His Obsession

05

''My head say's ''who cares,

                                                                        But my heart whispers, ''you do, stupid.''

Unknown

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Air

I didn't know I would need it that much until I had come out of my office building. I hailed a taxi as promptly as I went out and drew a lungful of it. It felt like I was suffocating while I was in there. I couldn't think straight, breathe, walk or do anything properly. And walking out of the building was the best thing I could've done as of now because I could feel a panic attack coming and I didn't Wanna break down in front of everyone, especially Glenda.

Although I had been out of the office building for over five minutes and was waiting for the taxi to come, I could feel Glenda's gaze through my white button-up blouse, persistent and steady. I couldn't take it and turned around with a perplexed look on my face even though I knew the reason behind her unrelenting gaze.

''You alright, now?'' she mouthed at me, apprehension and worry still etching on her kind, wrinkly face. I gave her a thumbs-up as a reminder that I was alright now and she gave me a warm smile and a signaled with her hands, asking me to call her and I felt a warm and fuzzy feeling settling in my chest at her solicitude. I nodded at her and managed a small smile to accompany it.

Glenda had consistently been nice to me, even in the beginning when everyone had judged and detested me for no discernible reason. She would always make me feel like I was at home and tended for me when I wasn't my usual energetic self and she would get so worried at times that she would even go as far as coming to my home and checking up on me and taking off only when she was satisfied.

I chortled, as I recalled one of the moments she had comforted me tremendously.

I was on my third day of periods and the pain I was feeling today was indescribable, but I still managed to come and attend work because I didn't miss a day at the office and also the fact that I didn't want any money cut out from my salary, no matter how much it was.

I wasn't rapacious, but I just needed the money. A LOT.

I was hunched over my desk, head resting on my folded hands over the table after I was finished with all the work that was allotted to me today, and that pain, instead of dulling, was becoming more to the extent where I felt like crying and thought I would pass out or die from the pain.

I'm not exaggerating.

I felt a mild tap on my shoulder accompanied by a soft older voice urging me if I was okay. I lifted my head slightly because even the slightest of movement caused me to cry out in agony- and responded with an 'I'm okay before going back to my suffering, but she didn't leave me and was adamant that I tell her what was wrong with me because she had been watching me for over half an hour and wanted to help. I begrudgingly and painfully admitted to having insufferable cramps to her and after that, she left me alone for quite some time, before returning with hot chocolate, a heating pad, and a strict expression on her face and commanded me to drink it and said that it will calm me and I finally gave in to her- after she gave me a glare that told me not to argue with her- and drank the whole thing.

She told me that it was a tradition for women in her family to drink hot chocolate to cure the pain in periods and would definitely make you feel ten folds better and truthfully it did. She shoved the heating pad on my back. After that, she packed my stuff and practically kicked me out of the office and strictly instructed me on returning ONLY after all pain has subsided completely and when I'd asked, 'what about the boss? have you asked him?' she replied with a raised eyebrow and a fierce expression, 'No, if he can't look after the well being of his employees then he can shove his anger or issues up to his old ass.''