to receive. When he opened his eyes, every moment seemed like a new blessing. He stepped forward and spoke..

Man - “Hello. Good Morning. My name is Mitesh Kanani, and I am here to welcome all of you to the firm, associates.”