On a frosty December evening, Sachin stood on the 14th floor of an office rise overlooking the posh Marylebone city block. A bitter cold draft wafted in from the open window, biting into the bitterness in his mind. Numbed in body and mind, not by cold, but rather with incidents over the past few months. Looking down at the throngs of Christmas shoppers, he stood mesmerised by the sheer drop. A jump was just a moment away. He imagined the whoosh of air as he hurtled down, the vision of the hard tarmac rushing up to meet him, the sound of his crushing skull, and then darkness – the final end to his misery.

Sachin and Pooja were the perfect couple; they had everything – successful careers, beautiful kids, expensive holidays, romantic portraits, and the envy of their friends. Their relation went years back – as college sweethearts, they’d kept their flame alive long enough to cement their love in marriage, and have the most adorable kids – the epitome of their love. Complemented each other in every way; hand in hand they built up their careers, their sweet home, and the lives of two little ones.

However, somewhere along the way, there appeared sharp stones and thorns that threatened to derail their journey of love. Both did not recognise the silhouettes of these threats – whether they took the shape of jealous friends, over zealous in-laws, or fanatic zealots! Slowly but surely, these evil forces ate away at the pure and joyous world, Pooja and Sachin so lovingly built up. Eventually, the two of them stumbled into the arms of temporary comforters, which drove an unmovable wedge between them.

One dark rainy day, things took a turn for the worst. Spurred on by unsavoury events, Pooja took a step too far and decided to put Sachin behind bars. She would not have taken this drastic step, if not for the cajoling of an Orwellian couple who pretended to be well-wishers, but in actuality were jealous of this beautiful couple. With their help, she approached the law with certain accusations against Sachin, which she regretted doing later. He was arrested on pretentious charges, dumped in jail for 2 nights, mistreated, shocked beyond all decency, and driven to near suicide in his tiny jail cell. He had hit rock bottom and lost the will to live.

A few weeks later, freed on bail and awaiting trail, which was a few months away, Sachin stood by the open window overlooking Marylebone. Clouded by thoughts of death, he searched for one last silver lining of hope, of a life worth living. He could not find any. He climbed on the window sill, the cold wind whipping his body in its entirety. Would death feel so cold? He wondered. Would the papers report his suicide with cold casualness? Would his friends coldly mock his cowardice? To hell with it. He just did not care.

Fully booted and suited, Sachin extended his right foot to take that final step. It was then that he suddenly noticed a cold lonely figure, huddled 100 metres or so below him – a homeless man. He was curled up in a foetal position, on the pavement far below and shivering in the sub-zero winds. Sachin’s initial intrigue about that homeless man gave way to concern, and then to shame. The shame that his own problems were so limited, compared to those of that shivering figure. Something snapped in his mind.

Sachin slowly but surely stepped off that precipitous window sill, rode the elevator down, his heart already lightening at the thought of meeting his unlikely saviour. Their eyes met as he crossed the road. The embattled poor man instinctly held up his palm, seeking alms. As Sachin handed him that high denomination note, his eyes widened and whispered a hoarse “Thank you, god bless you”. And Sachin without hesitation retorted “No, Thank you actually!!! God is with you”. As he walked away Sachin knew that he owed his life to this poor lonely man, and this was not the last time he’d be talking to him. At last, there was something to look forward to.