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.
I can't forget his charismatic personality. Immediately I looked at the watch, it was 9:35 a.m. so I quickly started backwards counting till the time I reached the ground floor where I was tapping my fingers on the wall. The answer came out to be 9:30 a.m.
In the evening when I went back home, I asked Ramdas which office is there on the 19h floor. He said it was an architect's office.
Bingo! As anticipated I was right, the guy was working with architecture's office. And he is coming to the office at 9:30 a.m. I was smiling as my heartbeat increased suddenly.
The next day my alarm rang at 7 a.m. sharp. I didn't snooze it that day as I was excited to reach the office, not an office I mean the escalator before that guy come. I make sure that I am standing in front of the escalator eagerly waiting for him.
The escalator came but I didn't go inside as I was waiting for that guy. My eyes were looking for that person as I was standing outside the escalator. After about seven minutes, my luck clicks. He appeared and was walking towards me. I turned around my face at the escalator pretending that I had not seen him and press the button again and again as I was nervous.
The door opened and I went inside pressing the 22nd floor on the board. He was a gentleman and let me entered the escalator first. He had pressed the 19th floor. So he is an architect, he is creative. My dad loves creative people. I was talking to my mind. Before I could observe him properly, the doors of the escalator were opened. His floor had come and he has to go now.
Perfect, he didn't notice me at all. I felt sad for a moment. The door shuts off and I took off to my floor. This has become my routine for the next few days. I make sure I entered the escalator with him only. By now Ramdas has also observed my behaviour and noticed that I was waiting for him daily.
I can't keep ditching work to just stand here. I even don't know his name or anything about him. That day he stood on the last row in the escalator and I was in the first row.
I couldn't see him and he could only see my back. I was not sure if he was also interested in me or not. How could I check that? I tried to see him from the corner of my eye. But all in vain as he was standing right behind me where my eyes couldn't reach.
So I turned back and saw him standing behind me. He was also checking me, I felt that. I smiled and didn't move an inch from there.
We can't keep meeting this way. I was talking to myself. I even didn't know his name. I decided to break the ice. I will initiate and talk tomorrow. I am that bad that he doesn't want to talk to me? Or is he shy that he can't talk to me? I was confused and couldn't conclude.
The day was hectic and I was tired and want to go home as soon as possible. Not even in a mood to have dinner. I had wind up my desk and leaving the office. I entered into the escalator and press the zero button on the escalator board. I closed my eyes and listening to music through earplugs.
Suddenly my shocked and I opened my eyes. It was an unusual jerk I got in the escalator after just being boarded on it. I quickly looked at the screen where the floor numbers were being displayed. It was certainly not the ground floor yet as I had just started. I saw the number 19 was displayed on the screen.
I got butterflies in my stomach.
It was him. The door of the escalator got opened and I saw him entering the escalator with a big box in his hand. It was unusual as he never carries any box with him.
I stared at the box and checked the items he was carrying in the box. They were some sort of files, photo frames, coffee mugs, small bags, etc. most of the stuff was looked like his personal belongings.
Oh my god! Was that his last day in the office? Was he got fired? Or maybe transferred to some other city? I couldn't wait to ask him what had happened to him. I was about to talk to him but the door of the escalator got opened as we had reached on the ground floor.
Several people were waiting outside wanting to come inside escalator. He started moving outward and I was following him. I tried to talk to him but couldn't utter a word as one side I was nervous and another side I was curious as to what had happened to him.
After walking about ten steps, he turned to his left and disappeared. I had to go to the right side. But I wanted to go to the wrong side, I mean his side but couldn't.
On the way home I was thinking about him only and was regretting myself that I didn't initiate talk with him. He showed up suddenly and I was not prepared. I missed the opportunity or maybe I missed him. Will I get a chance ever to meet him again? What should I do if he didn't turn up tomorrow? Should I get his phone number from someone else? Was he also wanted to talk to me?
Oh my god! Why am I thinking so much about him? What has happened to me?
It was a fine sunny day after a week full of rain. I was wearing my sunglasses while walking towards my office. Keeping my fingers crossed that I will see him today in the escalator.
I went near the escalator and waited there for ten minutes. He didn't turn up, finally, I press the escalator button with a big disappointment. The escalator was empty. I wanted to cry loudly but somehow I managed my emotions.
I went inside the office and set on my desk. I didn't want to work that day. I went to the pantry and made a coffee for myself. I set on the table in the pantry with coffee in my hands and head down.
"What happened Isha?" I heard a known voice from behind. I turned up and as expected Vivan was there. "Nothing" I replied.
"Let's go for a shopping in the evening" he threw me an offer. I was upset and wanted to escape from the current situation so without giving it a second thought, I immediately gave a nod to him.
"Ok, so I will pick you at seven from your residence." He fixed up the plan and informed me.
The whole day in the office was unbearable for me. I was lost in my thoughts and blaming myself for not initiating talk to him. I lost him and probably will never see him again.
In the evening, I went inside the escalator hoping that it would stop on the 19th floor. I knew the chance was rare but still, I was hopeful. I have decided to talk to him if I meet him again. I closed my eyes and want the escalator to stop on the 19th floor.
The escalator didn't stop on the 19th floor. With great grief, I went out of the escalator that day and started moving forward towards my house.
I went into the bathroom as soon as I entered my house. I splashed water on my face with both my hands. Saw my face in the mirror. You are a loser; you can't even talk to a guy.
I got ready and waiting for Vivan to pick me up.
"What happened to you Isha? Since morning you are looking down." Vivan asked me.
"Nothing, I am fine. I just have some headache since morning and so."
"You know what?" He said.
"What?" I replied.
"You don't know how to speak lie" I kept mum as I didn't know what to reply. One thing was sure that he caught me that I am hiding something. Well, I didn't know but what should I tell him? When I was not clear on that guy.
"Let's go and watch some movie" I wanted to change the topic so I said this to him.
"There is no good movie released this week. Better we go shopping and then dinner," he replied to me. We then went to the infinity mall, did some window shopping and bought two shirts for Vivan.
Vivan wants me to buy something for myself but I was still not in a mood of doing any shopping. I was feeling a sense of losing something. On the other hand, I even didn't know his name so what the point of losing him. Why was I regretting myself? I was completely confused.
WillI be able to see that man again or he left forever?