Our Star-crossed Love

Chapter I

My gaze is frozen at the ticking clock on the textured wall. The minutes seem to have lengthened a lot more than usual. I'm waiting for the hour-hand to strike nine because I can't wait for long. Skipping lunch in the afternoon is having adverse effects on me already.

My glass cubicle is small so I can see almost everyone from my seat; a group of people is discussing something in the far corner, some look fatigued, some are working without a flicker of eyelids. My office has always been the most interesting, boring place. My OCD kicks in and I start arranging my desk, the pens are dumped in drawers, the papers are neatly folded, the mouse is set on the mouse pad in perfect alignment with the keyboard. Finally, I feel a strange sense of relief gushing over me. I watch out and everyone is packing up, since I've already done that, I grab my bag, sling it over my left shoulder, and head out with a quickened pace.

As I leave the main office arena, I choose to take the stairs instead of the elevator to avoid the unspoken courtesy of waiting for everyone before hitting the ground floor button. In a fraction of a minute, I'm on the main street. In the preceding hustle, the bustling crowd keeps getting on my nerves. I look up at the sky, the stars are twinkling and it's like any other cloudless October night, but something slightly gladdens me. Something that I'm so clueless about.

I just want to head to my flat and satisfy my overpowering hunger and rest. As I reach the metro station, the crowd seems to multiply. The flocks of college students from the University are unreasonably overjoyed. On a usual day, this would put a smile on my face, but today, I find it pretty annoying. I enter the train, and with much difficulty, manage to find a seat in a corner, near the door. Almost a minute later, I see a pregnant woman standing a meter away.

"Madam, please sit here!" I stand up and offer her the seat.

"Thank you," she smiles after hesitatingly accepting the seat.
I smile too. for the rest of the journey, I get squished but it doesn't bother me.

Half an hour later, in reach the much-awaited destination. Instead of the taxi, I walk to the apartment to save some money. Lately, I have had some monetary crises. Mother's operation was costly, and after Papa's demise, I've to bear all the expenses. Not that he was contributing a lot to the family, but still he gave us whatever he couldn't waste in his gambling. I skip the thought of him as soon as it flashes in my mind. While walking, I keep thinking of Mummy, the stubborn lady, who didn't give up on life, even after so many deathly face-offs. Now, I can't wait to see her cheery smile. I walk faster.

In no time, I reach home, and I thud a rhythmic knock on the door. Mother opens the door with a beaming smile. I briskly kiss her on the cheek and head inside.

"Maa, I'm dying with hunger!" I say dramatically.

"Because you must have had skipped lunch," she knows everything.

"Sorry, Maa. The client was in a hurry. I had to finish his work."

"It's okay. Wash your hands and eat with me," she says coolly, unlike her nature.