Kalam ki syahi hui hai khatam..
bhar diye jo panne, likh likhke unke liye….
Panne woh, jo unhone padhe bhi nahi..
woh, jo unhone fenke bhi nahi..
Fenk dete to dil me hota kuch dard..
dekha jo nahi.. to hai himmat hogayi past..
Yun to umr bhar likhne ki chaah thi..
par kambakht syahi hogayi hai khatm ab…
“Get up beta..It’s time for school” was what Ravi’s mom kept shouting early morning. I could hear the pitch fluctuate as the minutes passed by. I couldn’t see him getting ready for his day to school (not that I wanted to), but could paint a picture around what his mom was telling him to. From making the 10-year old take bath and cajole into using soap, which he doesn’t seem to like or changing the dirty smelling socks from his shoes, which he didn’t took out yesterday after coming back and numerous other things which would make the kid be clean and tidy, and all set for school. Mother’s take such great pains to make their child remain clean. It just throws me back, into my school days.
I was sipping my morning coffee and enjoying the morning chirpings and musings on whatever my eyes could make me watch, or my ears listen. Just before the day for working population starts, the mothers at home get on with their business of getting their kids ready, just before their school bus/auto-rickshaw comes by blazing the horns, with a full pack of kids thrown in like courier to be delivered to the same address.
The horn blazed across the street and kids from our apartment, along with their mothers ran to hop onto the seats. Ravi also dashed down with his mom, looking all excited to see his friend reserve a place for him. It’s all there from the beginning, reserving a place for your friends, no matter where or how you are travelling. Brushing amidst every other kid, Ravi hopped in to go to his “reserved” seat, and from afar as I could noticed just when the bus was about to start, his both the kids were peeping into each others’ lunch box. Perhaps, comparing what all they would exchange during the lunch break. Obviously, in case if it remains intact till that time. Kids, you know.
“Hello”, said Ravi’s mom, on my adjacent balcony. This was almost like a routine every morning when both of us greeted each other and exchanged our pleasantries. Neighbors you know. Actually, I was new in the apartment, and most of the people in the building were being nice to me. “Hello Bhabi, chala gaya Ravi school?” was what I replied back. Not that I didn’t knew nor had doubt, but just for the sake of conversation, this was what I said. “Yes, he went. Getting him ready for school is a job in itself. He just doesn’t listen to anything I say. To just keep him clean and be healthy, is one of the toughest things I have to do at home, you know.” And she went on. There’s this thing with women, you just have to start off and then they would carry on describing their daily grind.
“And to top it all, there I have to make sure he doesn’t get sick.” She added. “well, the weather is such kids are getting sick Bhabiji “, I sympathized with her. At least tried to.
“Oh yes, indeed. But thankfully, I do take care of him. Actually it’s Chyawanprash that helps him, to fight all that. And the immune system of children isn’t that developed, so we have to take extra care for them. So many bacteria, viruses, etc are there these days, you know”. I knew about the immune system, but the “so many bacteria, viruses” sounded like there’s some shop selling these.
“But which Chyawanprash to choose, there are so many of them in the market. Which is the best one?” was what I was compelled to ask.
“That’s easy, Chyawanprash means Dabur Chywanprash, nothing else. And this one comes especially for kids as well, Ravi ko wahi khilati hoon”
I just wondered as to what all other women must be doing with their kids.
“Achaa chalo, ab Ravi ki papa ke lie breakfast banana hai” and with this our morning conversation ended like any other day. I closed down my gate for a walk and took my wallet, to buy myself Chyawanprash. Not that I was a kid, but then who wants to get sick? So, many Bacteria and viruses roaming around you know.
This post was written in association with Indiblogger for Dabur Chyawanprash
“Select all” “Delete” “Select all” “Delete” “Select all” “Delete” and the sequence continues. Sitting on a Sunday morning, with the Saturday night sleep being snoozed every now and then, one can easily judge the mood of Bhaskar, working his way through emptying the mailbox.
After the curtains tried to flow away, and the light tried to sneak in hurriedly through the cores of the unveiled window sills, it is then he decided to just close down the lid of his laptop and lay down besides her. The distance marked by an imaginary line, which didn’t require any army to keep it there, but only what was going in his mind. But he wasn’t alone.
Even Smruti was preoccupied with even stranger thoughts too.
It’s been almost six months since Smruti got married off to Bhaskar. “Married off” might sound some sort of trade, and even though they both consented to tie the knot with all the pomp and splendor associated with it, yet the iota of doubt already piled up could only be sensed by them both only.
Smruti, a cheerful young 24-year old, fairly cute and what they call naazuk, lived life without bothering about worldly affairs in a thickly populated neighborhood in Jayanti colony in saaddi dilli. A mohalle-wala affair, which couldn’t stand the test of time and compatibility, got over recently. With shadi-ki-umar approaching and parents standing on her neck, she had to let go.
Its’ no amusing that the filmi duniya does impact the life of our youth; Smruti’s dreams were all built with that caricature in place and regularly water those illusions too. But then dreams remained dreams. The mohalle-ka-launda went his way, and she had to stay there to weep her days out, before her parents fixed the match to a handsomely earning Engineer in Patna. The salary was handsome, not the engineer though.
Bhaskar, engineering at a mechanical plant in Patna, while his family stayed back in delhi, was eager to get married. Well, for a guy whose quest in life had only focused on tons of books and then machines, needed to finally get, what society says is “Life”. Junk food, and years of being in love with his window-95 through Vista evolved computer had not just increased the power of his lenses but also his weight. No wonder, apart from being called Bhaskar, his middle name or rather his more familiar name centered on the weight he carried around in fats. So, when a proposal for a delhi-girl came along, where he fell in love with just from the .jpg image that came down in his mailbox. She was cute. There was no way, he was willing to let her go.
Eagerness was what Bhaskar germinated, while apprehensions and simply adhering to what her parents say, Smruti waited.
They tied the knot.
Six months later, things haven’t changed much. Each night Bhaskar tries to make sure that he comes in a little late, so that they don’t have to talk much. So that she doesn’t look at him, as how cruel the god can be to tie her up with him. So that he could just avoid feeling miserable again.
It was that first time they met after being married; Her eyes just spelt it out quite clearly to him. Clear enough to know, the disgust and when a little later, described about how the marriage went through only because she couldn’t say NO. The shutters of the newly inaugurated dreamland store of Bhaskar at Patna, just closed down. Each passing day was another exercise to just keep on moving by just ignoring the reality. Living under the same roof, without being together and yet continuing with it. Well, if stats for the same would be known to public, they won’t
Bhaskar went to the plant. Smruti, roamed around the house and with nothing better to do, switched on the TV. Browsing through the channels she saw news flash of a plant in patna which had a major accident, 100s were feared injured and some dead. And just then the phone rang.
She picked up the phone, “Madam.. yahan sir.. madam.. hello .. hello..”
She dropped the phone and ran away to get the taxi, and with it to the plant site dialing Sameer’s mobile number, without getting a reply. Paying up the driver and stormed around the site, searching.
Her eyes, wandering around to look for something.With all the rescue work and people moving around, they all acted as a veil which she was constantly trying to put off. Tears rolling down her cheeks. Eyes still searching for him.
For Bhaskar.
And then she finally caught him. Both of them looking at each other from a sizeable distance, sizeable and yet his size giving her the relief that he’s fine. The distance seemed to have vanished. Limping across through the site, he walked towards her. She walked too. Her eyes looked different. They had finally found it. Their platinum day of love.
This post is written in association with Indiblogger for Platinum day of love Contest.
Beabroo hoke kisi gali se kabhi hum nikle the to kabhi tum bhi…
Rumaalon ko bhigote hue… kabhi tum ruksat hue to kabhi hum bhi..
Jo kisi ko dekhun yun mayoos to badha deta hoon rumaal pada…
Jo maange agar koi kandha…. to badha deta hoon unke jaanib….
Dard ye nahi ki hame kisi ne rumaal nahi diya….
Dard ye bhi nahi ki talash rahe the hum koi kaandha…
Afsos bas iska hai… apna rumaal bhi nahi mila unse…
Jinke lie dard ye paal rakha tha….
“You are beautiful..” I exclaimed through my reveries. She looks towards the professor and me, towards her. She carelessly turns her head towards my eyes. Her brownish braids and that zulf being parked shabbily above the eyes in contrast to the systematically arranged hairs. Her eyes look in the direction where I stood. Standing and gazing at her.
Did she really hear what my mind whispered?
I turned my attention to the professor, knowing well that the attention wasn’t in the direction where my eyes went. There was a slight chance of her looking this way towards me. I hesitated to look straight into her deep hazy eyes. Eyes, which won’t let me stare into them without going into a trance, demanding they were.
She looked like this. Each time, I lay my eyes on her, right from the first day when I saw her to this day. Not much has changed. I knew nothing then, and what I know now is close to that nothing. She is a puzzle, unsolved. The difficulty of solving this puzzle increases as a new piece is added when trying to solve it.
Zakia. Pure, her name. And yes, she was. As pure as anything that I haven’t seen with my eyes.
She walked in a sequined grey salwar kameez, with a chunni laced with beads and heavy embroidery. And yet, perhaps due to the soft cotton with which they were made of, kept flowing away while she carelessly walked. It was the first day in college for her and for me.
There are rare occasions when you feel like a bolt hitting you right there inside your chest. A peculiar pain that isn’t exactly a pain. Lingers for a while till she sashays past you. That was the moment. The first moment.
In an age of social networking, it’s pretty amusing for one not to be active on any of these platforms. But then, there I was. A novice at this art of Facebooking as what they called it as. I was always like, “what’s the point?” and, more importantly, never felt like joining it. I had better things to do than waste myself on something idiotic like these.
But, now I found myself in the middle of it all.
After cajoling one of my friends to let me use his account, and a little help from the same lad, who happened to be one of the “addicts” on these, I searched on her with help from Jaafar. It didn’t take us time to locate her, and as was evident many from the college were already on her “friends’ list”.
It was explained to me in a not so polite way that this friend list is just virtual social decorum that one follows and doesn’t necessarily mean anything.
Of course, I wasn’t listening.
A tinge of jealousy sprinkled across my confused face.
[For the first part, click here ]
As narrated by the Idiot, with minimum exaggerations and enhanced expressions. For further development keep waiting.
The best part between us has been not talking about our daily grind. There’s no “How was your day?”, “You had your dinner?”” what’s new?” and a similar barrage of redundant questions with rebounds that even people part of the conversation knows is just to push the conversation forward. Yet, at least one of them would keep bringing that up.
For us, me and her, it is not that now. Yes, it’s been Her and Me.
Not that we have a series of other conversational topics that keep us occupied, but something that pushes beyond the mundane outflow of words. There is a sense of tranquility lingering on the onset of these little exchanges. There is an essence of satisfaction to be heard. Being heard by her. Listening to her silence in return for my blabber through trying hard not to sound like an idiot. Not at least this second time.
I get this vibe from her like she already knows about this idiotic me and suppresses this idea. She lets me stay where I am instead of allowing me to scale up the ladder to venture into idiotic territory. Or is there a flicker of hope down the road she wants me to travel and find for myself? Travel along with her.
Building castles in the air. Stressing myself about the unknown. Portraying me as either an Optimistic would be far-fetched, but tagging me as pessimistic would also be an understatement, which even an idiot like me understands.
It is indeed difficult to understand her, not that I haven’t tried. Tried for Days, tried for months, and even for a Year, but couldn’t. Just couldn’t. Not her, nor anything from her. I have only known about the push I gave myself to try and try harder. Again and again. Only to return empty-handed on each occasion.
But now, it has come down to a different level, a level where I stop myself from trying anything. I’m at a place where I contain my urge to dive deep into those eyes and gather a glimmer of hope beaming out to be reflected on a future where I can be a part of it.
I don’t want to think now. Neither to try nor to look at the prospects of a build-up to what I have now. I just want this, whatever this is, to continue. No changes. A wish, from deep down, to let this connection fester on. I intend to savor this moment and bind them as possessions.
It isn’t love. It isn’t any infatuation, either. It’s something that I don’t understand but makes me hopeful. A hopeful idiot.
As narrated by the Idiot, with minimum exaggerations and enhanced expressions.
I‘ve never bothered to book tickets for the train beforehand and this time was no different. But when the trains were running full, I realized I had made a mistake. So, I was forced to make the journey by bus.
The problem hasn’t ended here only, it was just a start. Midway towards the destination, the bus developed some problem and was told to wait till morning.
A certain sort of smell took me to a nearby dhaba, and made me order Paranthe, chicken butter masala and tadka daal until my mouth gave up, for want of some liquid intake to gulp in what all I had stuffed up. It being May, Lassi was what I ordered, to make way for the food that kept coming in, and I didn’t bothered to say No. And all of it cost me just 30 rupees in total!!! Somehow got to know about a particular person going in that route in his Safari, boarded it and began the adventurous ride.
Although in this case as well, there was a plan to stop for a while in another town near Ghatsila, at least waiting here for the bus to get repaired, sounded more boring that driving along with Rohit, the guy who was giving me the lift, and waiting there itself.
After chit-chats spanning across our timeline of being alive and laughs being exchanged, we zoomed out on the highway.
Rohit dropped me off to wait around the market, while he’d finish off his work and pick me up after 2 hours. Fair enough, I strolled slowly out to check out the nearby market. Shops were being opened for the day and the shopkeepers were busy calling me to see if I wanted to buy shirts or jeans or anything that they sold.
First and foremost, I went in to a nearby hotel to have my breakfast. It was difficult to order the food with too much of a crowd thronging that place at this time. With a plate of samosas and vada ordered and completely feeling satiated with the food, I came out with a contented look on my face.
A little while later, I saw a shop selling peda, the sweet that I love the most. I didn’t had any space left anywhere in my stomach, but after having tasted it, couldn’t resist not making some space in my bag.
Food was not the only thing that I bought there; I even ended up purchasing second-hand copies of some of the bestseller international books and some Bermudas for the summer, and all of this just for dirt cheap prizes. I am not at all a shopaholic but getting these things at such cheap rates, from food to clothes to even books; it did got me a high.
Even the time flew very quickly and Rohit arrived to drive back me back home. Eating the pedas, I sweet-smiled my way back home, thinking about the best drive of my life.
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“Listen anvesha, for Gods’ sake listen to me…” I cried while the door to the adjacent room was banged closed by Anvesha while leaving. I just stood there for a second and then fell down on the bed, numb in thought of how bad things have become. Constant fights are now dominated my life, after Anvesha had decided to shift base to Bangalore from Jamshedpur to keep a “check” on me.
I had been in the advertising field since graduating from one of the top advertising colleges, two years back. A job in advertising is what I had my eyes set on. The creative bug had hit me from the school days, days from when being constantly involved in almost every co-curricular activity and winning all of them had just started. Tagged as one of the brightest and most famous few from the school, back in those days, life’s one of the best phases was being enjoyed.
This was the time when Anvesha was about to enter into my life. A new face gleamed into the folds of Crescent School. Smart, hot and chirpy, was what she could be described as. From the very first day that she had entered school, she was the topic that was being discussed everywhere.
Being the dude that I was. It didn’t take much to impress her with my smooth ways. What started off with the school canteen sandwiches, moved onto the movies at Payal cinema every weekend, and then with more “value addition” to the whole game, with each passing day.
Anvesha and Sameer had remained inseparable ever since.
Although, many didn’t liked her because of the attitude that she carried around, but being with the most popular guy in school has its own perks. No one says anything to you directly, but bitches behind your back at every opportunity.
Time passed. From school to college. We were now separated by distance, while I came to study in Bangalore, Anvesha started out with her Engineering in Jamshedpur.
Long distance Relationship or LSD as they call it was what we were now a part of. After the initial hiccups and problems associated with it, things started to settle down. But being in a field of advertising and in constant involvement with the opposite sex, it was a life made tough. No, not in terms of resisting that urge, but with the possessiveness of Anvesha not letting me breathe.
But with “years of togetherness” being the bonding thread that kept me going, I somehow adjusted.
The car stopped!!
And I was made to come out of my reveries, only to realize what had happened. A road jam, was what awaited the three of us. An accident had taken place down the road. Coming out of the car, we came to know that it would take hours to get the accident site cleared. Nothing could happen unless police came and made things easy for us.
There was another passage that was available, but the road looked deserted. Anup was constantly pushing to not waste the time and explore this available option. He was too eager to explore Goa!!
Karan and I looked at each other and then the traffic that awaited us.
It was time to travel the road not taken.
It had already started getting dark and the journey to Goa had just started. With around 20 minutes into the dark wild, or the “road” that we took, we had already got scared. Not because of the dark but because of Anup. He was scared like anything and was cursing us for not waiting for the traffic to get cleared, and after we reminded him that it was his idea in the first place he blamed us for listening to him. Batao!!!
Time didn’t just ticked its’ way out, but moving at a snails’ pace on the bumpy road.
Up and down we went.
It was that time during our college “study tour”, where we went to Ooty. Loads of fun was on the cards, or so I thought, problems greeted me along with it.
It was December and the weather over there was terribly cold. Due to some lapse from the management’s side, many of us had to share rooms. Somehow I and Karan were made to stay in the girls’ room. One of them happened to be Sakshi, karans’ girlfriend. As the night went on, they just went more and more “romantic”. I on the other hand just slept my way through, only to be woken up by a call from Anvesha. When I somehow described the situation, she actually cut the call after a while blaming me for intentionally being part of this “arrangement”.
This was not the first time that this had happened, but numerous occasions where I was blamed for being “involved” with other girls.
Boom!!
The car had hit something. Karan, looked shit scared!!
Anup, was not willing to go out and check. Even I was scared but looking at these two scared faces, opened the door and went to check it out. Only to find that we had almost crushed a dog’s leg. It was just a small puppy, with the kind of scream that would melt away even stones. We couldn’t hear the sound of the puppy due to the music being played inside; I called up Karan who looked relieved to see that it was not any human soul. But still, looking at the puppy that it was, completely drenched in the mud and screaming for help, we decided to take it up and get to some Vet if we found any. Karan, on the other hand, whose car it was just couldn’t believe that we were actually willing to do that, while Anup had already wrapped him in his towel and taken him inside. The puppy smelled like anything, of the mud that he had covered his body with, Anup cleaned his wound up and applied whatever first aid which was there in the car.
Strange as it may sound, but after entering the car, we just couldn’t smell anything bad. When we were thinking as to what was the reason, Karan pointed out the Ambi Pur on the dashboard. I had no knowledge of what it was, and later when I checked it out accidently on their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AmbiPurIndia, that I came to know about this.
With Anups’ comic gems being rolled out, and the night passed effortlessly, we drove towards the highway, on our way to Goa, we searched addresses of some veterinary docs on the way and after having located one ended up treating Shaggy. Yes, the puppy now had a name. Thanks to Anup. But after having been with the dog and developing a strange affection, we just didn’t leave him there, but took him to our Road trip.
I was constantly getting calls from Anvesha and after some 2-3 “missed” calls from her, decided to pick it up. I told her of how a trip to Goa was planned and now I was on way to one. Having listened to it, she sounded as if I had done some sort of a crime. Of having gone ahead with the trip after fighting with her, and instead of consoling her, was on my way to enjoy in Goa!! The call was again cut.
After having known me for years, throughout my school and college life, Anup and Karan understood as to why it was all taking a toll on me. This was actually one of the reasons that this trip was planned for me to wind out all of these issues and get back to the Sameer that I was.
They didn’t start out with any sort of sentimental dialogues, just simply asked me about the matter and after having described the whole situation as it stood now. They asked, “Are you happy?”
I had no answer. I didn’t want to answer in the negative to that. The years of effort put in the relationship would have no meaning then.
They didn’t wait for an answer either, as they knew what it would be. They told me to cut out the thing that has kept me restless and just let it all go.
I don’t know what actually happened. But it was all making sense now, as if I needed someone to tell me that the present me, who would be coochy-cooing to his girlfriend without wanting to, of listening to the over-possessive avatar of her, which never made sense before. I was lost in the midst of all of it.
It was Dawn.
We had stopped the car to take a leak and experience the rising sun. The three of us leaking it out, down the hill. And the sun rising. Just imagine.
The two of them had already gone inside the car, but I was just staring at the rising sun. Thinking, will this dawn result in a new morning?
There was determination and when I looked at the two idiots shouting at me to hurry up; I just had a smile on my face. A smile that wasn’t stuck on some “years” of bondage.
I sat there looking out of the window, letting the wind rush through my face, flashing a sense of comfort along with it.
It was already Goa!!
We didn’t went to any hotel, parked our car just outside the beach. I ran myself down and just went in deep Arabian sea, and as they said, Let it all go.
Getting back the Gang
Sameer
One month. Yet the routine that he had been part of has been the same. Waking up in the middle of the night, and not able to sleep post that. At 3’o clock his eyes were wide open. They say its’ the “devils’ hour”, but then for Sameer he was no less than a devil now. Cursing himself for everything that had happened. Time went on, till it was 6!! Three hours of his life’s recent happenings, all flashing in front of his wide open eyes, like a 3-hour Bollywood movie. He was monotonously going through his early morning chores and just like every day, skipped the breakfast yet again and then rushed to his office even before it was time.
Deepti
She hadn’t slept the whole night. Browsing through various channels, without even bothering what was playing on the idiot box, ending up watching advertisements more than the shows which were being played over there. It was a regular scene in her room for the last one month or so, Although while watching these, sometime back she used to doze off. But not tonight. It just went on and on. It was 6. Now, she got into the act of getting ready for her office. It was a Monday.
Exactly a month back, they Sameer and Deepti, called it quits.
Sameer and Deepti both worked in the same office. They had studied in the same college, along with Rahul, Azkia and Robin. The gang of five. They were one of the “hot and happening” gangs in the college, bustling with something or the other.
But things began to change when the two love birds of the group, decided to call it over. It has been over a month that this decision of theirs, has affected not just them but others as well. The group had slowly started falling apart. The evening hangouts were regularly called off due to either Sameers’ “work” or due to Deepti’s “headache”. And with these two doing this constantly, this also had a big effect on the others as well. It was time to put things back on track. Azkia was determined to do something. She chanced upon We Chat’s Youtube channel and Downloaded We Chat. She got together with Rahul and Robin got together late at night on Sunday, on WeChat. Each pitching in with ideas on how to stop this non-sense going about.
The plan was made.
Rahul, in his very carefree tone, “yaar, kaise wapas milaya jaaye inlogon ko?”
Robin : “There’s no need to patch things up between them, what we only want is why they become friends again ??”
Azkia: Exactly!! These two idiots did a big mistake to come into a relationship in the first place, and now when they have realized it, we shouldn’t interfare in that. But what we can do is, let them openly talk about the whole thing and become friends again.
Rahul: So, you are saying, it is a good thing that they aren’t together ?
Robin: Happy realisation Rahul baba 😛
Azkia : Hahahaaha..
Rahul : So, you all knew that they were not in love ?
Robin: Yo!
Azkia: Of course, you idiot!! Except them everyone knew.
Robin: Hey Az!! Add Rahul baba to that list as well 😀
Rahul: You #$@$
Azkia : hahaha now chill both of you, concentrate on the task at hand. Tomorrow we have to bring them together with us, and let them talk about it.
Robin: and get those days’ back!!!
Rahul: Ohh hell yeah man!!
Azkia: Done!! Now GOODNIGHT.
Robin: GN
Rahul: Goodnight. 🙂
8’o clock
Sameer
Getting early to office was something new that Sameer had been trying out for a month, keeping him occupied. And not just being an early bird, but even leaving late. Engrossing himself in work was what he was doing, or at least trying to. It was kind of a shock to him, as to how things have changed. He missed talking to Deepti, and also the whole gang. Confused as to what had went wrong, the hasty decision to get into a relationship or to get out from it.
Deepti
Office was something that didn’t interested her anymore. The work that was fun before now had turned into a torture. Everything reminded her of the time before. But then she had to. Now, instead of going office in Sameer’s Car, it was the Office cab that arrived at her doorsteps. Getting into the cab where everyone chit-chatted their way to office, she just puts in her earphones, with the shuffle on. Not caring what the music was, but just to let others not to disturb her already disturbed mindset.
Office
Reaching office, while discussing the plan for the day, Rahul, Robin and Azkia reached office only to find Deepti and Sameer already there. While Rahul and Robin went ahead to have a little talk with Sam, Azkia went over to Deepti. Now, even though both of these, Sameer and Deepti, were sad yet they didn’t wanted to let others in the group feel the same for them and reacted as if everything was fine with their lives. Now, the task of Rahul, Robin and Azkia was to let them come together not face-to-face because that would put a risk of a possible breakdown by any of these two and even break their resolve of not “putting things out in the open”. Doing which, chances were high that things could get even more complicated. So, all these three carefully by asking random stuff, pitched in with, WeChat. Now, WeChat is a mobile messaging and voice messaging service which is free of cost and is super-fast and is available on iPhones, Android, Symbians and BlackBerry. They even ended up downloading the same on their phones. And adding them to a new group, while standing there.
The plan was working
Now it was time for the real action.
10’o clock
Robin started the proceedings by posting a group pic of the five of them. And then Azkia and Rahul started with their crazy talk about “those” days. Now, with Sameer and Deepti added to the group and in their contacts, which they made sure before so as to leave them with no other option. One important feature of WeChat is that it tells you the time of the last visit of the user as well. And hence they all knew who is there and who isn’t.
With voice messages just a press away, yes, here you just have to press it long to record your message and the moment you leave it, it’s sent. Simple. And so, when the series of messages started pouring in, with occasional smile from among these three. Now, for the first few messages, all knew that both Deepti and Sameer were listening and watching the messages getting exchanged in the group chats, but suddenly for the last five minutes, Sameer wasn’t there. So, they upped the ante by repeatedly messaging random old pics and videos which had all these five in them. And with continuous notifications ringing in, he had to keep aside the work and see those.
The plan was working. Sam just checked them out.
At lunch break, everyone was asked to gather in the canteen. Rahul, Robin and Azkia gathered and after a while Deepti came in too. But there was no sign of Sameer. Azkia silently messaged Robin, asking what needs to be done.
Robin thought for a second and then,
Robin: Hey guys, we are eating together after a long time. Let’s have a click together. Deepti reacted as if she didn’t hear it. They all jumped close near Deepti and took a pic, and Robin immediately posted it to the Group chat. And they just hoped that Sameer would just check the pic, and the caption, “You are missing the awesome lunch. Poor sam!! ”.
One minute, and we could see that there was a smile on Deepti’s face. A smile everyone had been missing for a long time. Rahul cried, “Hey, Sam just sent over a a smiley” And Robin said, “and now a voice message too”, with a big grin. Putting that on loudspeaker mode, “Kameenon, jaldi kya hai.. Main bhi aarha hoon” To which everyone was laughing their ass off, and just came Sam from behind.
He wasn’t laughing, but he didn’t look sad as well. He sat at the only place that was available, next to Deepti. No one started any specific topic, just their random office stuff, little bitching about boss, their upcoming weekend plans, etc. Meanwhile, Azkia needed some water and Rahul went to get it for her, doing which he got the teasing, “awwww” from Robin and a laugh across all the faces. A minute into this, Azkia said, hey I’ll be back. To which all of them said in unison, “awwwwwwww” to which a blushing Azkia remarked, “Shut up!!” and left.
Deepti, having understood already as to what was going on, asked Robin, “What are you waiting for?? Isn’t the plan working now?? “. Robin smiled and left in a jiffy. So now, it was Deepti and Sameer at the table.
Sameer: What crazy bunch of friends we have!!!
Deepti: Yep, we do.
Sameer: You saw what we all did with Rahul and Azkia a while back. Doesn’t it remind you of a time gone by?? Of, how they used to tease us the same way??
Deepti: and how, we ended up taking things seriously post that??
Sameer: and how this ended up turning up our friendship into something which wasn’t there??
Deepti: Sigh!!! Couldn’t have agreed more. And now, we have screwed up everything. We didn’t just break away with our relationship but what we had before, our friendship, our whole gang. Everything.
Sameer: Have we?? We are still sitting here, talking and having fun with our gang. Have we lost it all??
Deepti was silent. She didn’t had an answer to this. But she understood, everything was not lost. Meanwhile, Azkia, Rahul and Robin were watching these two chat through from the sidelines. The lunch break was over. They got back to their desks, but the WeChat continued. Jokes flying around about other office staffs, mimics, pics, etc with occasional smileys and “hahaha” from Deepti and Sameer as well.
5’o clock
The day got over. Deepti’s cab was waiting outside. All the others were coming down. And the strange thing was that Sameer was not doing his daily Overtime, rather coming down. Sam, shouted from a distance, so guys, what’s the plan for today?? Party at my place?? Azkia replied back, “Dude, today is Monday not Friday!! “ Deepti shouted in, “When we are all together, Kya Monday kya Friday? “with a big grin.
Looking back on that time, where we ended up building up our friendship by bridging the gaps left due to the fallout of Deepti and Sameer’s relationship. And how, technology and Nostalgia played an important part in making it all possible. One year has gone, and Robin, Azkiya, Sam, Deepti and I are still together going strong on our friendship. Continuing with our occasional fun on WeChat.
This post was written as part of a #WeChatNow contest in association with Indiblogger.
The rush to go office on a Monday morning is such, that if there would be a “who-gets-ready-for-office-first” competition, Sameer would definitely get the top honours.
Out of bed by 9, with the alarm at bedside getting snoozed for the nth time, and then a mad rush to complete the morning chores followed, where everything was done at breathtaking speed, yes that does include the natures’ call as well. With eyes barely open, standing next to the basin to put on his paste, most of it finding its way down, he tried hard to get the toothpaste land on the toothbrush. With whatever little that fell there on the bristles, an attack of sorts was made onto the teeth with it. As if, it’s a floor mop!! And there was no thought given to make the floor look clean (teeth here) as well. Brushing the teeth was no less than any formality.
Eyes, still not open, he could see red in between the sea of white splashed down in the basin of what came out of his mouth. It wasn’t the first time, but still it was good enough to make him stop for a second. But seconds are precious for him, especially on Mondays. So, time to let it be like that. All set and it was time for office.
Day after day, the monotonous life of a techie working his way through bugs in Computer programs, replying to emails, meetings, little coffee breaks, laughing without reason on your boss’ joke, and life goes on. Young, fresh out of college working at an MNC, is how one can define Sameer. Being straight out of college, and then being put into this whole new set up of professional life, is still new to Sameer. Although with training and orientation, it’s been close to 6 months. Yet, he tries to compensate his boring new bug-solving life over the weekend. And it being Friday, it was time to say, Thank God It’s Friday!!
With friends popping in from various quarters of the city to take a break from their own lives as well, it was time to Party!! Something or the other was definitely planned for every week. Parties were not just a stress buster but a getaway for the tired minds of the whole week.
This Friday though, something changed. It was almost time for the office to end, having skipped the lunch so as to quickly end the days’ work. Sameer took an apple from a colleague’s desk, paying little heed to the complaining, but then for Sameer, “Who cares?” was his moto. One bite into it, and there was something that ached. His tooth. And the red apple became red inside as well. With blood.
The early morning one second pause everyday was now a deep revering thought till office was over. Of course, the little toothache and the half eaten apple, being the source of constant reminder. He threw away the apple onto the dustbin but the thought of a problem persisting was hard to ignore. So, a party on the weekend was out of question and a dentist’s appointment sounded more like a necessity.
An appointment was arranged. After little thought and examination, the doctor enquired him regarding random day to day habits of eating and brushing. He suggested some simple measures for him by giving him Colgate toothpaste and a soft bristle brush to work it out for a week with it. Told him to be gentle on his teeth rather than attacking it with all his might. It was difficult for him to resist not being harsh with the brush, but with that red-inside-out apple’s image flashing in his mind, going slow became part of the process. After a week, the red and white modern art in the basin every time he brushed got reduced to a great extent, another visit to the dentist awaited.
The dentist just gave a smile to him, and said to relax; things have started to fall back into place. The only thing he needed to do was to follow the same instructions. From a survey, two out of every three Indians suffer from gum problems and are unaware of it. Blood can be the sign of bigger gum problems like gingivitis, receding gums or even tooth loss if left untreated. One should not ignore the warning signs your body gives you! The dentist, explained all of it to him. The reason for the bleeding was the sensitive teeth that Sameer had, and special attention should have been given to it. He also, shared the link of Colgate Speak Blog http://www.myhealthyspeak.co.in/ so that he can go through it regularly and also create awareness so that everyone can take care of the teeth. There could have been a possibility of gingivitis in his teeth also, but this time it was just limited to a sensitive gums. Ignoring the warning signs could have proven way too costly but thanks to the appointment he got with the dentist at the cost of enjoying his weekend saved him. A lesson was learnt finally for ignoring warning signs!!
Now, Sameer is back to his old ways of picking up apples from others’ desk and biting it out. But this time, the apple remains red only from the outside.
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