Life will never come with everything perfectly settled into its related place. Everyone here is struggling with one or the other reason making living more dramatic and filled with different emotions. You may not be happy with your current situation but you cannot run away from it. It’s your life you oversee it. Many a times we choose to stay silent and struggle the battle in ourselves. At this spot, try to talk. Speak out your heart, the issues that are killing you. That other person too may have gone through that tunnel of hopelessness. Take the chance to converse and listen to someone. You may be the need of someone and so can be the other person to you.

 

In a busy noisy office, he sat in his cabin quietly. A pile of files was laying at one corner while on the another a photo frame occupied space with a picture of an old woman in it. Her face was wrinkled but as if it added to her beauty in it with grey hairs. A soft and small smile was decorating her lips. That black-eyed woman in the picture, the most eye-catching thing in his cabin today didn’t diverted his attention like it used to hold all the time. He was engrossed in the screen from hours with his right-hand resting on his face chin. Neither did he moved nor did he even blinked for a second. Even the buzzing and loud coworkers sounded mute to him. As if he was the only person in that glassed skyscraper that day. On his screen was a display with confirm option where the mouse arrow stood. He was keenly watching the confirm option without changing his eye sight.

Suddenly the phone next to him rang out loudly breaking his concentration. As if he came back to his consciousness he jolted on his seat and breathed heavily.

HELLO…?

Oh .. umm  yes sir how may I help you?

Hmmm hmmm okeh. No, that won’t be a trouble at all, we are appointed for this only (gives a fake laugh). You don’t worry sir. Around 12 for sure you will be receiving it.

Yes (gives a fake laugh again)

Happy to serve you. Contact us anytime, we are always available. Take care. Thank you!

Bye

Slams the phone back and starts getting his files together, he gives a peep at the screen scrolls from the confirmation option to close tab and closes off the web page. With a bundle of files in his hand he vacates the cabin and marches away.

In the same office, another cabin was occupied by a woman chattering continuously with the coworker next to her and sipping her coffee. She was a healthy woman with a heavy voice tone laughing loudly after every minute. Her desk was full with pages, files and folders laying scattered.

He came by her and without asking kept half of the files on her desk and went away. She saw him with her laughs getting silent and turning into a heavy huff of breath.

Great … more work!

Her coworker gave her a pitiful smile and she smiled back nodding her head and sitting back to her place.

The remaining day passed away with both burring their hands in the files continuously clicking and typing like machines. Around 6 everyone in the office started packing up. She too saw the big clock on the wall and energetically got up to pack. Settling down her stuff she was almost ready to leave when he came to her cabin.

HOD called for a meeting. You are staying back.

Wait! What … but I have evening plans. I was not even told about it.

Listen! No one here is ever told about anything. You do as your boss asks to. That’s how work gets done here. Now get yourself to the conference room, I am not going to stand here and console you.

She stood there with an unsettling attitude and cursing him in her mind. With that she got together her files and started following him to the meeting. Around 9 they got free and went back to their places. Night fell and he silently kept watching the busy road in front of his house until his eyes got heavy while she raised drinks in the bar till she had her senses.

Next day like the usual started as the offices opened, cabins, desks occupied with the related employee. Files getting supplied, papers getting printed and faxed. The same old busy morning of a typical corporate firm. He too was busy with work but as if his mind was present somewhere else. The same web page was open and like last time the confirmation option again appeared. Somehow making himself stern he managed to occupy himself in the files rather than the screen.

So, what you did last night?

She was standing next to her smiling widely and tapping again and again his wooden pen holder.

Sorry what?

Last night? I just straightaway went to the bar. Such a burden is given in this office; drinks are the need. What you did?

Slept. With a pause, he uttered this word and got back to his work. She stood there watching him in disbelief.

Too much to do. Haah!  Anyways I just came to tell you …

She was speaking when suddenly she saw the website on the screen. She leaned forward and started reading it

Oh my my my .. big shot! She exclaimed in amusement.

Hey! what are you doing? Do you even understand the term privacy? Woman what’s wrong with you! he fired back at her and started minimizing the window.

The way this is being flashed on screen it’s no way private Mr. and don’t over react.

she taunted him and went on her way. Whereas he sat back quite displeased with the act of her. That same night they both had to stay back and continue work. He was upset and uneasy with the incident. He kept peeping through his cabin to her and watched her every move. She was pretty much aware about his actions and was enjoying the show. As this kept going for few more minutes she finally stood up and went to him.

It’s almost 10:00 pm. Let’s grab dinner. This work is going to take hours more.

Without arguing her or rejecting he too got up and collected his over coat as if he was waiting for her to come. They both walked down to the local café and got themselves stuff to eat. He kept watching her continuously.

You know it would be much better if you utter out your issue rather than watching me as if you are going to eat me instead of your dinner.

She commented while eating her chips and sipping juice.

You are going to mock me, right? Or tell me are you going to tell everyone in the office about it?

Do you assume me to be that free? And plus, I am not a bitcher.

No but for revenging on me.

Revenging? Hahaha for what?

Sitting back in office with me.

You do that on purpose?

No! I get orders

Then why are you putting such lame questions? I very well know that’s not in our hands. At least don’t act like a kid.

Please don’t tell anyone. He pleaded with his eyes getting melted in remorse. She saw him getting drowned in a sorrow. He stood there stern and still.

I can’t deal with any more burden. From 10 years, I’ve been working in the same designation. I can hardly breathe here. As if I am invisible to everyone. People just work like machines everything is deployed and I am sick of it. My mother wanted me to work in a reputed firm, I did what she wished for. But to fulfil her dreams I left her away. One relation I had to maintain… just one and I lost it too. Last month my fiancée broke up. She found love in some other person. 2 years of relation and suddenly she leaves. I can’t let my mother know about it. I am tired of everything. There is no one I can even talk to. I am a man and I am not allowed to cry, to feel love, to share a shoulder for support. All this for a false image of a strong man. I don’t even have bank balance to afford my own house or what more, even one airplane ticket to go back to my land and visit my mother. This big city of millions has big bills that fit only in large pockets. People like me are just crushed every day. And now after all that struggling years I feel like quitting, breaking every hope, every expectation of my mother who is everything to me. That passion and dedication for work is no more just standing between a road I don’t know about. This tag of being practical in the money race has killed my own life.

He kept speaking and started crying. As if wanted to lighten his burden he had already prepared all the words his heart wanted to yell. For the first time, she saw a man who shrank down to an innocent soul tortured and killed by the gold mining fight of everyone. For living his mother’s dreams, he was no more living his own and was more of a empty brain and dreamless heart.

A silence settled in both of them for a while. She got up to attend a call and came back.

The director called and told we can leave. No need to be back at office. Let’s go home, it’s quite late.

He wiped his tears and walked out of the café. He was lost in his thoughts and forgot she was too walking next to him. Getting home made him lonelier. He somehow managed to sleep with dark as his partner of every night.

Next day, he reached office feeling little awkward for last night. His mind kept plotting scenes of how she would be thinking about him in her thoughts or maybe even would have been telling all about the incident to some of her near ones. Somehow he tried to act as if nothing had happened at all and convincing himself as if everything is normal he reached at his cabin and started settling himself. His vision as if ditched him and made him look for her. Scanning all over the place he found her standing next to water cooler busy in her cell phone. He thought of confronting her but dropped the idea and lowered his eyes before getting caught for looking at her. His heart was beating faster making him more anxious and feeling uncomfortable. His mind kept repeating again and again that she will now laugh on him and may also let the director know all about his thoughts, about how much he is unhappy with his job. From one thought to another thought his mind kept shifting until and unless he found himself lost again. In all this circumstance, he felt the urge to lit a cigarette madly and went outside in a hurry.

After an hour, he came back feeling a little bit relaxed and at ease. He looked around searching for her again but she was not present there. Thinking it’s none of his business to keep a watch on her and he did no harm to anyone or even the firm he clicked on the screen to get his work done. A new mail notification appeared on his screen. Casually he just opened it and started reading. His eyes widened and lips got glued as if. No more was he even moving his eyes neither speaking anything. A confirmation email related to his flight had appeared.  All these days he kept checking the flight ticket costs by entering his vacation dates and now it was all confirmed not by him but someone else. Without wasting a single second he called his mother to thank her for the confirmation. The bell kept ringing for a while and she answered.

Mother!

How did you even know about it?

But before he could even go further with large smile started vanishing. The bank as mentioned in the invoice through which payment was done was not from his paternal place. Bewildered he kept watching the invoice again and again and refreshed it thinking it may be of some mistake. With that, beneath his pen stand he found a letter stating-

Ok!  So,

Just don’t think any more or keep watching the confirm button. It’s all confirmed. Now just rush and pack your bags. The city does gives big bills but depends upon you too how much you take from this city. Second home is here only it’s just you don’t want to see it in that way. After so much struggle you climbed the stairs of establishing here. Just one step away you are, don’t quit. Your land will always be yours but try to make a new land your own. People of this land too have heart, just give a deep look and talk your heart. The money you worry about will come in the end every month but not the opportunities you miss. Sometimes there are the one-time chances that happen. Think deeply about it and then take decision you won’t regret.

Now if you are all good in a swingy mood stop staring me. God! That’s terrifying. We will go out for dinner, do wait for me.

A little smile played back on his lips and he felt a new birth in himself as if Meanwhile his mother kept speaking and asking him what all was he talking about.

Oh … that was nothing important. It’s just I am coming home mother. I am coming home this time. He disconnected the call saying the lines and quickly got up from his system and started searching for her. The more eagerly he was looking for her, the more she was as if getting away from his view.

After some time, he found her standing in front of office park all alone. Without waiting any second more, he rushed towards her. As he reached he grabbed her from arm and hugged her tightly and kept saying thank you thank you thank you thank you. She stood there laughing and trying to reply. That day he found a friend in the city that made him feel alone while she saved a soul from getting lost in dark.

 

Image Source: cmoney.tw

Responses