Last week I observed my friend Ramesh wearing a very nice T-shirt and asked him where he had bought it from. He answered that he had bought a few of them at an airport shop and that the same brand Karlsburg is available in many Indian airport shops.
I searched the net for the brand and found that the T-shirts are available online from the owner of the brand in Chennai and I ordered for three pieces in striped designs.
Having worn them on receipt I wanted to buy some more in plain shades.
I wrote to their email address asking if they had any and a remarkable exchange of mails took place pointing out that good customer service still exists. I ordered for some plain T-shirts as well and I am delighted with their quality and service.
So, when I wanted to buy some regular shirts, for me as well as for someone to whom I wish to send one as a birthday gift, I rang up their customer service person for more details than what was available on their website and I was once again impressed with the response and speed with which it was given. Having been associated with the textile and garment businesses all my life, I enquired from the Customer Service Person as to who owns the company and was pleasantly surprised to hear the Managing Director’s name, Ranjit Jacob which rang a bell. On searching the net for that name, I found that there were hundreds with the same name and not one of them fitted the profile that I had in mind. When the Representative rang me back with some information that I had asked for he informed me that the owner was in the office and whether I would like to speak to him. I decided to talk to him and find out if he is the same person that I knew and lo and behold it indeed was and the two of us reestablished contact after forty years! We had known each other when we were together all those years ago in Kerala and today after having parted company four decades ago, we are back in touch with each other! I have promised to get in touch with him when I next go to Chennai and I am really looking forward to it.
And that story brings me to something that I strongly believe in.
India teaches us about The Four Laws of Spirituality.
The First Principle states: Whomsoever you encounter is the right one.
This means that no one comes into our life by chance. Everyone who is around us, anyone with whom we interact, represents something, whether to teach us something or to help improve a current situation.
The Second Principle states: Nothing, absolutely nothing of that which we experienced could have been any other way.
Not even in the least important detail. There is no “If only I had done that differently…, then it would have been different…” No. What happened is the only thing that could have taken place and must have taken place for us to learn our lesson in order to move forward. Every single situation in life, which we encounter is absolutely perfect, even when it defies our understanding and our ego.
The Third Principle states: Everything begins at exactly the right moment, neither earlier nor later.
When we are ready for it, for that something new in our life, it is there, ready to begin.
This is the Fourth Principle, the final one: When it is over, it is over.
It is that simple. When something in our life ends, it helps our evolution. That is why, enriched by the recent experience, it is better to let go and move on.
Well, the new beginning of a relationship lost for all these decades has just made a start and the fourth principle can wait. In the meanwhile, I look forward to meeting Ranjit again by November or so when I should be going to Chennai again.
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