Mani fixed his eyeballs on to the figurative lines on the palms of his friend. Observing closely he concluded that his friend is an interesting character. He has a bend towards the extremes in life. “You can even turn into a murderer my friend, beware. Or you can go on to earn millions by exercising your wit.” “Will I earn lots and lots of money?” His friend asked, sipping from the Jack Daniels pint in his hand. “Wait, wait…let me put it straight. I want to visit all the big cities in the world and smoke marijuana in that city. And yes of course, screw a babe everywhere I go. 500 in total, that’s all before I die.”
“That’s a lot my dear friend. Don’t take me otherwise.”…Mani’s eyebrows fretted as he cribbed for having entered into this conversation. “Oh yes sure…you can do it. Why not? As I said you are going to become very powerful. Just wait and watch.” “Ahh…you are a good palm reader. You know a lot about my thoughts. But do you know why exactly I need the money?” Mani looked straight into his friend’s glimmering eyes without wanting to look anywhere else. He could see the effect of whisky on his friends face. “What will you do if you come to know that you are an adopted child? And that your biological parents are living in some remote village; that they are poor and need money. All this, you come to know on your 24th birthday. Your parents cry in front of you for revealing this so late. And that they are scared to lose you now. Which parents will you go to? Which identity should you now live up with for the rest of your life? Does my hand answer all these questions?”
The discovery was heart warming and shocking. Mani rubbed his forehead and dived into his hot chocolate. He felt his stomach empty. He had nothing more to say or explain. Suddenly, the friend who seemed strong and daring till now, looked so vulnerable. Perspectives change so fast. “I cannot really answer all this. My palm reading abilities are limited. But I admire you much more now.”
“That’s a lot my dear friend. Don’t take me otherwise.”…Mani’s eyebrows fretted as he cribbed for having entered into this conversation. “Oh yes sure…you can do it. Why not? As I said you are going to become very powerful. Just wait and watch.” “Ahh…you are a good palm reader. You know a lot about my thoughts. But do you know why exactly I need the money?” Mani looked straight into his friend’s glimmering eyes without wanting to look anywhere else. He could see the effect of whisky on his friends face. “What will you do if you come to know that you are an adopted child? And that your biological parents are living in some remote village; that they are poor and need money. All this, you come to know on your 24th birthday. Your parents cry in front of you for revealing this so late. And that they are scared to lose you now. Which parents will you go to? Which identity should you now live up with for the rest of your life? Does my hand answer all these questions?”
The discovery was heart warming and shocking. Mani rubbed his forehead and dived into his hot chocolate. He felt his stomach empty. He had nothing more to say or explain. Suddenly, the friend who seemed strong and daring till now, looked so vulnerable. Perspectives change so fast. “I cannot really answer all this. My palm reading abilities are limited. But I admire you much more now.”
