Ravinder had just completed his degree at the University of London that summer and had gained a place at Marconi Defence Systems, part of the World famous General Electric Company. His new job was starting in a few days and it seemed like a dream come true. He was at one level totally free to live his life the way he wanted to, without having to conform to his cultural up-bringing and keep long hair. He was angry at his family for not taking the time to understand him, not listening to his point of view. After all, his best friends from Kenya had come over the London with his family and albeit two years older, their father had cut their hair to allow them to integrate better into western society. However, every time Ravinder asked for the reason from his parents, Mr & Mrs Rathor would become angry, reminding him that the Muslims “had bricked the Sikhs alive” for their beliefs and that we should never question our sacred Religion.

Well that just didn’t make sense to him, but he accepted it, despite all the bullying at school and never really understanding the culture into which he was born. It was now two days since that fateful moment in the hotel when he had cut is hair and Ravinder was fraught with worry as to what chaos he had left in his wake when he left home so suddenly, just leaving a note for his family to say “I’m sorry to do this to you all, but I had to follow my heart – please forgive me” Should he call his brother Raju or sister Kieran to find out what was happening? In 1983, there were no mobile phones, so in some ways, he was safe from frantic phone calls. He decided instead to call his best friend Khalil Shah. Calling from the phone box outside the hotel, he got through to his buddy who sounded totally stressed out and asked him “where the hell are you? What have you done?” What’s up - he wondered as Khalil told him that “all hell had broken lose and everyone is out looking for you” Apparently, after Ravinder had left the family home so deceitfully and suddenly, his sister had read the note and called the parents who had been visiting his brother Raju in Medical School in Scotland, whereupon they had all come flying back post-haste to discover what their beloved son had done.

They had visited all of Ravinder’s friends and even called up to the University to get some leads as to his whereabouts. To all accounts, they were at their wits end. He asked his good friend to call them and let them know that he was OK and that he would get in touch in the coming days. Khalil agreed and Ravinder prepared himself to meet them, but only when he was ready and could pluck up enough courage. Tracy the hairdresser was definitely an Essex Girl. “That’s lovely hair you’ve got luv.. but why is it all the same length..?” she asked Ravinder as he sat in the salon for the first time, ready to have his hair trimmed to something resembling George Michael, his favourite pop star. “Well, er.. I’ve been trekking in Kenya and let it grow in a pony tail..” said Ravinder, thinking on his feet. “Hmm yeah OK luv.. no probs darling” she replied, asking him is he was single and that her friend Tasha would really love to meet him! Ravinder had been secretly dating a girl from the temple for the last two years and he really missed her, but it was always so difficult to meet, being that her parents kept her under wraps most of the time. Such a shame, he thought to himself, realising that he probably wouldn’t see her again after what he had just done.

An hour later, he sat looking in the mirror at the salon, his hair trimmed and looking quite like his hero George. His beard trimmed down to a designer stubble and thought to himself that young Tracy’s done a good job and is that really him in the mirror? Things were looking better, he mulled to himself. Maybe he should take up that offer of a date with Tasha? The next day, Ravinder went on his first day to work. As he and his fellow new-starters waited in the briefing room at the plush offices of the General Electric Company, she walked in. Oh my God he thought. Who is that amazing woman? How elegant and beautiful, those lovely blue eyes, that fabulous figure. He was sure he felt something go through him as he looked at her. It was the start of a new direction in the life of Ravinder Singh Rathor, but how was he going to face his parents, his family and friends? The worst was about to happen but also the best and he would come to realise the true meanings of the words passion, attraction and pain, all at the same time.

Jas Kalsi, BSc(Eng)Hons, MBA is a Management Consultant and Past President of the Ennis Chamber of Commerce