Bakultala, Howrah
12May, 2007
07:45 AM
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the dusty window panes, casting a golden stripes across the bed causing Rahul to wake up.
He saw that he is in his childhood home, in Bakultala, a small town nestled about 5 kilometers away from Kolkata, other side of the Hoogly river.
Outside the window he saw people come back in groups from their morning walks from Shibpur botanical Garden. Some uncles were sitting nearby on the benches of Munna da's tea tall, sipping tea while discussing about politics as usual.
These secnes were reminder to him that what happened was not a dream he really did come back in time.
Rahul Sen's family was the very definition of middle-class resilience. His father, Rajib Sen is a welder/gascutter at GRSE. His mother, Purnima Sen is a teacher at a private primary school. His sister, Ritika Sen is in fifth grade in the same school as him. His parents combined income was around ₹35,000. In 2007 it's modest, yet enough to cover their needs.
Rahul and his sister may not enjoy extravagant vacations or designer clothes, but there was a roof over their heads, warm meals on the table and an unspoken bond of contentment woven through their lives.
Despite their financial constraints, Rahul and his sister never felt deprived. His parents instill in him a sense of minimalism long before it became a fashionable lifestyle trend.
Rahul grew up understanding the value of money, the importance of saving and the joy of small, but meaningful purchases.
Even when he secured a good job at SBI years later, he started to earn more than his parents ever did but still he never splurged on luxury. No fancy dresses, costly mobiles, branded watches, DSLR cameras etc. He only purchased just functional things within his budget.
Later he invested wisely, bought a piece of land, several shops at roadside, his parents even managed to purchase land in a prime location.
Though fate have other plans for them. His parents gifted his sister and their son-in-law the land at the prime location they have purchased before in her wedding. Afer the birth of his nephew, the family of the son-in-law never stopped asking for money. His sister was a timid girl that's why for his sister's happiness Rahul and his parents compiled or she might face domestic violence. Even till his death, they continue the trend in disguise of the child's demands.
Rahul also married but first time the bride ran away before their marriage. And second time he may married successfully and even have a baby girl with his wife but later tensions between them escalated because of family situations and they decide to separate.
Rahul as a responsible father handed over the land ovnership which he managed to buy before, to his child and handed over the shops along with a good sum of money to his Ex-wife.
Rahul never blamed his ex-wife partly because he knows she never supported giving money to his sister's family after all they also have a child and she also have a future. After his devorce, life simply goes on and Rahul never look for a marriage again.
Coming out of the sad memories his eyes landed on the walls. Their home may be small but it filled with warmth. The walls bore the faded marks of Rahul's and his sister's childhood scribbles, which their mother never bothered to scrub off as it's was useless effort, but he still remembered the beating never missed the place.
The wooden book shelves were filled with books, the old text books, old dictionaries, and various novels like feluda samagra, professor shanku, kakababu and santu etc etc.
As Rahul sat by the window of his room, staring again at the fimiliar landscape outside. The dusty streets, the distant lake along with the field where he played during his childhood days, the local tea stall of Munna da where he spent countless hours during his life but these same scenery also bought a deep pang of regret which gnawed at his heart.
He may not be a overachiever student in his previous life but his science subject marks are enough to admit any IIT courses.
But the thing is...
'I never knew about the IIT entrance exam!'
Back in his first life, he only knows that if he choose science stream there will be either engineering or medical entrance exams and these may not suitable for him so he decided to choose Commerce and the path of a banker. IIT's and others were a mystery to the people of distant places with limited information.
Teachers mostly focuses on state level exams like WBJEE Or NEET. Ignoring the IIT courses like pests.
It wasn't until much later when internet was nationwide, information spread and he realised what he missed.
That regret had haunted him in his working life, hidden beneath layers upon layers of files. But now he have a second chance, should he follow the path of IIT this time?
Not a chance!
With a cheat like system on his back, if he still chases IIT it will not be efficient. Now he have already choose his path.
Rahul opened his personal notebook, scribbling down a new plan. Choose Science strem, Clear WBJEE exam with good scores, Go to a good University for B.E on Mechanical Engineering, Then M.E, B.Tech, M.Tech.
He also didn't forget to note down the upcoming 2008 financial crysis, strategies for future investments, various leading tech innovations launching in India or globally. This notes are not just any random scribbles of a 14 year old boy. These are the wheels of destiny that will change the future.
Rahul choose Jadavapur University or IIEST, SHIBPUR very carefully. With a cheat system on his back he can achieve any top tier University at London or US but life wasn't just about prestige, it was about staying close to his family, taking care of his parents, guard his sister from that scum and his family. He decided to build a good future for them but he won't let the ambition come at the cost of his family.
While staying in dark, building his business empire and become the pioneer of his country.
His mother calleed from kitchen, her voice filled with warmth and familiarity. "Babu, wake up. Breakfast is ready. Don't forget to complete your English homework today!"
Rahul gave a bitter smile, it was almost 20 years and he have already offered his 9th class knowledge to Maa Ganga's waterflow.
But hearing his mother's same tone to remind him to study, Rahul thought that somethings never changes but he have changed. Inside him was not the naive boy full of aspirations and mischeif but a man armed with the wisdom of years he hasn't technically lived yet. A man who'd tasted the bitterness of regret and now equipped with the rare gifts of system and a second chance.
Though he was not discouraged, as he was not the same person now with the help of system and 'photographic memory' skill he would try to finish the whole English textbook today and do the homework if time remains.
Coming down at dining room, he saw the old television. It was a second-hand colour television which his father have recently purchased from his co-worker at GRSE. Before this they only have a small black and white television with limited channels. Now this second-hand television with various channels had become the family's entertainment center.
Rahul approached the bathroom and washed up within ten minutes then he sat down with his family to eat breakfast.
As he sat down to a simple meal of Sunday special bengali breakfast, luchi and aloo dum, he looked at his family with newfound appreciation. His parents faces were much younger, their faces untouched by the lines of worry for their children that he remembered from his past life. His father's hair was less white, his mother's hand wand was less calloused. His sister looked childish and naive unlike later always fear and tention creeping on her face.
Rahul still remembered when his sister cried in his chest blaming herself for his separation from her sister-in-law.
'I won't let them struggle this time!' Rahul promised himself to protect his family this time.
This was his chance to change the destiny.
And he is Ready!