Small Story 263.

Small Story 263 An Evening of Surprises at the Reception Rajesh took his reserved seat at the restaurant, feeling a mix of nostalgia and excitement. It had been three years since his transfer to Bengaluru, and this visit to Mysore brought back many memories. He was now the District Manager for a leading multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Germany. His wife, Anjali, couldn’t accompany him as she couldn’t get leave from her bank job. He had come alone to represent her at the wedding reception of Mr. Paul's son. Mr. Paul was a close friend of Anjali’s father. The event was being held at the prestigious Southern Star Hotel, where Rajesh also had a room booked. After visiting the Mysore Palace and other attractions, Rajesh returned to his room to freshen up. By 6 PM, he was at the reception hall, which was already buzzing with guests — including several VIPs and VVIPs. The prominence was understandable, as Mr. Paul was a retired Inspector General and currently the Director of the famous OO1 Investigation Academy in Mysore, renowned internationally. Rajesh felt honored to attend such a high-profile event. Around 7 PM, the legendary OO1 and his assistant Ranjitha arrived. While enjoying the evening snacks, Mr. Paul inquired about Anjali and introduced Rajesh to the Chief Investigator of OO1, emphasizing Rajesh’s background as a gold medalist in M.Pharm. Rajesh was thrilled to meet such an internationally respected figure. He was also introduced to OO1's wife, Ambujam, a well-known name in the world of philanthropy. The evening took an even more surprising turn when Ranjitha shared that her uncle was the Technical Director at the German headquarters of Rajesh’s company. This unexpected connection delighted Rajesh. He had come simply to attend a wedding reception, but he left having met stalwarts in the field of investigation and discovered influential links to his professional life. As he made his way back to his room, he couldn’t help but replay the day’s remarkable events in his mind — an evening truly beyond expectations. K.Ragavan 1-6-25