Karthik and Anjali

running into each other 101

Anjali wasn't having the best day. It had been a few days since she joined work and it's been a vicious mix of heavenly and hell-like.

When there was a job opening in Misayur that paid well and had good credentials because it was a government job, she didn't think twice before applying for it. The interview had gone very well but she didn't have any prior experience working in a school so she was skeptical about getting in.

Once Anjali had gotten the job, she was too excited about the new change in her life that she didn't care to think about her work scenario. What a blunder.

The teachers had their claws out when they realised she was getting almost equally paid as them for helping children express their emotions through art. When they watched Anjali ask children to splash paint on chart papers and scribble their hearts out, she could hear the biting whispers of the teachers scorning the unfairness. Malini was the only teacher who befriended her and showed her the ropes around the institution. She was getting married soon and moving to Dubai with her husband so until then she was working in the government school.

The only good thing about the job was the children. Oh, how she loved being around them. For Anjali, school life was her most precious days. After that, everything went downhill. She treasured the memories from her school, often was reminded about them when she was around the children. During the art therapy workshops, she became one among the children, laughing and playing with them. It was too wholesome.

The school was a 30-minute walk from her grandmother's house. She took the usual route and waved to the anna at the tea stall and the akka at the flower shop. She also paused to pet the cat that followed her diligently from the village tank to the wedding hall every day like her very own bodyguard. It was surprising how quickly the town had become familiar.

While she was walking, she could feel the tight squeeze of her lower abdomen. She had been feeling uneasy from morning and had only eaten one dosa despite her grandmother's insistence. She should have realised it was the date of her period. Anjali had forgotten to pack sanitary pads.

She looked around to check for medical shops but there was none. She can't afford to take a risk by walking for 20 more minutes. She didn't want to entertain the possibility of parading around with her stained pants. Frantically, she pulled her bag closer to her body and sped further to ask someone if there was any store nearby.

She spotted an old man sitting on a stone bench and smoking a cigarette. "Thatha, is there any shop nearby? Grocery store? Or medical shop?"

"You don't know about the departmental store? It's inside that little street. Take the first right," he said, pointing to it.

"Thank you, Thatha."

The old man looked like he was about to continue the conversation but before that, she sped up and walked.

She was genuinely surprised when she saw the departmental store. Her grandmother had spoken about it and ordered from it a few times but she assumed it would be a small-town store. This was huge. Not bad, Misayur, she thought while walking in.

Anjali made a beeline for the sanitary section and searched for the brand she used. It wasn't there. Everything except that was available and she was sensitive to other brands. She looked for it once more, digging behind the stacks.

"Do you need some help?" A voice came — strong but gentle, guttural but low. Her heart jumped in her chest and she spun around, ready to decline the offer and grabbing the first pack she can find.

"Anjali?" the voice asked next.

She dropped the pack on the floor.

Square jaw, slightly pointed ears, glassy brown eyes and those lips... she could recognise them anywhere.