"Hi sir, it's nice meeting you," I replied, feeling a little shy but trying to keep my tone confident. "I've heard a lot about you. It's really nice to finally meet you in person."
Mr. Saravanan's brows lifted in amusement, and he leaned back slightly in his chair. "Oh? And what exactly has your father been saying about me?"
I smiled, glancing at Appa before answering. "He said you're very thorough in whatever you learn. That you don't just know things—you study them deeply. I think I need to learn from you how to actually study a subject properly, beyond what's written in a textbook."
Appa chuckled and joined in. "Yes, sir. Remember those days when we had power fluctuations? He would directly climb onto transformers to set up the lines properly. Or if we had boiler problems, he would go right into the boiler room to check the machinery himself. He wouldn't wait for someone else to explain."
Mr. Saravanan laughed, his eyes crinkling. "Oh dear, those were the old days. But yes, that's how I've always worked. When you truly like your job, you need to know every corner of it. Even if you have multiple people to do the tasks, if you yourself don't know how it's done, you can't guide them properly. You won't even know if they're doing it right."
Appa turned to me, his voice turning a little serious but affectionate. "See, Nila? This is what I keep telling you. Just because you don't like a job, you can't hand it off to someone else and think your responsibility ends there. If you hate something, that's all the more reason to learn it—because when you hire someone to do it later, you need to know whether they're doing it right."
I nodded, absorbing his words. "Sure, Appa. I'll keep this in mind." Then I looked at Mr. Saravanan and said sincerely, "Sir, I already have a direction in mind for what I want to study, but I'll make sure I learn the basics of everything, even if I don't like it at first. I don't want to rely blindly on others."
Mr. Saravanan's smile grew warmer. "Wow, that's good to hear. So, you already know what you're going to study?"
"Yes, sir," I said, sitting a little straighter. "After my schooling, I'm planning to do a Bachelor's in Business Management. But if possible, I also want to do a correspondence paper on textiles alongside. And for my Master's, I'm planning to do something related to fashion or textile merchandising."
Appa turned to me, genuinely surprised. "This is the first time I'm hearing this, kanna! You never told me you're thinking of studying textiles too."
I smiled softly. "Appa, I've been thinking about it. Starting a business from scratch is hard—I know that. But you've already done the groundwork, so I thought, why not learn about it properly and see how to improve it further? When we already have the resources, if we don't use them to their full potential, isn't that more foolish than not having them at all?"
Mr. Saravanan laughed, clapping his hands once in approval. "Ah, wonderful. A second-generation entrepreneur in the making! I'm so happy to see how far your father has brought this business. And I'm even happier to see you thinking ahead."
I shook my head quickly. "But sir, that doesn't mean I won't have dreams beyond this. I've thought about it a lot. I do like textiles. I won't deny that my interest started because of Appa. Because of him, I got to see the field closely from a very young age. But somewhere along the way, I started noticing more than just the fabrics. I got fascinated with fashion itself—how our Indian weaving traditions have influenced the global market, how our designs stand out. I want to study that history, but also the future of it. And honestly, people will never stop spending on food, clothing, and housing. Since we are already in one of those major sectors, I thought, why not make that my primary path?"
Mr. Saravanan's face softened, and there was a thoughtful pride in his eyes. "It's rare to hear such clarity from someone your age. It's good that you know your direction, Nila. But remember—textiles and fashion are huge fields. They'll test you. Make sure you're choosing them because you truly like them, not just because your father is in this business."
I smiled. "No, sir. My father's presence in the field is what opened the door for me, but it's my own curiosity that's keeping me here."
"That's good," he said, nodding approvingly. Then he looked at Appa and back at me. "Do one thing, Nila. Later today, go with your father to the college next to the factory. It's only a block away. See if you can buy a few textbooks or at least browse them. Start self-reading. If you have doubts, get my number from your father, or write me a letter if I'm busy. Don't hesitate to ask."
I felt a sudden rush of happiness and inspiration. "Thank you so much, sir. It's really nice meeting you. Honestly, just a few minutes of conversation with you feels like I've read a whole book."
Appa laughed. Mr. Saravanan laughed too, shaking his head at my words. "Ah, Nila," he said, "keep that spirit alive. That's the key to learning."