Prologue
His well tamed fingers moved with ease on the keyboard. Words appeared on the screen mechanically. He wasn’t thinking, not about the report. That’s it … this is the last one, and then ...PARTY TIME. Abhinav had been working on it for a month now; and the boss never seemed satisfied.
“This Para here, it doesn’t sound pretty right, may be you could just go through it again” (yes ma’am right away);
“You could rephrase this thing. Make it sound more convincing” (sure, no problemo)
“Hmmm not bad, but are you sure of the statistic?” (!?!?!$$$!?!?! Am not a jackass to make up statistic for a REPORT).
But well it all had come to an end now. Done!! Over!!! Phew!!!!… all the overtime and all that... I need a break.
He closed the file, and opened the browser. It had become a ritual now, some time on the net at the end of the day’s work. He felt he deserved it... jus to cool off the nerves. He opened his inbox, found a couple o friends online, “the usual losers... dint they have anything worthwhile to do!” Facebook was next inline. 30 notifications! God m I tired of these, okay people I don’t answer lame quizzes any more, stop sending me requests. Let’s check the wall.
Neha> hope to see you today. Call me
He glanced at his empty wrist…
***
“I’ll get it mom!!! M coming, m coming….hang on…” Neha yelled to the door. Abhinav smiled to himself, his forefinger still pressing the bell switch hard. “Hey we are not deaf in here” she opened the door, a hug, ignorant of the fact that two heavy bags weighed him down already, “welcome home” she winked. “How was the travel? I hope there were cute air hostesses on board? What’s in that bag, did u get what I told u? Where is it?” the chatter continued as Abhinav threw himself on the couch... ahh home at last.
“Hey don’t just lie there, go have a wash” she pulled him out of the couch “uggh you are so sticky! I thought you came in an air-plane, do they leave the windows open these days!?!”
By the time he was back, the contents of his bags were well-spread in the living room. Is there something called privacy left in this world? She held his attaché in her hands, trying her luck at permutations and combinations. “Good luck” he smiled.
He gave his mom a hug, who was reluctantly supervising the messing of the living room. A plateful of sheera was pushed in front of him… sllurrrrrp!!!! Moms are like that, they don’t say much, but what they do, says it all. She sat over him, as he ate, and the plate refilled periodically till she was satisfied he had eaten enough. “Stop feeding him so much... he is bloated already. He was definitely not starving out there” the voice from the living room. A plateful of sheera was sent to the voice, and it was silenced.
He slept most of the day, as Neha and his mom unmessed the living room, and filled his wardrobes for him.
***
Abhinav lay on the bed flipping through a magazine, attempting to digest a sumptuous dinner. There was a knock on the door. “M awake, come in” a giggle ensued from the figure that entered in.
“what’s funny?”
“Nothing” continues giggling with the book in her hand.
“Ok tell now! WHAT S FUNNY?”
“Nothing...” giggle. Pause. “You”
They had a long chat that night. They spoke about college, friends, old pals, cousins, parents… like they were making up for all the time lost.
“Good night” she said sleepily walking out of the room, still clutching the book in her hand.
“Good night. Hey why did you get the book for?”
“Some other time” she said pulling the door behind her.
***
His royal holiday had almost come to an end. The week had just flown past him. What did I do the whole week? He tried to recollect, it was hazy, but he d never felt so relaxed and at peace with himself. His paradise was shaken by drumbeats all of a sudden, and a voice screeched through the speakers that begged for mercy.
“GOD… NEHAAAAAAAAAAA” he barged into her room. She lay on the bed with a book in her hand, lost in thoughts, oblivious of his presence. He pulled the book…the page was blank. She laughed.
“Is this some practical joke?”
“No it isn’t, I wanted to tell u about it.”
He closed the book. It was the same one she d had with her that night. “About a blank book?”
Laughs. “No about what’s written in it. You remember u d read ma diary once?”
“That was ages ago… yeah I do. I din apologise that time, but sorry, I shouldn’t have”
“Well I started writing virtually since then”
Puzzled. “You mean you just stare at the diary”
“Yup and think m writing in it... I was writing just now. Jus that you won’t be able to read it anymore.”
“Ohh... fantastic... great! Smart thinking...”
“Thank you, thank you. But that’s not what I wanted to tell you.”
“Okay, jus kill the suspense will you…”
Giggles again. What’s with girls and giggles!!!!
He glares.
“Umm... can you keep a secret?”
“Yeah sure…”
“Then let’s go out in the evening, the beachside, somewhere around five. What say?”
“If you can tell me something in the evening, THERE, you might as well tell it to me HERE, NOW. What’s such a big deal about it?”
Giggles again. “Told you na baba, it’s a secret. Evening... five. Don’t fix any other dates today. We ‘l have lots to talk.” She walked out of the room with her cell.
contd...
His well tamed fingers moved with ease on the keyboard. Words appeared on the screen mechanically. He wasn’t thinking, not about the report. That’s it … this is the last one, and then ...PARTY TIME. Abhinav had been working on it for a month now; and the boss never seemed satisfied.
“This Para here, it doesn’t sound pretty right, may be you could just go through it again” (yes ma’am right away);
“You could rephrase this thing. Make it sound more convincing” (sure, no problemo)
“Hmmm not bad, but are you sure of the statistic?” (!?!?!$$$!?!?! Am not a jackass to make up statistic for a REPORT).
But well it all had come to an end now. Done!! Over!!! Phew!!!!… all the overtime and all that... I need a break.
He closed the file, and opened the browser. It had become a ritual now, some time on the net at the end of the day’s work. He felt he deserved it... jus to cool off the nerves. He opened his inbox, found a couple o friends online, “the usual losers... dint they have anything worthwhile to do!” Facebook was next inline. 30 notifications! God m I tired of these, okay people I don’t answer lame quizzes any more, stop sending me requests. Let’s check the wall.
Neha> hope to see you today. Call me
He glanced at his empty wrist…
***
“I’ll get it mom!!! M coming, m coming….hang on…” Neha yelled to the door. Abhinav smiled to himself, his forefinger still pressing the bell switch hard. “Hey we are not deaf in here” she opened the door, a hug, ignorant of the fact that two heavy bags weighed him down already, “welcome home” she winked. “How was the travel? I hope there were cute air hostesses on board? What’s in that bag, did u get what I told u? Where is it?” the chatter continued as Abhinav threw himself on the couch... ahh home at last.
“Hey don’t just lie there, go have a wash” she pulled him out of the couch “uggh you are so sticky! I thought you came in an air-plane, do they leave the windows open these days!?!”
By the time he was back, the contents of his bags were well-spread in the living room. Is there something called privacy left in this world? She held his attaché in her hands, trying her luck at permutations and combinations. “Good luck” he smiled.
He gave his mom a hug, who was reluctantly supervising the messing of the living room. A plateful of sheera was pushed in front of him… sllurrrrrp!!!! Moms are like that, they don’t say much, but what they do, says it all. She sat over him, as he ate, and the plate refilled periodically till she was satisfied he had eaten enough. “Stop feeding him so much... he is bloated already. He was definitely not starving out there” the voice from the living room. A plateful of sheera was sent to the voice, and it was silenced.
He slept most of the day, as Neha and his mom unmessed the living room, and filled his wardrobes for him.
***
Abhinav lay on the bed flipping through a magazine, attempting to digest a sumptuous dinner. There was a knock on the door. “M awake, come in” a giggle ensued from the figure that entered in.
“what’s funny?”
“Nothing” continues giggling with the book in her hand.
“Ok tell now! WHAT S FUNNY?”
“Nothing...” giggle. Pause. “You”
They had a long chat that night. They spoke about college, friends, old pals, cousins, parents… like they were making up for all the time lost.
“Good night” she said sleepily walking out of the room, still clutching the book in her hand.
“Good night. Hey why did you get the book for?”
“Some other time” she said pulling the door behind her.
***
His royal holiday had almost come to an end. The week had just flown past him. What did I do the whole week? He tried to recollect, it was hazy, but he d never felt so relaxed and at peace with himself. His paradise was shaken by drumbeats all of a sudden, and a voice screeched through the speakers that begged for mercy.
“GOD… NEHAAAAAAAAAAA” he barged into her room. She lay on the bed with a book in her hand, lost in thoughts, oblivious of his presence. He pulled the book…the page was blank. She laughed.
“Is this some practical joke?”
“No it isn’t, I wanted to tell u about it.”
He closed the book. It was the same one she d had with her that night. “About a blank book?”
Laughs. “No about what’s written in it. You remember u d read ma diary once?”
“That was ages ago… yeah I do. I din apologise that time, but sorry, I shouldn’t have”
“Well I started writing virtually since then”
Puzzled. “You mean you just stare at the diary”
“Yup and think m writing in it... I was writing just now. Jus that you won’t be able to read it anymore.”
“Ohh... fantastic... great! Smart thinking...”
“Thank you, thank you. But that’s not what I wanted to tell you.”
“Okay, jus kill the suspense will you…”
Giggles again. What’s with girls and giggles!!!!
He glares.
“Umm... can you keep a secret?”
“Yeah sure…”
“Then let’s go out in the evening, the beachside, somewhere around five. What say?”
“If you can tell me something in the evening, THERE, you might as well tell it to me HERE, NOW. What’s such a big deal about it?”
Giggles again. “Told you na baba, it’s a secret. Evening... five. Don’t fix any other dates today. We ‘l have lots to talk.” She walked out of the room with her cell.
contd...
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