Wiping
the lens of my ‘power-less’ glasses clean, I looked up, and out the window.
Through the dust covered pane, I spotted an even dustier black moth hovering
around the Ashoka tree nearby. It flew in and around a sleeping bat, trying to
wake him up…but with no luck.
It was a perfect morning to be doing nothing. And I was doing just that. I was physically at work, but mentally in bed. The sun yawned lazily, infecting me with the same drowsiness.
Glasses back on, I sipped on Shantamma’s piping hot filter coffee and gazed longingly at the warmth outside that beckoned ever so quietly. I could live on her coffee. It came in second, just after my granny’s. My heart turned over nauseously, as I spotted Arun return from his meeting. It was time. Time to move on, and time to get a cold stare.
Still caught in the famous turmoil of the heart and mind, I nervously printed out my resignation letter. I was due to put my papers in that day, so that I could start serving my month long notice period. The moth had somehow flown into the office, and was fervently trying to find a way out. All the windows were shut. So I opened mine to let it out, gulped the last of the coffee, gathered my guts, picked up the letter from the printer n walked towards Arun, the VP’s office.
Arun already knew about it. I could tell because he didn't crinkle his brow the way he usually does when he’s reading something that suddenly hits him by surprise or something he doesn't understand. He stared at my letter. I heard a girly shriek. The moth was still hovering around. I’m still not sure whether he read my resignation letter, because he signed on it without a word. And then he nodded. Ah…the polite gesture for ‘get the hell out now’.
Letter in hand, I walked out a little dazed. That, I had not expected. I could see the stupid moth nearer my open window now. Was it terror or the habit that humans share…of sniffing every corner before taking off, that takes them insects and birds so long to find a way out?
I went and dropped my letter on Vamsi’s desk. He’s our Accounts Head, and a good friend. He smiled and asked what happened in there. “Nothing” I replied, nonchalantly. He stared. I narrated what had happened inside. And in his characteristic style, he gave me his famous smile that had a hundred connotations to it and kept my letter inside. I turned and walked out.
The walk from his cabin to my table is barely 10 meters, but my mind had completed two marathons by the time I got there. Why hadn't Arun said anything? What was he thinking? Why was his shirt stained with a green patch? What had Vamsi inferred from all this? Why did he always have to give me that infuriating smile? Was I doing the right thing? What if the known devil was indeed going to be better than the unknown? I had reached my table.
The whizzing pipes on my screen saver echoed the state my mind was in. I noticed my window was shut. Had the moth managed to get out? If not where was the little guy? And then I saw him. Wedged in between the sliding window, there he was, in a black ball, all slumped and defeated.
Someone had rammed the door shut on his face, making him regret wanting to ever fly out of the office...forever.
It was a perfect morning to be doing nothing. And I was doing just that. I was physically at work, but mentally in bed. The sun yawned lazily, infecting me with the same drowsiness.
Glasses back on, I sipped on Shantamma’s piping hot filter coffee and gazed longingly at the warmth outside that beckoned ever so quietly. I could live on her coffee. It came in second, just after my granny’s. My heart turned over nauseously, as I spotted Arun return from his meeting. It was time. Time to move on, and time to get a cold stare.
Still caught in the famous turmoil of the heart and mind, I nervously printed out my resignation letter. I was due to put my papers in that day, so that I could start serving my month long notice period. The moth had somehow flown into the office, and was fervently trying to find a way out. All the windows were shut. So I opened mine to let it out, gulped the last of the coffee, gathered my guts, picked up the letter from the printer n walked towards Arun, the VP’s office.
Arun already knew about it. I could tell because he didn't crinkle his brow the way he usually does when he’s reading something that suddenly hits him by surprise or something he doesn't understand. He stared at my letter. I heard a girly shriek. The moth was still hovering around. I’m still not sure whether he read my resignation letter, because he signed on it without a word. And then he nodded. Ah…the polite gesture for ‘get the hell out now’.
Letter in hand, I walked out a little dazed. That, I had not expected. I could see the stupid moth nearer my open window now. Was it terror or the habit that humans share…of sniffing every corner before taking off, that takes them insects and birds so long to find a way out?
I went and dropped my letter on Vamsi’s desk. He’s our Accounts Head, and a good friend. He smiled and asked what happened in there. “Nothing” I replied, nonchalantly. He stared. I narrated what had happened inside. And in his characteristic style, he gave me his famous smile that had a hundred connotations to it and kept my letter inside. I turned and walked out.
The walk from his cabin to my table is barely 10 meters, but my mind had completed two marathons by the time I got there. Why hadn't Arun said anything? What was he thinking? Why was his shirt stained with a green patch? What had Vamsi inferred from all this? Why did he always have to give me that infuriating smile? Was I doing the right thing? What if the known devil was indeed going to be better than the unknown? I had reached my table.
The whizzing pipes on my screen saver echoed the state my mind was in. I noticed my window was shut. Had the moth managed to get out? If not where was the little guy? And then I saw him. Wedged in between the sliding window, there he was, in a black ball, all slumped and defeated.
Someone had rammed the door shut on his face, making him regret wanting to ever fly out of the office...forever.
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