Table Of ContentSRISHTI PUBLISHERS & DISTRIBUTORS
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First published by
Srishti Publishers & Distributors in 2015
Copyright © Ritesh Arora, 2015
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This is a work of fiction. The characters, places, organisations and events described in this book are either a
work of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to people, living or dead,
places, events or organisations is purely coincidental.
The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the Publishers.
Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for
those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as
separation.
— Rumi
Acknowledgements
T
his novel is dedicated to my father (Om Prakash Arora) who would have
been proud to see this day.
To my mother (Saroj Arora) who has raised me despite all odds.
My wife (Monica Arora) who has been my partner in reviews and late night
story narration sessions.
My son (Aayush Arora) whose giggles and endless energy have motivated me to
continue writing in late nights.
My sister (Jasmin Sehgal) who believed in me and always encouraged me to
carve out my own path in life.
To my in-laws (Surinder Kumar Kapoor & Sushma Kapoor) and my brother-in-
law (Vikrant Kapoor) for their constant motivation.
My sincere thanks to Govind Seshadri who taught me that the art of living is
actually the art of giving.
To Diya Bhatia and Surya Sharma whose meticulous reviews have made this
book what it is today.
Finally, to all my readers who decided to purchase my book and to Srishti
Publishers, who showed faith in my script and agreed to publish and distribute it.
You can send in your feedback about the book at [email protected] or on
my official Facebook fan page (Ritesh Arora or WhentheHeavensSmiled).
CONTENTS
From the Mughal Capital to the City of Joy
The Bong Connection
Love Blossoms but Blushes too
A Visit to Starwood Estate
The Inescapable Destiny
A Journey Against all Odds
Rishikesh – Gateway to the Himalayan Shrine
Taming the Invisible Script of Destiny
Preview: Love, The Seventh Sense
From the Mughal Capital to the City of Joy
2013
M
y final year in engineering college was the year when I appeared for
interviews for campus placements. The first three years of engineering
college are cake and ale when one can have boisterous fun, while the final year
is the year you’re given a chance to prove your mettle in the campus interviews.
Getting a job through a campus interview is a matter of pride for not only the
engineering students, but also for their parents. My class, like all other classes,
had a mixed bag of students – intelligent, average and the backbenchers. I was
amongst one of the sharper minds in my branch of Electrical Engineering. Soon,
the day of the campus interviews arrived and various companies – multinational
and domestic – formed the beeline to our college to recruit bright minds. The
placement interviews had a formal dress code and my mother had bought me a
navy blue coloured suit, with an off white shirt and yellow tie. As they say, dress
shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember
you. The campus interview in total had three rounds – a written exam, followed
by a group discussion and finally an in-person interview with company officials.
I finished the written exam fifteen minutes before time and scored forty-five out
of fifty, which was good enough to take me to the second round. But, things are
never easy for more than a minute. Before I could breathe a sigh of relief, my
name was called out loud for the second round – the group discussion. My group
was given the topic ‘Does talent matter or hard work?’ and one could either
support or oppose it. I not only argued in favour of hard work but smashed the
arguments of other contestants mercilessly. I felt sorry for them but one
shouldn’t mix emotions with duty. Good news was soon to follow. Going strong,
I was through to the final round – the in-person interview with a company called
NetCon Consulting. It was one of the companies that I had opted to appear for in
the campus interview.
