(Based on a true incident)R: Hi, just leaving the institute. Off to home now.
V: I have started from office too. First day...how was it?
R: It was great! We had an orientation session today. At the end of it, the director asked for a volunteer to deliver vote of thanks. I went on stage and gave a 3 min vot with just a minute's prep. 2 years in a corporate job has changed me a lot. From a nervous newbie to a confident gal.
V: Good 'Job'!!
R: Ha..ha..! There you go Mr.'pun'dit.
V: Wow...'pun'dit!! See you are becoming one too :)
R: :) How nervous I used to be during our training days!
V: Yup...I was nerdy and you were nervy.
R: What's up with your orkut status? "Who will cry when you die"?
V: Thats the name of the book I am reading now. Robin Sharma.
R: Philosophy again.
V: So, howz your groom search going? Or rather your dad's?
R: hmm..got few proposals. Tough decision, you know.
V: Is it? As tough as the decision to quit the job and pursue IAS..?
R: Both are lifetime decisions...in a way you inspired me by quitting first! huh...yellow woods all along. how i wish i were robert frost :(
R: That reminds me...the poem you sent this morning was out of the world romatic! But...you arent telling who the girl is.
(Come on...at least now, tell me that it is me).
(why isnt there any response. Is he thinking about opening up...come on..come on)
V:
(...good chance to say, it is her. but, i am not ready for marriage yet. i am running a non-profit organization. how will i convince her dad. what have i got to offer an IAS aspirant?)
There is no girl.
R: That's hard to believe. how can it be so romantic with no girl?
V: Hey..wasnt ur vot good? did you really mean to thank the insignificant heads there? but didnt you do well? it is just the intent to deliver and not inspiration that matters.
R: But my vot was full of brains and no heart
V: ..Whereas my poem was full of heart and no brains? ma'm thats an insult...but i forgive you dear
V: *dear friend
R:
(idiot...who asked for the correction)
Whatever...but you will tell me one day dear
R: *dear friend
V: :) Ok, you will be the first to know when a kind lady falls in love with this useless fellow :)
R: Useless fellow....anyways, I am home. Got some household chores to do..catch u later.
Roshni..washed her face and went into the kitchen. Her mind was fully occupied with thoughts of Vidhyarthi. She poured milk into a vessel and kept it on the stove and lit the burner. She heard a heavy thunder. It sent a chill through her spine. Though brave and confident, the sound of thunder always disturbed her. She had been told that it was bad omen. She suddenly
remembered the clothes left to dry in the terrace. She ran upstairs...it had started drizzling. Thunder again. She started chanting (
"may the skies fall on my head...no fear...fear nothing"). She gathered the clothes and rushed down.
She went back into the kitchen. The milk had spilled over the burner, putting out the flame. She smelled LPG. Her brain read out pages from her science book...'
LPG has no smell naturally. The smell is added to identify a leakage'. She stood still for few moments. She stumbled a hundred things before reaching the regulator and turning it off.
She started shaking. What should I do now?
"Call Vidhyarthi". "No..call police...". "fire service". "Open the windows". "run idiot". She looked around....fan was on..light was on...!
"Dont touch the switches".
She started moving towards the door.
"I could have picked the call when mom called in the morning", "What's the point in waiting for Vidhyarthi to open his heart. Why didnt I tell him", "I should have quit a year back and should have completed the exam by now", "I could have told Roshan how much I love him, and how proud I am to be his sister". "My life could have been more meaningful". With a thousand thoughts oozing out of her brain cells and a thousand sweatlets oozing out of her skin cells, she came out under the drizzling sky. She looked around and went to the grocery store.
"Bhaiyya...kitchen...gas..leakage..."
From her broken language and unusually pale face, the grocery store guy understood that there was a gas leakage.
He went in precariously. Opened up all the windows. Closed the regulator cap. Came out and dialled the gas agency.
By now, others had gathered and started comforting her. It took her half-an-hour to come out of the shock. She dialled Vidhyarthi as soon as she came to her senses. He didnt pick up the call.
She messaged him..."Vidhu, please pick up the call...I have something important to tell you".
Post Script:
http://indiahometips.com/gas-leak-emergency-tips.html
