Chapter- 24
"I'm already late, Naina," I say over the phone. "Speak fast."
"You didn't tell me about your internship", she complains.
"Everything happened so fast...I ...." I trail off. "How's your mom anyway?"
"Nearly fine."
I find my shoes and door keys.
She inhales and I prepare myself for what's coming fighting an urge to hang up now. "Are you fine...after you know...did anyone say anything –?"
"I was well a sec ago when I didn't remember", I whisper. She hears me anyway.
"I'm sorry." She says. "So what's for the weekend?"
"I'm working."
"Oh." Only she knows how to change subjects in a short period. "Hey here's a request!" she almost shouts blowing my ears off.
"What?"
"On Monday when you get results, I won't be there, but my dad will obviously ask you to share my report card."
"And let me guess, you don't want me to tell him?"
"Exactly."
"Sure captain." I chuckle and leave for the office.
My mood turns bitter as soon as I enter the office. Maya is standing beside my desk with a pile of thick files, her scarlet nails clicking on her watch every second as she waits for me.
"Good morning Mira." She feigns politeness and with her red plastered lips, she smiles at me. "You are exactly ten minutes late."
"Got caught up in the traffic." Damn Naina.
"Your work." She places those files on my hands and leaves.
Turning the files I guess my today's work. I have to enter data. Switching on my laptop I take out my glasses and start working.
My hands work like a mess on the keyboard and I curse my thumb every time it makes a mistake.
"How's work today? Enjoying?" Karthik asks me, sounding maddening interested. I sense sarcasm.
Or no sarcasm. "Good."
"There's a donation work. I'm leaving tonight with other teammates. Would you join?" he asks expectantly. "It's fine if you don't –
"Where?"
"Varanasi."
"That's too far, actually," I say
"Oh, you aren't alone. There will be Maya and other people too, they'll make you comfortable."
Maya, seriously?
"I'll be there too."
I smile and then nod. "So what is it all about?"
"There's a small-scale industry – run by women and they make really good candles. But the profit made isn't sufficient. We'll give some financial help to accelerate their production." He says, "Usually these are generous acts – not boring at all, just a lot of people." He makes a face.
"Sounds like a good weekend."
"You sure you didn't have plans."
"Either than snuggling inside my blanket with Netflix, no," I say.
He chuckles. "I'll give the receptionist your details."
I leave early for my packing. After I had packed most of my clothes, I sit at the table rationalizing things.
YOU ARE READING
The Bucket List
Teen Fiction'Change' is a word, we all are familiar with. Some people like it the other are afraid of it. Mira falls into the latter category. A brilliant student who managed a seat in India's top educational institution high in the Mountains. The college lif...
