A day in my life

If I didn’t step out of the house in the next ten minutes, I’d be late. Very late. And in those ten minutes, I had to gulp down breakfast. I gave myself one last look in the mirror and rushed to the kitchen. Swallowed breakfast as fast as I could. Was washing it down with juice when I noticed I had spilled some on my shirt as well. “Aaaagh !! Why do things like this have to happen when I am so hard pressed for time!” I yelled at no one in particular. Perhaps I could dab it clean with a wet cloth, and the stain wouldn’t show. “And what if someone in the meeting notices and makes a nasty comment?” I rushed to change to something more presentable. Rushed out of the house sharp at 8:30. So far so good! The first thing my foot steps into is a whole lot of muck. “Can it get better than this? I guess not!” There is little I could do about nature’s fury. “Hate the rains. SO HATE the rains”. Got to the bus-stop glaring at my shoes gone dirty. My purse and umbrella in one hand and a carry bag in the other I waited for the 8:45 bus. “Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, and from now on it’s going to be a smooth ride” I reassured myself. The words had just escaped my mouth when this two wheeler rider, enjoying the time of his life drove by splashing muddy water everywhere including over my carry bag. I gave him such a filthy look and had he been in front of me, I would have planted a tight slap across his face. I was still staring at this devil of a guy who had gone by when it started to rain. And not a drizzle- a heavy downpour. “Hate the rains. SO HATE the rains”. I had to balance my belongings the umbrella and myself. Disgust was writ all over my face. Finally my bus came and I got on only to discover that it was full with not a seat empty. I clung to closest pole so that I could extract the necessary change. One brake and I bumped into the gentleman a hand’s distance from me. He glared at me as if I had stabbed him. I muttered an apology and went bag to digging my purse. “Can I help you?” “No thank you”. I smiled for the first time in the day at the source of the voice- A very cute looking guy. “Two tickets please. One for me and one for her” was the next thing I heard while I was still digging my purse for the exact change. I looked up momentarily and saw that the “her” meant me. “Please make yourself comfortable” said he offering me his seat. “No thank you so much. I’m alright, I do have the money, just couldn’t find exact change. Here it is”. I was embarrassed as hell at my clumsiness. “That’s alright ma’m. Today it’s on me. Please take a seat”. I was taken by surprise. Why on earth would someone do that! And I thought chivalry was dead! I thanked him profusely as is my wont and took a seat. After a few minutes the lady next to me, got up and left and this really cute gentleman took the seat next to me. We exchanged smiles. “Nice weather. Isn’t it?” I gave him one look, put on a smile and exclaimed that this is the best season ever. Hate the rains! Looked away. It was a very modest attempt at starting a conversation but I refused to take a hint. I was busy rehearsing my presentation. I didn’t want anything to go wrong at least in that department. “You seem tensed. Something important coming up for the day?” “No, just a presentation”. I smiled. He smiled even more as if talking to a good 30 people was a cakewalk. The impression it must have given him is that I was a good for nothing. Like I cared. That wasn’t enough to shut him up. He kept talking and I kept replying in monosyllables. ”Have a nice day ma’m and good luck with your presentation”. “You have a nice day too”. Phew! I got down the bus but the day had just begun. I had tensed myself silly and wanted to rush back home, bury myself under a blanket and sleep. What greeted me was the uber cool interiors of my office. The air conditioning was on full throttle, be it summers or winters. I still had half an hour before the day would formally begin and my dearest friend Neeta pulled me to the cafeteria. She hadn’t had her breakfast and wanted me around for company. “Here you are” and planted a coffee mug in front of me. “ Babes you really need something. Just look at you”. Had it not been for this motherly soul, office would not have been the same. ”Take it easy babes. Everything will go well. You’ve worked so hard for it”. Her reassurances calmed me down instantly. “Thanks a tone!”. I had just taken a sip when this guy I met in the bus came up with his own coffee mug and sat down beside us. “Hi can I join you?” “Ofcourse you can Karan. How are you doing?” Name: Karan. Occupation: Unknown. I kept staring at him wide eyed as if I had seen a ghost. ”Something wrong?” said he. “No” said me! “Have you met my friend?Babes meet my friend…” “We’ve met.” He explained. Neeta’s friend Karan. “You work here? ” I asked. “Apparently I do.” With a smile plastered over his face. The world is such a small place!

He turned out to be my friend’s cousin and now our team leader. Lovely! In your face 24* 7. “Don’t worry. I am not as bad as I look” as if reading my thoughts. I chuckled. The sun has peeped out of the clouds and it was a sunny day again.

The presentation went extremely well. I’ve never been better. “Babes you were so good! Here’s a chocolate for you”. I hugged Neeta real tight. I would be so lost without her around. I opened my eyes and there was Karan. In your face 24*7. “Congrats. You’ve managed to convince the client so well that they are thinking of giving us a good amount of their future projects and all the credit goes to you”. I had tears in my eyes (which threatened to uproot my lenses and smudge the eye make up). What’s difficult when you have such a strong support system called friends. Today the three of us are the best of friends and won’t hesitate to call each other up no matter what time of the night it is or how trivial the issue be. Because we know that even if the entire world turns its back towards us, we are there for each other”. The very feeling is so comforting. Oh God! I love the rains 