Strangers?Or Not? ONGOING

Chapter 2

2021

"Hi!"

"Hello beta, How are you?" (Endearing term for a child)

"I'm great, Ma. Aap batao?" (What about you?)

"I'm fine too dear. Office kaisa chal raha hai? Aaj kal bahut busy rehti hai. Mere liye toh time hi nahi rehta!" (How's everything at the office? You've become such a busy girl. Don't even have time for your mother!)

"Hahaha! Aisa nahi hai Ma, aap ko aaj hi call karne wali thi." (Nothing like that Mom. I was planning to give you a call today only.)

My mother chuckled in response before proceeding to ask me more questions. I hadn't spoken to her in more than a week and I was missing her. She stayed in the same city and yet I hadn't visited her in over a month. I will drop by her place over the next weekend. I thought to myself. My apartment gets lonely on weekends and I didn't have a lot of work in the upcoming week. I didn't like taking my work there. This way I could unwind easily at home. I talked with my mom about everything and nothing for almost an hour when I realised it was late at night. It was time for her to sleep. Even I had a busy day at the office the next day and I decided to go to bed. We wished each other good night and I hung up.

It's been almost a week since the meeting with Mrs.Sabharwal in which she declared that we'll be working with more people. The Data Analytics team which she hired was scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I was responsible for briefing them and I wanted to make a solid first impression.

***

It was noon by the time I finally got up from my desk to go get lunch. I had been working in my office since today morning and my legs had gone sore from being in the same position for hours. Moreover, the team of Data Analysts could be here anytime and I had to be back soon to not miss them. I met Shreya on the way who handed me a file to go through before lunch. Being too lazy to go back to my office, I thought I'll just read it on the way to the food court. I was habituated to reading and walking at the same time from a young age. My parents always asked me not to do that but I could not let go of the habit and eventually, they gave up. I was halfway there when I crashed into something. Or someone.

"I'm sorry! I was walking and texting at the same time and didn't see where I was going," the person said.

Wait, why does his voice sound so familiar?

I looked down at the file that was now drenched in some sort of orange liquid. So much for reading it before lunch. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't-" I began saying, but my voice got caught in my throat when I looked up. It was him. After all these years, I thought I'd never see him again. He was busy wiping the file with the tissue in his hand and when our eyes met, recognition flashed in his features and was gone as soon as it came. His jaw clenched and he looked away. So he was still angry? I couldn't blame him though. It was my fault after all. I cleared my throat and continued, "I'm sorry, I should have paid more attention to where I was going."

"Yeah, but it was both of ours' faults. Anyway, what's done is done. Be more careful next time." He said. There was, surprisingly, no hostility in his voice. Quite the opposite instead, it had a warmth to it.

"I'll keep that in mind. I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?"

"Yeah, I just joined on a temporary assignment with my team. I believe the Managing Editor will be giving us a tour in some time."

"Yes, she will. Anyways I got to go. So see you around."

I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I was the one who would be giving him a tour. He'll find out eventually anyway. I was glad he didn't bring up the past or treat me any differently. I didn't expect him to keep that promise after everything that went down back then. And as I take a seat on one of the empty tables with my lunch, I'm taken back to that December in 2014, a month before things went downhill.