Abhimanyu was deep in thought. The bug he was trying to fix in his programme had been eluding him for a long time. Perhaps it was time to give rest to his brain and start with a fresh mind again.
He heard a voice, as if coming from far off. “It seems you are grappling with a problem. Why don’t you take some rest? My eyes are also tired after working since morning. Let us go for coffee in the cafeteria.”
It was Meera, sitting in the cubicle next to him. One could always see in the adjacent cubicle after standing. The partition’s height was only about three and a half feet. He had been seeing her for a long time, always working furiously on computer, but their conversations had never gone beyond polite ‘hellos’.
He did not have to give it much thought and nodded his head in agreement. He got up from his seat and together they went to the cafeteria, which was one level below. After picking up their coffee and snacks, they walked to a corner table.
Abhi, as his friends called him, did not have any close friends in the workplace. He had been to the cafeteria with colleagues in the past, but it was first time that he was here with someone he did not know well. He started entertaining second thoughts about having said ‘yes’ to Meera.
Actually he need not have bothered. Meera gave him all the information, about her family and the projects she was handling or had handled without asking. He, himself, was a bit reticent. Yet he ended up telling her that he did not have many friends in the office. Actually he did not have any.
Since his problem had not yet resolved, he was becoming impatient for getting back to his seat. Oblivious of his anxiety, Meera continued speaking, as if she had all the time in the world. Eventually, when his responses became feeble, she noticed that he was not listening to her.
….
Back in his workstation, he immediately attacked the problem. Even after spending half an hour he had not progressed even an inch. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back in the chair. From his peripheral vision, he saw that there was something or someone standing behind his chair. He turned around and found Meera standing there.
He asked her, “When did you come? I did not notice you walking into my cubicle.”
She replied demurely, “I never went into my cabin. I was trying to check on your problem.”
He tried to hide his irritation. “Could you find some solution?”
She replied, “If it is ok with you, I will try.”
He did not say anything, just got up from his seat.
She sat on the chair, while Abhi stood behind her, trying to focus on her fingers. Yet he lost focus, as her fingers moved fast on the keyboard.
She got up from the chair after about five minutes. He looked at her quizzically.
She said, “I think I found out the error. Just see if it works fine.
He sat on the chair and found that the issue had been resolved.
He looked behind to thank her, but she had already walked to her workstation. He peered over the partition. She was busy with her work. He made a mental note to thank her later.
....
The occasions when he could help her in solving problems were few, but she was of great help to him plenty of times. Their common interest was coffee. Whenever any of them wanted diversion from work, they would walk to cafeteria. Many of their work-related issues got resolved during those coffee breaks.
They never went out together.
….
One fine day during their coffee break she told him that she was leaving for another company. He presumed that the other company must have offered her better pay and grade. He congratulated her.
She was gone within a month. At her farewell he told her, “I would be missing our coffee breaks.
She replied, “Same here.”
….
As their regular coffee break time approached, his eyes automatically peered in the direction of Meera’s cubicle. It came back to him that she was gone and her farewell had been yesterday. He did not feel like going all the way to cafeteria, instead he walked up to coffee vending machine and brought the cup to his desk.
While having coffee, he realised how much routinised life had become in the company of Meera. Probably it would have been better to know more about her. They had been helping each other in official work. In fact, he felt it was one-way traffic with him resorting to Meera’s help most of the times. Particularly, ticklish problems brought out the best out of her.
He waited for her to call back about her new job. He was sure that she will call back in a day or two. But when no call came for a fortnight, he swallowed his pride and called her on mobile. It was picked up by someone else. He immediately expressed regret to the person. He had realised that this number belonged to the company and Meera might have surrendered it to the company.
The net result was that no way he could get in touch with her. Only when she decided to call back, he could speak to her.
He never used to pick up calls from unknown numbers, knowing fully well that most of such calls belonged to fraudsters, yet he started picking up calls from unknown numbers lest he miss Meera’s call.
A few days of madness made him search his own mind. Perhaps he was becoming paranoid, expecting every call from unknown number as Meera’s call. Her absence from his daily life had affected him. Even though he knew there was nothing between them.
Was he missing daily coffee routine? Or was it her creative input which helped in discharging his official work. He had forgotten when did he visit cafeteria last for coffee, alone or with someone else. His last visit had been with Meera if his memory was serving right.
….
Then one day call came which he did not pick up. When he searched for identity of the caller, it was Meera.
He wondered if he should have declined her invitation to go for coffee, the first time she had asked him. Yet he found himself returning her call.
React
