Murphy's law

Murphy's law

Indeed it was a very bad day; everything that could have gone wrong; went wrong; like Murphy’s Law. The best part was that it was over and he was alive. He was enjoying the solitude while sitting in toilet. In the busy life of Bangalore, he always found this place most relaxing and thought provoking. Today he had ruined his boss’s surprise for his wife. His code didn’t work on the third continuous day and girlfriend was also on fire. Later in the evening while coming back, he met with an accident and got his elbows and knees scratched, though he was sadder for his bike’s scratches. He laughed. He always did it. He always thought that this world is an arena and there are viewers out there, watching and enjoying the whole show. He was tired but not frustrated. Under the dripping tap, there was a fly, struggling for her life, in the mug. He enjoyed the show, like those viewers. Then he felt sad and tilted the mug to save that fly but unaware of the fact that along with water it can go out of the mug, fly started trying to reach the other end.  It took him a while to empty the mug and to save that fly. He felt happy for saving the life of the fly. He looked towards the ceiling, with some expectations in his eyes. When he tried opening the tap, he got to know that it was already opened and that was the last mug. Perhaps the day was not over yet and Murphy’s Law was still taking its toll.  

That Rose

That Rose

The rear side of house and backyard was lit by a small dusty lamp. The drainage pipe was connected to the wall at a point in line with the window sill. Pipe shook as he climbed, swaying a little more with each pull, but he knew that it will hold his weight. He had been using this pipe since last three months. Victor had newly joined high school after moving to this town. His father’s transfer had brought him here and Aditi being a gabby girl in the class, became his first friend in the first week itself. Soon after few weeks of their friendship, they were occasionally seen lurking in the backside of football ground and often teased as a secret couple in school. Pipe was slippery today, perhaps because of drizzle. Victor climbed to a certain height and then swung his legs until he got his feet onto the window sill. Aditi, immediately closed the curtains after pulling him inside her room. Victor held her pressing her back against the wall, holding her wrists trapped above her head. As usual he had a rose in his lips. He always brought a rose for Aditi, despite of the fact that Aditi never liked roses, she infact liked a flower but didn’t know its name. This April of 1995 was special; it was Aditi’s birthday tomorrow. A blade of moonlight slipped from the curtains, casting a beam upon her face. He kissed her, while she kept her eyes closed. He gave a set of silver anklets. It was their last meeting, atleast for now. Despite of Aditi’s arguments and pleas, her family did not agree on leaving her alone in this city, they were all shifting to a famous metro city in Karnataka.

After completing her graduation in computer science, now Aditi was working for a famous IT consultancy. They both had lost contact in these years. He never called her or perhaps he never had her phone number and Aditi too never visited back the same city. Today while she was drinking coffee in the cafeteria, she felt his presence or perhaps she was missing him, she had always missed him. She finished her coffee and returned to her cubicle. As she sat in front of her computer, she was startled to see a rose on her table waiting for her with an unopened letter. There was no name on it.

The girl in white dress.

The girl in white dress.

I was late today. Usually I left my office at around 6’O clock but today we had a client visit. I was waiting for 330-E bus and was enjoying Bangalore’s weather. It was at it’s best romantic note, thundering clouds and gusts of wintery wind made me furl my arms around my body. It was drizzling and the trafficless roads were reflecting the lights of vehicles coming time to time. Out of the falling drops a figure appeared, I had seen this girl before. The girl from next bay, in my office. I used to sneak her while she was busy solving bugs in the numerous lines of code or perhaps while she was busy checking facebook. 

She was running towards the same stand where I was standing, holding closed umbrella in her one hand and mobile in other. I still remember the red color of her mobile cover; it looked cute, but not as she was looking today, in her partially drenched white dress. As she approached the stand’s shed, I intentionally made a space for her by stepping aside and she too accepted it without any second thought. She was too close to me, I even saw the water drops on her face, and indeed she looked pretty. 

Only then she turned towards me and asked “What time is it?” “Sorry?” , I replied, with a question, as if I had not heard at the first place.”Kitna time hua hai?”( Translation: What time is it?) she asked me again and instead of replying to what she had asked, I asked her in return, “Aapka mobile time nhi btata?” (Translation: "Can't you check it on your phone?") she scowled at me and turned her face on other side.

Before I had made up for my mistake, she bellowed at me while pointing her finger at my wrist watch, “Ek baar time btane se aapki yeh watch nhi ghis jaati..huh!” (Translation: "Telling me time, wouldn't have harmed your watch.")and again she turned her face away from me. Her reaction had made me smile. 

”I am sorry, its 8:30”, I told her the right time. She turned back and looked into my eyes, “I am sorry, I had bad day. My cell phone fell down and now its not working anymore”, she told me with a sad face. 

This was the beginning of a long and beautiful relationship. I don’t remember how long that bus took to arrive, how two strangers sat together and talked like best friends. A fierce lightening and a loud thunder clap brought me back to the sound of rain. I was staring at the sparkling rain drops, in the yellow street light, from the balcony of my flat. I had tears in my eyes. From that closeness to these thousand miles of distance, I was far away from Bangalore. I had missed her a lot in these last ten months.