All Men Are Not The Same

When Silence Settles In

"I wonder where Maddox is!"

Deborah paced around her room, her mobile phone glued to her right ear. She was frustrated when her seventh call went unanswered. She glanced at the phone screen, sighed and threw the phone on her bed which was still unmade.

"I got barely thirty minutes to get ready for work!"

She turned back and stared at the phone lying amidst the white bedsheets. That phone which Maddox gifted her through Angelica the day she was taking the plane. A brand new Iphone.

Some minutes later, Deborah was standing in front of her mirror, looking at herself, proud of the dark grey uniform she was wearing. She adjusted her purple beret and applied a final layer of her favourite crimson lipstick. She gave herself a huge smile and a wink - a good way to start the day as Angel used to say.

One whole month had already elapsed and Deborah was slowly getting used to her new way of life in Abu Dhabi. Her first few days were flooded with messages and calls from Maddox.

"How is it there?"

"Have you had your dinner?"

"Stay safe."

"Where have you been?"

"Why are you not replying my messages?"

"I love you."

"I miss you."

Maddox was continuously in touch with his beloved, showing his concern as it was the first time the young brunette travelled to a foreign land and that too all alone. Overwhelmed by his worry, Maddox kept sending messages and his worry level would inflate with each minute that went by waiting to get a reply. Any unreplied message would be followed by a phone call. And that started getting on Deborah's nerves.

"Please Maddox! Try to understand, I cannot reply your messages all the time, I'm busy here! I'm working! Don't you know that?"

"I do. But it takes just a few seconds to reply to a message, honey."

"When I add up all the few seconds you are talking about, it might end up making half  day!"

"That's pure exaggeration my angry lady!" Maddox laughed. "I'm simply worried for you, Deb."

"Please Maddox. I am twenty one! I can well take care of myself! I'm hanging up. Take care."

"Please wait. Just a few more minutes."

"What? I can't believe it! Why don't you understand that I am busy? Still I answered your call and now you want to speak a few more minutes? Look Maddox, maybe you don't have anything to do. But I do! I am working here! Please go find something to do and don't disturb me. I'm tired."

Barely one day later, Deborah started regretting each of the words she said as Maddox did not call back nor send a single message after that phone conversation. Deborah tried to call him several times to no avail. Her messages were not being read. Or maybe read but ignored.

"Ah! Male ego!" was her first thought. But as more days went by with no sign of Maddox, Deborah started worrying.

Before leaving for work, Deborah reached for her phone and decided to drop her boyfriend one more message. Or two.

"Where are you? I'm sorry for everything I said. Trust me, I didn't want to hurt you," she typed.

"Please text me back. I am so worried."

Deborah expected a sarcastic reply from the young guy, like "Please Deb! I'm twenty one. I can well take care of myself." But she was wrong. All she got was his silence. And as silence settled in, doubts took birth.