Victory of a simple dream

The fine lines around my aging eyes were more pronounced when we laughed the same careless laughter we did a decade ago. When my best friend was next to me, it didn't matter how silly I sounded. My heart was at peace with the serene knowledge that I was at Mysore viewing those palace lanes I longed to walk as a child. The splatter of rain drops complimented the typical neighing laughter of my best buddy. As she animatedly narrated the recent takeover of by her company I couldn't help but admire her journey to this day. I was startled to look at the confident woman sitting next to me who once crumpled down with tension not able to bear the career path she was in.

She dragged me with all might towards her stall in the world famous Dasara exhibition. She couldn't contain her excitement when she wanted me to choose from the intricate, embroidered accessories she owned. I could only marvel at her designs with muted appreciation. Words deserted me when I realized how famous her accessories brand had come to be. Is this the same silly girl who believed circuits and labs were her destiny until one fine day she froze to bed in the morning not able to carry herself into the office? It took her mighty 5 years post-graduation to realize what she truly desired and another 5 years to put together the business she so desperately worked to build strongly. Today people see her business, nay art as an effortless enterprise built over night. But only a couple of us really know what conviction she displayed and what hard work she put in to make her life count. When she was shouting instructions to the buyers to not rush around the counter, the flashes of colors in the beautiful earring I held unknowingly  took me to our graduation days.

Wasn't my bestie the one to come up with the most visually pleasing presentation for an assignment in the environmental subject? This geek who aced every test in our class, built an entire set of costumes, masks and posters for a dance show in our second year. How did I encourage her to indulge more in her artistic activities only to be put down by her lack of interest! Wasn't she stitching all her clothes herself and complimented them with her simple yet innovative embroidery? How did she even think that a life of electronic engineer with it's loss of colors and art, can render a satisfactory career for her interests? She graduated holding a 5th rank in the university and went on to fulfill her dull self imposed work life of an engineer. Even when the boredom in her job gnawed on her happiness from within, she didn't retire to introspect on her deepest desires. To compensate for the missing excitement in her job, she augmented her educational qualification with a post graduation degree in the dreaded electronics field of 'Signals and Systems' because as the conformist society expects that is what intelligent people choose to do. Her inner energy was not wasted in going against the current but letting herself carried away with the current. Loss of the pleasure that arises from creating beauty, pushed her to give away all that she built by 9 years of education and working.

The pride I felt when she decided to quit her current career for something that came natural to her was overwhelming. She started by creating simple designs on her computer (the by-product of her tryst with IT industry was the knowledge of presentation and graphical tools) and gave life to them on the clothes. She opened a boutique with the savings she had and quickly started owning a strong foothold in the local fashion market. Her simplistic designs won her many loyal customers and soon she started designing ethnic clothes for the local fashion events and along came money, recognition and a structured organisation with buzzing employees and clients. In 5 years of her business she has expanded from her 20*30 sq.ft boutique to a three storeyed stitching factory and a lavish boutique in the heart of the city. Recently she acquired an informal family business in a village near Mandya that produces rare accessories made of richly embroidered clothes. She gave industrial touch to the age old techniques and now produces fashion of high demand in the cities. She has taken the women of destitute homes and orphans under her wings and trained them in many of the new designs she has come up with. Today she is responsible for the sustained income of 2500+ underprivileged souls in the Mysore city. Recognizing her growing fame and talent, the Department of Art and Culture of the Karnataka government has paired up with her to revive the lost embroidery skills of the village life around Mysore district.

Speak to her of the further business plans, she lights up with a tinkle in her eyes and gushes out the details of  jewellery design course she has undertaken and how she plans to bring out her own series of gold jewellery designs. The rut and morose life she was leading as a high paid electronics engineer are replaced by the joy of creation and helping people. When once she was tired and irritated by the slightest change in her routine, now she literally jumps at the prospect of doing something new each day, every day. She lights the heart of many people around her with a simple laughter and ample love. She delights by leading a life she is proud of.

Our dream, the desire that is in our soul, did not come out of nowhere. 
Someone placed it there for a reason.
Paulo Coelho