How many times in your life do you really come across that face that takes your breath away?
This post is dedicated to that face, that took my breath away!
Time: 10 am
Location: Silk Board, Bengaluru
This whole month, in fact the whole week had been a nightmare for Neha! Starting with misunderstandings with her best friend, work load that she couldn't handle and her mom's constant bickering about her late nights and parties! Add to that the pollution and the pathetic traffic condition in Bengaluru....and here she was stuck at the signal! As always!
Her whatsapp status read "Worst month ever!", her brother had commented , "This month is not over yet...."
"What can 3 days do?", she lamented.
She stepped into her office at 11.45. She knew she was late for the meeting. Her classic "late style" was coined "Latebee" in the office. And her Boss had joked and sometimes seriously threatened that if she tried to leave the job and applied to a new place and he gets a call for a feedback on her, he would definitely mention the notorious position she had attained. Neha showed as if she didn't care about what he said, but secretly she knew that it was the thing that made her stick to the company for 3 long years! She kept hoping she would change and leave on a good note, her boss, Sandeep was convinced she never would!
Little Dreams, Little struggles!
As a professional graphic designer, she was doing just about okay. Her personal life was clouded with broken relationships. Her friend circle was rocking but that portion of her life had taken a beating too with some recent misunderstandings with her best friend over her brother. She was putting on weight with the stress, but somehow her naughty smile could shroud any trouble from most people.
It was a slow day at office. Smita came to her desk 15 minutes before their lunch time.
" What? It's just 12.30! I came to office like half an hour back! I don't want Sandeep to roll his eyes when he sees me gone so soon....I am worried those eyes will pop out of the sockets one of these days!"
"Come ya....I am hungry, And the weather is gloomy, And work ain't great And I have some interesting news to tell you! Come..". There was that twinkle in Smita's eyes that Neha couldn't miss.
"Interesting news? What interesting news can married women make? OMG! Don't tell me, you are having an affair?"
"Shut up!", Smita pulled Neha's hand and before she knew it they were both headed for the canteen.
"So..? What's the interesting news?"
" Adi drew a smiley today!" Adi was Smita's 3 year old son!
" Wha...the..?? That's news? Smita you bitch!"
They sat at their usual corner...since they had arrived 15 minutes before their time, the crowd around was full of unfamiliar faces.
"It's almost like being a part of a new work place. We must do this more often.....keep changing the timings!" , Smita said in between the bites.
Neha looked up from the plate to look around, from the far corner, she saw a guy enter the canteen with a young school girl.
How many times in your life do you really come across that face that takes your breath away?
It was that face!
There definitely is something deeper or some kind of high level chemical combination that makes a person more attractive to one individual in comparison to the others! They might not be the most good looking faces, but they definitely are the most attractive for reasons beyond our understanding.
And at that moment, all that Neha knew was that she didn't want to take her eyes off that guy.
Smita didn't ask, she simply followed her friend's gaze!
"I told you... I have an interesting news!", Smita said.
"You know him?"
"Who do you think is the father of Adi?"
"Shut up! I am serious....do you know who he is?"
" Looking at the way he is behaving with that school girl, I can tell, he is her father! Yes I know him Neha....That man is that girl's father! Stop staring at him!"
The subject of the conversation had now picked up the girl in his arms and he went from stall to stall probably asking inquiring what she wanted to eat.
" All good guys are either married or committed Neha! I told you....your time is running out!"
Neha shot Smita a disappointed look!
" Thank you....all those comments have really helped Smita! Why can't you let me enjoy a piece of art with all my heart and desire...?"
"And lust?"
"Whatever! You know what, I will get nowhere sitting here with you.... I must make a move!" She got up with her plate. Smita was no more in her joking mood now, " Are you serious Neha? That man seems to be married! Stay off!"
" I wouldn't know that until I ask him, will I?"
"Gosh I hate you single women! I hate you!"
Neha kept her tray at the dustbin and walked to the table where the man sat with the girl.
As she walked towards him and got closer and closer, her mind started losing it's brilliance more rapidly...it was almost as if she was going dumb or something...she didn't know why she was walking towards him anymore...but she kept walking till she stood right besides his table.
He looked up at her with a questioning expression.
She kept staring in response.
"Yes?" He asked finally, "May I help you?" She asked him.
He smiled, "Looks like you are the one who needs help at the moment?"
Damn! He wasn't just plain attractive, he was smart and confident as well! And he had a very soothing voice that made her mind almost still, that state that she hadn't even achieved in all those years of Yoga classes!
"Daddy, who is she?" The school girl asked!
Smita's guess was correct.
" Hmm...I dunno ...let's ask her? Do you want to ask her?"
"What is your name Miss?" The cute girl asked in a cute voice.
"Neha...My name is Neha, what is yours?"
"Daddy can I tell her my name?"
"Of course you should...go ahead!"
" My name is Ira, I am studying in the 2nd standard at Green Wood High!"
"Would you like to take a seat Neha?", Daddy asked.
Neha took a deep breath, smiled at Ira and politely took a chair.
Ira got busy with her pizza, and her daddy turned to look at Neha. He didn't say anything...but she could tell that he was waiting. So Neha looked at her fingers for a while, that's what she did when she got really nervous. Then she looked at her table where Smita waited for her, then she thought about that rush of emotions she had felt when she saw him enter the canteen.
" I just came to say a Thank you."
"Thank you? For what?"
" For the rush of positive feelings that I felt when I looked at you! I.....don't know if I make sense to you at all...but.... this whole month has been very difficult on me. And in these hard times, I really look for even that small bit of light that can brighten up my life! And today, you were my light! So the whole month wasn't that bad after all....what I am trying to say is...sir...you are extremely extremely attractive and I ....hmm...owed it to myself....to say it to you...If you were probably single, I would , you know, like to take things forward....but I understand that things aren't the way I would like them to be....but that doesn't mean I can't tell you how I feel, right?"
Daddy smiled, " Wow! The next generation seriously is fast and frank! I like that! Probably my Ira will do something like this some day too...who can tell?"
Both of them smiled.
Neha got up from her seat, "I gotta go now....but yeah...thanks...and you are a blessed man! You are!"
She got up to leave, "Hey Neha, My name is Ajay. I work in Block B here. And thanks to you too, you...you..pretty much came as a surprise and made my day too! See you around!"
Neha smiled politely, she waved a bye to Ira and walked back to where Smita sat.
Neha could tell that Smita's curiosity was taking the better of her, " What the hell did you say to him?"
"What do you think?" Neha asked teasingly.
"I don't want to think anything....what was that? What happened?"
"His name is Ajay, and you were right he is her daddy!"
"And?"
"He works in Block B!"
"And?"
"And what? That's it!"
" That's it? That was why you went up to him? Stupid girl!"
"Hey , wait a minute, you don't get to judge me based on your stupid notions of life okay? I live my life fully! If I feel something I say so. So I said what I felt about him. I don't play every move wanting to win! There is joy in being truthful to yourself, and there is joy in accepting life as it comes. That moment that me and Ajay had there, it is mine to treasure and mine alone..that is what I take back home..you get nothing other than standing on the sidelines and commenting!"
"I don't want any time with him, I am happy with my life and with my husband!"
"I know you are...and I am happy with my life, and the spark of brilliance that it has for me in store sometimes. This small conversation with Ajay is to me what Adi's stupid smiley drawing is to you, okay?"
"Hmm...Point well made! Point noted Madam! Now can we go, or you want to have Sandeep's eyeballs for dessert?"
Neha calmed down and smiled.
"Let's go!"
"Hopefully tomorrow you will meet Ajay's younger unmarried version...who can say? At least now you know what you absolutely are ready for....that sort of guy...you know even having an idea about what you want is much better than being sure of nothing....." And Smita went on blabbering, and both of them walked out of the canteen.
This post is dedicated to that face, that took my breath away!
Time: 10 am
Location: Silk Board, Bengaluru
This whole month, in fact the whole week had been a nightmare for Neha! Starting with misunderstandings with her best friend, work load that she couldn't handle and her mom's constant bickering about her late nights and parties! Add to that the pollution and the pathetic traffic condition in Bengaluru....and here she was stuck at the signal! As always!
Her whatsapp status read "Worst month ever!", her brother had commented , "This month is not over yet...."
"What can 3 days do?", she lamented.
She stepped into her office at 11.45. She knew she was late for the meeting. Her classic "late style" was coined "Latebee" in the office. And her Boss had joked and sometimes seriously threatened that if she tried to leave the job and applied to a new place and he gets a call for a feedback on her, he would definitely mention the notorious position she had attained. Neha showed as if she didn't care about what he said, but secretly she knew that it was the thing that made her stick to the company for 3 long years! She kept hoping she would change and leave on a good note, her boss, Sandeep was convinced she never would!
Little Dreams, Little struggles!
As a professional graphic designer, she was doing just about okay. Her personal life was clouded with broken relationships. Her friend circle was rocking but that portion of her life had taken a beating too with some recent misunderstandings with her best friend over her brother. She was putting on weight with the stress, but somehow her naughty smile could shroud any trouble from most people.
It was a slow day at office. Smita came to her desk 15 minutes before their lunch time.
" What? It's just 12.30! I came to office like half an hour back! I don't want Sandeep to roll his eyes when he sees me gone so soon....I am worried those eyes will pop out of the sockets one of these days!"
"Come ya....I am hungry, And the weather is gloomy, And work ain't great And I have some interesting news to tell you! Come..". There was that twinkle in Smita's eyes that Neha couldn't miss.
"Interesting news? What interesting news can married women make? OMG! Don't tell me, you are having an affair?"
"Shut up!", Smita pulled Neha's hand and before she knew it they were both headed for the canteen.
"So..? What's the interesting news?"
" Adi drew a smiley today!" Adi was Smita's 3 year old son!
" Wha...the..?? That's news? Smita you bitch!"
They sat at their usual corner...since they had arrived 15 minutes before their time, the crowd around was full of unfamiliar faces.
"It's almost like being a part of a new work place. We must do this more often.....keep changing the timings!" , Smita said in between the bites.
Neha looked up from the plate to look around, from the far corner, she saw a guy enter the canteen with a young school girl.
How many times in your life do you really come across that face that takes your breath away?
It was that face!
There definitely is something deeper or some kind of high level chemical combination that makes a person more attractive to one individual in comparison to the others! They might not be the most good looking faces, but they definitely are the most attractive for reasons beyond our understanding.
And at that moment, all that Neha knew was that she didn't want to take her eyes off that guy.
Smita didn't ask, she simply followed her friend's gaze!
"I told you... I have an interesting news!", Smita said.
"You know him?"
"Who do you think is the father of Adi?"
"Shut up! I am serious....do you know who he is?"
" Looking at the way he is behaving with that school girl, I can tell, he is her father! Yes I know him Neha....That man is that girl's father! Stop staring at him!"
The subject of the conversation had now picked up the girl in his arms and he went from stall to stall probably asking inquiring what she wanted to eat.
" All good guys are either married or committed Neha! I told you....your time is running out!"
Neha shot Smita a disappointed look!
" Thank you....all those comments have really helped Smita! Why can't you let me enjoy a piece of art with all my heart and desire...?"
"And lust?"
"Whatever! You know what, I will get nowhere sitting here with you.... I must make a move!" She got up with her plate. Smita was no more in her joking mood now, " Are you serious Neha? That man seems to be married! Stay off!"
" I wouldn't know that until I ask him, will I?"
"Gosh I hate you single women! I hate you!"
Neha kept her tray at the dustbin and walked to the table where the man sat with the girl.
As she walked towards him and got closer and closer, her mind started losing it's brilliance more rapidly...it was almost as if she was going dumb or something...she didn't know why she was walking towards him anymore...but she kept walking till she stood right besides his table.
He looked up at her with a questioning expression.
She kept staring in response.
"Yes?" He asked finally, "May I help you?" She asked him.
He smiled, "Looks like you are the one who needs help at the moment?"
Damn! He wasn't just plain attractive, he was smart and confident as well! And he had a very soothing voice that made her mind almost still, that state that she hadn't even achieved in all those years of Yoga classes!
"Daddy, who is she?" The school girl asked!
Smita's guess was correct.
" Hmm...I dunno ...let's ask her? Do you want to ask her?"
"What is your name Miss?" The cute girl asked in a cute voice.
"Neha...My name is Neha, what is yours?"
"Daddy can I tell her my name?"
"Of course you should...go ahead!"
" My name is Ira, I am studying in the 2nd standard at Green Wood High!"
"Would you like to take a seat Neha?", Daddy asked.
Neha took a deep breath, smiled at Ira and politely took a chair.
Ira got busy with her pizza, and her daddy turned to look at Neha. He didn't say anything...but she could tell that he was waiting. So Neha looked at her fingers for a while, that's what she did when she got really nervous. Then she looked at her table where Smita waited for her, then she thought about that rush of emotions she had felt when she saw him enter the canteen.
" I just came to say a Thank you."
"Thank you? For what?"
" For the rush of positive feelings that I felt when I looked at you! I.....don't know if I make sense to you at all...but.... this whole month has been very difficult on me. And in these hard times, I really look for even that small bit of light that can brighten up my life! And today, you were my light! So the whole month wasn't that bad after all....what I am trying to say is...sir...you are extremely extremely attractive and I ....hmm...owed it to myself....to say it to you...If you were probably single, I would , you know, like to take things forward....but I understand that things aren't the way I would like them to be....but that doesn't mean I can't tell you how I feel, right?"
Daddy smiled, " Wow! The next generation seriously is fast and frank! I like that! Probably my Ira will do something like this some day too...who can tell?"
Both of them smiled.
Neha got up from her seat, "I gotta go now....but yeah...thanks...and you are a blessed man! You are!"
She got up to leave, "Hey Neha, My name is Ajay. I work in Block B here. And thanks to you too, you...you..pretty much came as a surprise and made my day too! See you around!"
Neha smiled politely, she waved a bye to Ira and walked back to where Smita sat.
Neha could tell that Smita's curiosity was taking the better of her, " What the hell did you say to him?"
"What do you think?" Neha asked teasingly.
"I don't want to think anything....what was that? What happened?"
"His name is Ajay, and you were right he is her daddy!"
"And?"
"He works in Block B!"
"And?"
"And what? That's it!"
" That's it? That was why you went up to him? Stupid girl!"
"Hey , wait a minute, you don't get to judge me based on your stupid notions of life okay? I live my life fully! If I feel something I say so. So I said what I felt about him. I don't play every move wanting to win! There is joy in being truthful to yourself, and there is joy in accepting life as it comes. That moment that me and Ajay had there, it is mine to treasure and mine alone..that is what I take back home..you get nothing other than standing on the sidelines and commenting!"
"I don't want any time with him, I am happy with my life and with my husband!"
"I know you are...and I am happy with my life, and the spark of brilliance that it has for me in store sometimes. This small conversation with Ajay is to me what Adi's stupid smiley drawing is to you, okay?"
"Hmm...Point well made! Point noted Madam! Now can we go, or you want to have Sandeep's eyeballs for dessert?"
Neha calmed down and smiled.
"Let's go!"
"Hopefully tomorrow you will meet Ajay's younger unmarried version...who can say? At least now you know what you absolutely are ready for....that sort of guy...you know even having an idea about what you want is much better than being sure of nothing....." And Smita went on blabbering, and both of them walked out of the canteen.
So glad to see you back. Very honest and warming post. Loved it... Keep writing.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see you back. Very honest and warming post. Loved it... Keep writing.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back to the Bloggers' world! You're back with a bang. It's a lovely post. I could completely relate to Neha & the honesty she exhibited :-).
ReplyDeleteHope to see more such 'inspired' posts from you :-)!