• Second Chances •

4. Glimpses

Ram had a strong feeling that his family was hiding something from him. Shivina was fidgeting with her phone. Shubham and his mother Nandini looked tensed. He almost had the urge to scream. All these years and yet they couldn't tell him their issues. What was he supposed to do that would make him a part of their inner circle?   

He sighed and asked, "Guys...is everything okay? You people looked tensed." 

Nandini's head snapped in his way. She fumbled at first but then smiled. "Oh no. Everything is cool. It's just that we are worried about the marriage." 

Ram smiled. "That's it? Don't worry. I have everything in control. In fact, I am meeting the wedding planner this evening. I will sort this out." 

Nandini patted his hand. "I am sure you will. But I have a mother's heart. It is tough for me." 

"I understand..." Ram nodded. Then he picked up his phone and got up. "Anyway. I am heading to the office. Have a great day you three." 

With that, he picked up the remaining parantha from his plate and headed out of the house. He kept his gadgets away when he sat down in the car. He hated to be on the phone while travelling. He loved listening to the music, watch the world go back as he made his way from one place to another. It was the same today. Enjoying the paneer parantha, he looked outside the window as his car zipped past the wonderful Mumbai skyline. 

A memory of him with his father flashed in front of his eyes when he saw a kid riding a bike with his Dad. But Ram shook his head. He had a long day ahead of him and he didn't want to immerse himself in a melancholic state. 

"The traffic is too bad..." remarked the driver while shaking his head. 

Ram looked out of his car. It indeed was. As romantic and beautiful as the rains were, the infrastructure of Mumbai was not made to support such heavy rains. Bad traffic and waterlogging was a way of life here. 

"Yea, it is..." replied Ram. He couldn't help but stare at the vehicles around him. There was a man on the bike with a huge bag on his back. He looked like a delivery boy of sorts. 

There were a few cars around his car. When the car beside them moved a little ahead, an autorickshaw cut the lane and zipped in. Ram's eyes went wide, a little miscalculation and the auto would have hit his car. Luckily, it didn't happen. But the passenger sitting inside also thought the same. 

The girl, clad in a see-through raincoat from head to toe, screamed at the auto driver. Ram had to laugh. Who wore such a ridiculous raincoat these days? He leaned a little ahead and looked at her with interest. Only her face was visible. Otherwise, she was packed. He shuddered to think how it felt to be wrapped in plastic. Ram was reminded of the porcelain, Chinese dolls that shopkeepers bubble wrapped to protect them from damage during travel. He smiled again. 

The girl was brandishing her finger at the driver, probably schooling him in driving. He chuckled again. The driver was probably never going to drive that rashly. 

Ram's phone rang. He picked it up and greeted cheerily, "Hey Adi! What's up?"   

"It's me, Brinda..." said the voice from the other end. 

"Okay..." Ram stretched his words. "What are you doing with Adi's phone? Is everything alright?" 

"Yes and no. I mean to say, I am okay. But we need to talk..." Brinda said in a haste. "I mean, I need to tell you something. I want to see you. I mean, both Adi and I need to tell you something. I am coming to the office."

Ram went quiet for a few moments. He knew that Brinda rarely got that flustered. It had to be something serious. His chest tightened in panic. He instinctively for his pocket and he got his tablet box out. He took the anti-anxiety pill and washed it down with water. 

"What is it?" he asked, sounding a little flustered himself. 

"Just come!" said Brinda and cut the call. 

Staring at the phone's screen, a shaky breath left Ram's mouth. Whatever it was, he hoped that he had the strength to accept it and then do something about it. Wiping his sweaty palms with his handkerchief, Ram asked the driver, "Just lower the temperature of the AC..." 

The driver made a face. The AC was already set at the lowest setting. But he nodded nonetheless and pretended to turn down the AC. "Yes sir." 

Ram tried to rest his head on the seat but couldn't. He picked up his phone and sent a text to Brinda entirely in caps demanding to know what it was. She quickly sent a text back in caps, asking him to come soon. Cursing the traffic, Ram reached out for his tablet box again. He badly needed an antacid. He took two and sat back wondering what was the issue now. 

As the anxiety pill kicked in, a small part of Ram's mind and body calmed down. The world around him blurred a little and he silently sat back, waiting for his office to arrive. 

His eyes went back to the auto. Strangely and very surprisingly, this time around, he found the girl in the raincoat was looking at him. Ram's brows went up in surprise. When he looked, the girl quickly looked away to the other side. 

A soft smile graced Ram's lips. He didn't know what the girl was looking at or if he was interesting enough to be looked at. He was just a regular guy trying to seek some peace in his life. He let out a breath. Or was he?  

"Just five more minutes..." the driver said and broke Ram's thoughts. "We are almost there sir." 

Ram nodded. Smiling, he typed a message to Brinda when his office building came in view. "You better keep warm water ready for me." 

He looked at the side and now the auto had also taken a left. It was strange how one saw a few people only for a few minutes only to never see them again. Who was that girl? How was her life? Did she have the same issues like him or not? Ram would never know. Neither did he know that his life was about to permanently change in the next few minutes.