My phone alarm rests beside me tick-tocking each inevitable second of the day, only to shake, rattle, and ring to wake me up every morning. I was there in bed, half dead, sometimes wishing maybe that I was, achy, tired, stretching and scratching my head like a wild cat.
The sunlight seeps in through cracks in my curtains and early morning cold wind forces me to sneak inside a warm blanket. I told myself "Five more minutes and I will get up."
I closed my eyes, and in no minutes the alarm rang again. The bells scream out in alarm just to tell me it's time to go. Any method of waking up must be better than this creepy sound of my phone alarm which shattered my sleep and made my first few thoughts of the day violent and unpleasant.
I took my head up and reach out to my phone with a daring hand and grab it. Was there any compelling reason to get up early? The answer was obviously no. Then suddenly I think of Siddharth and how we met yesterday. Suddenly my body system was all on the go.
After completing my daily routine in the bathroom, I went to the kitchen to make a coffee for myself. I was hungry too, so I decided to make a toast as well. So I flung some bread into the toaster and started making my coffee.
How would I meet Siddharth today? I forgot to take his mobile number as well. Thousands of thoughts had crossed my mind while making a coffee. Should I trust him or will he be the same as other guys?
The toaster popped up. Slightly charred but never mind. I talked to myself looking at the toast. I popped some butter on it and shovelled it into my furnace of a mouth.
I got ready and off to my office in a hurry. I was earlier by about half an hour than my routine time to the office. I decided to reach the office earlier so that I can catch Siddharth at the escalator. That was the only place where I can find him.
The escalator has become a meeting spot for us as that was the origin of our relationship. My legs were running faster than usual. I could feel the new fuel in me. My heartbeats were double when I reached the corridor of my office building.
To my surprise, the man was already standing there. It looks like his eyes were searching for me only. "Hi, good morning, how are you?" I asked him.
"Good morning Isha, I am fine, you say how your yesterday night was? Did you sleep properly?" He showed his concern for me.
"Ya, it was good," I smirked.
"How come you are early today? It's only 9 am and your office is supposed to get started at 09:30 am."
"I have the same question for you as well. Why are you here at this time?" He replied, and we both burst in laugh.
"Actually, I didn't have your phone number so I thought it will be a good idea to catch you here." He said.
"I wanted to inform you that today evening after the office we will go out for dinner. Is that ok with you?" He asked.
"Ya, fine," I replied after a long pause.
The escalator came and the door opened for us to move our asses inside. He signed me to enter first, and then he follows me. The gentleman! That was the word that came in my mind as he allowed me to enter the escalator first.
"Can I have your mobile number so that I don't have to wake up early every morning?" He smirked.
I gave him my phone number while I pressed both the floor buttons on the escalator board. He was watching me, whether I press his floor correctly or not. He smiled and thanked me. Polite and polished breed! That was what I could make it out by now.
The escalator stopped on the 19th floor. He looked at me, smiled and waved me goodbye. I reciprocate. He turned back and get off the escalator. I was staring at him but my vision gets shirker every second as the escalator doors were closing.
On the 22nd floor, I also get off the escalator and started walking towards my desk. I was lost in his thoughts so I forgot to greet people in the office. I was so lost in his thoughts that I couldn't see the chair that was in my way.
I crashed and was fumbling with my purse in one hand and my expensive iPhone on the other hand. I was balancing myself as the artist does in the circus.
Why do I belong to this place, I think I can perform well at the circus?
Somehow I managed myself and sat on my desk. But I noticed severe pain in my right leg. I could not even move my fingers. I quickly discovered that my right leg ankle got twisted as I was trying to balance myself to avoid a fall.
I didn't inform anyone until Payal came to my desk and asked me to go to the pantry for a cup of coffee. Being a coffee lover I quickly contemplated the coffee offer against my twisted leg. And as you know, my love for the coffee wins.
I nodded to Payal and stood up on my feet. It was paining in the right leg as I took step towards the pantry, and I couldn't hide my pain as it was clearly visible to Payal.
"What happened to you Isha?" Payal asked me curiously.
"Nothing much, I think my leg got twisted while coming to the office," I replied.
"It doesn't look like you are ok, wait a minute here, I think you can't walk till the pantry. I will go a get the coffee to your desk."
"No Payal let me come with you. It's not that much aching. You just hold my hand till the pantry arrives."
She took my right hand over her shoulder and second hand behind my back. She holds me so firmly that it reminds me of my mom.
We reached to the pantry and took the first table at entry. 'You just seat here; I will bring a coffee for both of us." Payal said to me.
As she went to order coffee for both of us, I was just exploring my phone checking messages in WhatsApp.
I saw 3 messages from the unknown number in my WhatsApp.
'Here we go, this is yours and this one is mine." Payal kept the coffee cups on the table and divided them between us. I was just about to open the messages, but Payal interrupted.
So I decided not to open the messages in front of Payal as I wasn't sure who the person was. Payal could sense my reaction about those messages so I thought not to open those messages in front of her.
I kept my phone upside down on the table and took the cup of coffee.
"Why didn't you come to the office yesterday?" Payal asked me.
I was laughing inside; thank god nobody had noticed me coming to the office yesterday. I didn't know that coming late to the office also has some advantages. How could I tell her that I came to the office yesterday, but went to the terrace to commit the suicide?
"I was not feeling well, got a severe headache and a little bit of temperature as well. So I thought to take the rest for a day." I replied.
We had a usual chit-chat and then came back to our desk. I quickly scan my surroundings and confirm that nobody is watching me. I opened my WhatsApp and read those unknown messages. It says:
Unknown: Hi, let's go for a walk at Chowpatty in the evening.
Unknown: I will pick you up after the office.
Unknown: What say?
Me: Sorry, who is this? I can't recognize you.
Unknown: I am the one who saw you walking on the edge of the terrace. :)
Me: Oh! Siddharth. Sorry I couldn't recognize you.
I quickly save his number to my phonebook.
Siddharth: It's ok. It happens.
Siddharth: So let's go to the Chowpatty in the evening.
Me: Ya, sure, after the office.
Siddharth: Yup, fine, bye.
Me: Bye.
Out of curiosity, I checked his profile picture in the WhatsApp. Handsome was the adjective that came in my mind. I blushed and put my phone upside down on the table.
I took lunch again with the help of Payal I was able to reach to the pantry.
"It's a busy day today. Boss is asking me to complete the report on the new ad campaign by the evening." I said to Payal.
"Ya, even I have to complete the comparison between our rivals and us by the evening." She replied.
"I don't think that I would be able to complete the report by the end of the day. Shall I go and ask for some more time? What do you suggest?" I asked.
"Ya, you should go and buy some more time. Asking for time is better than giving false hope." She said.
My ankle was still aching and the pain was gradually increasing. I had not informed anyone and took any medicine until now. It was around 2 pm and I still have to pass 4 more hours until I reach my home and do something about my leg.
I had a task to finish by the end of the day, but I was sure that I could not complete the task and that aching ankle was making the whole thing more difficult for me.
Oh! I also had an evening plan with Siddharth. Oh my god, I could not go to Chowpatty with my broken leg. What should I do?
I just put my head on the desk and both hands behind my head. I was contemplating different scenarios about what I should do with my both eyes closed.
After about two minutes, I opened my eyes and sit straight. The pain was now becoming unbearable minute by minute. I took a deep breath and gather all my courage.
I stood up from my desk and went to the boss's cabin to explain to him my situation.
"May I come in sir?" I open the door of his cabin enough only that my voice can reach his ears.
"Ya come in please." An affirmative reply with a thick voice came from inside.
I opened the door and step inside the cabin. I hold the doorknob tightly as I was not able to walk properly. He was curiously watching me fumbling with myself. He stood up and holds my hand from the other side of the table.
"Easy, easy. Sit down. What happened to you?" He asked politely. I have never seen him talking so politely to anyone till now.
"Sir I think my ankle got twisted in the morning while I came to the office."
"I think? What do you mean by I think? And that too since morning?"
"Did you inform anyone? Took any medicine?"
"No sir, I thought it was just a jerk and will be ok in some time. But..."
"Why didn't you inform anyone? Your generation has this problem of taking things for granted."
"Sir I came to inform you that I won't be able to complete that report by the end of the day. Can you please allow me some more time for the submission?"
The boss took a deep breath while he saw in my eyes. He didn't utter a word for a moment. There was complete silence in the cabin.
"Ok." He replied.
"Shall I go home earlier as the pain is unbearable that I think I can't sit in the office," I asked.
"Ya, you may go early today, and do something about your leg." He replied.
"Thank you, sir," I replied and was feeling happy inside.
He was not that bad as I thought of him. I was talking to myself.
I went out of the cabin and saw Payal standing at her desk waiting for my expression.
I nodded my head and smiled at her. She got it that boss had allowed me to go home earlier.
She showed me thumbs up and signs me to go home and take rest.
I quickly gathered all the documents lying on my desk and kept them aside. I took my purse and started moving towards the exit of the office. I was trying to escape myself as if there was some earthquake that had hit us in the office.
How would I go home? I could not walk today until my home. I was talking to myself in the escalator.
I came out of the building in search of a taxi. As I thought that would be the best option for that day. I tried to find one but couldn't find any nearby.
Then I saw a rickshaw on the other side of the road. I would never prefer to go for a rickshaw, but that day was a different day in my life. Without thinking much more, I called the rickshaw and tell him to drop me at my residence.
At first, he denied as the distance was barely two kilometres, so he was not interested. But then I walked two steps just to bring his notice to my broken leg. He saw that I barely can walk, so he agreed to drop me to my residence.
The rickshaw was never my standard, but the situation teaches us all the lessons.
Not more than five minutes, I reached my destination. I gave ₹ 20 to rickshaw Walla without even asking him as I knew the minimum fare and the distance was not more than that.
It was around three o'clock and I was in my bed, taking a nap. I was tired due to the hectic day at the office and thank god that I didn't have to spend the entire day in the office.
Oh! I forgot to inform Siddharth about me being at home. I quickly set on my bed and messaged him that I was already at home due to the pain in my leg.
My phone rang and I woke up from the deep sleep. I didn't know when I drifted into the deep sleep. I took the phone in my hand to check who is calling me. My eyes were still not fully open as I was still in sleep. Somehow I managed to open the eyes by rubbing them with my hand.
By the time I picked up the phone, it turned into the missed call. It was from Siddharth, and I realized that I was sleeping for the past three hours. It was 6:18 pm.
I called him back and informed him that I was already at the home since I broke my leg in the office.
"So what about our plan of going to the Chowpatty?" he asked.
"Sorry, we will go some other day. Today I can't walk as my ankle is still aching."
"Why don't you come to my home? We will have dinner together, what say?" I asked him.
"Well, dinner is fine but ya we can definitely meet at your home. Please text me the address of your home, I will be there at around 9 pm." He replied.
I was curious as I called him at my place. Let's see what it brings for me.
Ting Tong, the doorbell rang. And I guess Mr. Punctual has arrived. I was jumping on my one leg to reach the door and opened it.
"Hi Siddharth, how are you?" I asked.
"You say how are you, how's your leg now?"
"It's still aching and I can't put it on the ground." I showed him my leg while telling him this.
"Oh, it's swollen. Have you applied any ointment on it?"
"No, I will do it before I go to bed," I replied.
We both set on the sofa. "So how was your day today?" he asked.
"It was hectic and this broken leg." I sigh.
"Happens. Some days in our life are hard. They are meant to be there to teach us the difference between good and bad. So that we can appreciate the good."
"These hard days will make us strong and mature. We have to conquer them with all our might and patience." He already has started motivating me.