Small Story 179.

Small Story 179 : A Memorable Gathering Davidson settled into his seat as the flight was set to depart in 20 minutes, bound for Bengaluru, India. Looking around, he noticed an elderly man, around 70 years old, seated beside him in business class. Davidson greeted him and introduced himself. "I am Davidson, retired as a Technical Director at Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company. I'm heading to Bengaluru to attend a get-together meeting on the 9th," he said. The elderly man smiled and replied, "I’m Ram. I came to Boston to visit my daughter and decided to prepone my visit to my hometown, Bengaluru, for the get-together on the same date." Ram nodded and explained, "I retired as a Marketing Manager for a leading pharmaceutical company based in Bombay. Our old colleagues formed a group, and we meet every two years in different places. This time, it’s Bengaluru." Davidson responded, "I see. My daughter-in-law is from India, and she's on vacation along with my son." After an 18-hour journey with a transit stop, both Davidson and Ram arrived in Bengaluru. On the 9th, the meeting took place at a posh hotel. Ram was excited to see all his old colleagues. Everyone appreciated his decision to prepone his journey to attend the get-together. At exactly 5 PM, the meeting began, and the presiding colleague made an announcement: "I have a surprise today. We have a VIP guest from the US. Please welcome Mr. Davidson, the retired Technical Director from Eli Lilly and my daughter's friend Sowmya’s father-in-law." A round of applause echoed through the room as everyone welcomed Davidson. He expressed his gratitude and said, "After my wonderful journey with Ram and our conversations, I now understand the true spirit of the former Pharma Ambassadors' get-together. It’s an amazing gathering with the latest pharmaceutical information. It’s truly a memorable experience to be a part of this." The room filled with applause, and after the meeting, everyone enjoyed a delicious dinner and desserts. It was a great evening, filled with warmth and camaraderie, as old professionals reunited, reminisced, and embraced the shared memories of their remarkable careers. K.Ragavan 9-3-25