Twisted Tales #YourStoryIndia

Perfect Town

**************

I had lost my job during covid 19 Pandemic and also I got recently separated from my husband. We had grown apart for a long time so we mutually agreed for separation . When my friend, Nikita contacted me with this new job opportunity I was more than happy to apply. Though the job profile was Data control officer and I am a software engineer but pay was quite high and this was a 6 months onsite project. Apparently Greens Pharmaceutical company had adopted a small town during the pandemic for rehabilitation and they later went to build few of their research centres in the town . This meant I have to stay at this place for next 6 months which was exactly what I needed as I was tired of all the pity my family and friends were showing me after my separation.

I lived in the company guesthouse with Nikita and few of my colleagues . Nikita works in the Molecular Research centre as a junior analyst and I was working in the same centre compiling the data of their research programs.

One of the clause of the contract was we can't use social media so we had submitted our mobile phones before entering the town at the checkpoint gate. This ultimately stopped me from checking my X- Husband social media accounts. Though the separation was mutual we had been together for 15 years so it was still very difficult. We were given a non android phone with just our emergency contact number programmed in them.

It has been 4 months now, everything is going great. Though the town has no pubs but they had few restaurants. We used to spend our weekend there enjoying the local cuisine. Local residents were very friendly and extremely helpful. If anybody got sick neighbours would bring their traditional chicken soup and if our car had any issues the locals would be happy to help. I was falling in love with this town and I decided to stay longer so I preparing for an interview in the Psychology research centre which was in the same building. They were planning on starting the stage 2 of their current research in few months so they had vacancy .

I cleared my interview which was for some odd reason conducted by the research head, Dr. Samiksha . Interview was more about my personal life than my work skills. She was psychologist so may be it was her way of analyzing me if I am fit for the job. She was impressed and told me that I can join their research centre after completing my current project.

On the way out of the department, I met out Dinesh. He is our neighbour,he moved into his parents house last month. He lost his wife in the last year's covid 19 pandamic. I met him few times in the cafe , once we talked about his wife and that's when we found out his wife was my childhood neighbour, Disha. I shared her childhood stories with him and it made him happy . He told me his parents insisted him to join them for few months. Cooking was his passion so he started working in a restaurant nearby and was undergoing therapy for his depression. I was really happy for his progress.

It's been two months now and I was excited to join my new project next week. Dinesh had opened his own breakfast cafe nearby so we went to congratulate him. We had a great time enjoying the paneer parathas which were the cafe's speciality . I was talking to him and told him about amazing Mysore masala Dosa , Disha's mom used to make during our childhood days. I suggested him that he should ask her for the recipe, it would be a great addition at his cafe. He gave a puzzled look and asked " Whose mom?" I was stunned and I actually thought he was messing with me . After some awkward 30 seconds I said... Your wife.. Disha ... Her mom used to make"

He stared me with sad eyes and then his expression flicked and without any emotion in his voice he said he will surely call her for the recipe and told me he is busy and left to attend other people. It was really weird and I made a note to myself not to remind him of his wife .

Next day I was checking my work email , I got a mail from the research center of Dr. Samiksha. I opened up to find that the project being cancelled. Our doorbell rang, I went to answer it. It was Deepak, Nikita's Boyfriend thought I never liked him but he was working with Dr.samkisha so I always tried to be nice to him. I greeted him and thought of asking him about the rejected project. He ran past me to Nikita's room, I rolled my eyes and went back to my room. I heard them aurging for a while, they came running towards my room.