Small Story 238.

Small Story 238. An Old Dream Fulfilled After settling down in his seat and fastening his seatbelt, Sanjay glanced at the person next to him and smiled. A lady in her mid-twenties returned the smile. "I'm Sanjay, going to Singapore," he introduced himself. She replied warmly, "I'm Radhika. I'm also headed to Singapore to attend a wedding." "Do you have relatives there?" Sanjay asked. "Yes, my brother lives there. I’ll be staying with him," she answered. "Nice. I’m going to meet a friend and will be staying at a hotel," said Sanjay. Radhika added, "I work for Microsoft in the U.S. I came to India on holiday and now visiting my brother in Singapore." "Nice. Microsoft is an old and reputed company," he said appreciatively. She smiled. "True." "What about you?" she asked. "I'm a cinematographer. I've done many art and ad films. I’m in Singapore for a new film contract and location scouting." She perked up. "I think you're the one who did the ad film with Sachin Tendulkar and for Binny's Marlborough suits. The visuals were amazing!" Sanjay nodded, “Thank you for the compliment—and for remembering my work.” Radhika admitted, “Though I don’t know much about camera work, I do admire good photography.” "Interesting," he said. "Many women cinematographers have made a mark in the film industry." They continued their conversation and didn’t even realize when they had reached Singapore. They parted ways at the airport. It was only later that Radhika realized she had forgotten to take Sanjay’s phone number. Three days later, Radhika attended a wedding with her brother’s family—it was her brother’s friend’s sister who was getting married. While observing the elegant gathering and the charming bride and groom, she suddenly spotted Sanjay filming the event with his camera. He saw her too. “I forgot to take your number—God is great!” he greeted her warmly. “I forgot too!” Radhika smiled back. After lunch, Sanjay said, “I never knew you were Ram’s sister!” “Ram went into RAW, and I went into Visual Communication and Cinematography,” Sanjay reminisced. Ram, her brother, smiled and said, “Simple Sanjay from our college days is now a renowned, award-winning cinematographer—my good old buddy!” Sanjay added, “My mission is complete. I’ve found good locations for my upcoming movie with a big multistar cast. I’ll be back in Singapore in fifteen days for the shoot. Thank you, Radhika, for your interest in cinematography.” Observing their interaction, Ram said thoughtfully, “I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I’m openly asking—would it be okay if you both considered each other for something more?” Both Sanjay and Radhika smiled gently, signaling their acceptance. Ram’s long-held dream was finally fulfilled—at the perfect moment. K.Ragavan 7-5-25 -