Coffee With Stranger

The Escalator

7 a.m. my alarm rang. I was still in a deep sleep. I did the same what ninety-five percent of the people are doing. Snooze! Yes, I snooze it for another ten minutes. It was a Monday morning and I already had started getting Monday blues.

The first day of the week is always hard to start. After spending two lazy days at home it's tough for me to start a new week.

Come on wake up, you have to go to the office. I was talking to myself. I gathered all my body parts and gave it a big jerk to wake up from the bed. My legs were not in a mood to bear the weight of my body so I set on the bed for another five minutes.

I took my phone in my hand for checking messages. Oh! Dad called me last night and I missed his call? When? I checked the time and it was eleven-thirty at night. I went to sleep at around eleven o'clock.

"I will call you in the evening" I texted my dad.

I got ready for the office, made a coffee for myself self and set on the table watching outside from the window. There was a beautiful view outside of the window so I didn't want to miss the view and go to the office. I was finding silly reasons for not going to the office on Monday morning.

No choice! I have to go to the office. I locked my house and went down an escalator. I started walking toward my office while listening to music.

Earplugs are like a time machine for me, it takes me to another world in seconds. I always wanted to lose in music. It's the second thing after coffee that I can't live without.

It takes around twenty minutes to reach my office. I can hear the maximum of three songs on the way to the office. So I have saved my selected songs of different moods. The music you listen says a lot about your mood.

"Good morning Ramdas" I greet the security guard of my office building. Ramdas must be in his fifties but always looks energetic. He knows all the people coming and going in and out of the building.

"Good morning Mam, have a nice day" he reciprocated the same.

I was waiting for the escalator tapping my fingers on the wall. And in less than a minute the escalator came and touches down my feet.

I entered the escalator and press the number 22, the floor on which my office is located. Then I was busy with my phone waiting for the doors of the escalator to close and take off to my office. Suddenly a guy in a black blazer sneaked in from the outside. He must be in his twenties having a charming face and perfect body. He stands beside me after pressing the button on the board of the escalator. He was an obstacle between me and the switchboard of the escalator.

Somehow I was eager to see which floor he is going, so I want him to stay away from the board. 19 was the number on the board which was pressed by him. So, he is going on the 19th floor. I talked to myself.

I don't know which office was there on the 19th floor. Where is he working? I heard that there is a famous architecture office somewhere between the 19th and 21st floors. I was not sure so now I wanted to know who that guy is and which office was there on the 19th floor.

We both were standing side by side in the escalator but didn't even dare to look at each other. It was like an undeclared competition between us as to who will break the silence.

None of us had initiated a talk. And the escalator buzzer rang, 19th floor that was. He has to go off the escalator with a bunch of unanswered questions left behind for me. The doors shut again and I reached to 22nd floor where my office was.

I went out of the escalator and walking towards my desk.

"Good morning Isha" the receptionist greeted me, but I didn't notice that so I didn't reply to her. I broke the daily ritual of greeting my colleagues. I set on my desk completely blank and still hunting for the answers to those questions which were born in the escalator.