Jun 22, 2013

I have something tell you....She was fired!

I have something to tell you…! She leaned over my desk and said excitedly. Her shrill voice and over excited tone made me spill my coffee and caught attention of rest of the bay.
I gave her one of my “can you please calm down?” looks and she sobered. She usually forgets that I am not only her boyfriend but also her boss now.
“I’ll meet you in ten minutes in cafeteria, tell me then” I said in a hushed tone.
“No Raj! I can’t wait, please listen to me” She pleaded in the sweet little girl tone that had made me go crazy for her ever since I first saw her.
“Fine, let’s go.” That’s the advantage about being her boss, no one suspects why I am sitting with her (as long as I can curb my desire to kiss her).
I got up with my diary and my pen and headed for meeting room. She, like an excited child followed close. Once there, I asked, “What?” “Can you talk politely? You are not talking to your junior; you are talking to your girlfriend. Plus, the news that I am about to break will need a good setting” She said with excitement still not fading.
“Are you getting married?” I asked skeptically. She gave a mad look and said “Don’t kill the mood, anyway I can’t wait, I am pregnant!” “What???” It was my turn to scream. But thankfully we were in the sound proof meeting room.
In next one minute, I went through a series of emotion that a man goes through.
Happy – She was pregnant, she was carrying my child.
Rush – We couldn’t delay our marriage any longer.
Burdened – Will I be able to take care of her?
Fear – How will I do it?
Most importantly – confusion – how? when? why? What next? and why now?
Anger – Why did she have to get pregnant now?
Helplessness – Is there a way out?
I looked up at her beaming face. She read my emotions and sobered down. After stealing glances, I gave her a quick hug and told her I was happy. She understood.
We went back to our work stations. I approved her leave so that she could finish her visit to her gynecologist and stuck a note that I’ll speak to her once home. The rest of the day was going to be tough.
I kept thinking about how I had met her on first day of her internship, looking all lost in similar looking bays. With fresh communication degree and no experience of wearing heels, she had come to work with a magazine she hated. She wanted to write about society and problems, but this was 2009. The recession in American had set in, and no companies were hiring.
I still it was my good luck that she tripped right in front of my desk, spilling her coffee on her skirt. Scared, tear dwelled up in her eyes. And there, just like that I lost my heart to her. I offered her help, asked someone to get her another coffee and managed to find a change from the freebies that we received as part of promotion material. Embarrassed, she kept saying thank you. This was my chance, I asked for coffee with me and she said sorry.
Over next fifteen days, we stole glances at each other and smiled. Sixteenth day, she sent me text on office messenger, “I guess I am being rude. You helped me; I should take you out for coffee.” Little that I knew, that the coffee date with that sweet little intern will turn into a full-fledged romance. 
Two years later, I was living with her without anyone in the organization being aware of it. We had been considering marriage for a while now, but it was the company policy that made it difficult. One of us would have to switch. And then I got my recent promotion making me creative head of the company.
I went back home at my usual time. On my way, I got her some roses, I knew she loved them and she must be scared too.
At home, she had cooked my favorite dinner. Over dinner I asked her, “When did you find out?” She confirmed “today morning”.
“Why didn’t you tell me then?”
“You had left. I wanted to see you when I broke the news.” I had left earlier than usual as I had to work on some important stuff.
Slowly she asked me, “What next?”
Between my food and the glass of juice that she got me I replied, “What next? We get married; you quit your job and enjoy being my wife.”
She looked shocked. “Honey, my career?”
“What career baby? You know you can’t do it right? You need to take care of yourself and the baby. I wouldn’t like to see my wife taking stress for what advertisements go in for next edition. Moreover, you don’t have a job. One of us has to quit if we get married.” I tried to explain her.
“Why me? Why are you behaving like a typical Indian man? Why do you want me to quit?” she was suddenly upset.
I was irritated. She wasn’t talking sense. Did she expect me to go search for a new job? I lit up a cigarette and then stubbed it. I had read that one shouldn’t smoke with pregnant women around.  I asked her, “What do you want?”
“I want to continue working. I want to marry you. I want you to start your own company that you have been talking about. I want to make sure that my baby doesn’t stop my career. Will you help me?”
I looked at her as if she had lost it. How could she expect me to quit when I was getting married and having a child? How could she be so self-centered to not care about our baby? I explained, “Saumya, please understand. I can’t quit. I have responsibilities. I need to take care of you and our baby. Now is not the time. Whereas, you need to take care of yourself, you don’t need to work. My salary is enough for both of us”
She looked tired. Quietly she said, “I don’t want to talk about it now. I don’t want to quit. I am going to sleep and you can stop fidgeting with the match box and smoke your cigarette”
I watched her walk to the bedroom, she suddenly looked older and stubborn. My irritation came back, I screamed “I don’t want to hear anything. You are going to resign, and you and I are getting married this Sunday.”
She screamed back, “I am not resigning.”
I lit my cigarette and relaxed on the couch. That was first in two years I slept on that sofa.
When I got up in morning, Saumya had left for office already. There was breakfast on the table and a note. “I will not quit my job.”
I called in my PA and told her I’ll be late. I took a long shower and had my breakfast. I stopped by at a mall and bought her a ring. I then reached my office and wrote a mail to Saumya. She was fired.

12 comments:

  1. A very surprising twist to the story in just the last 3 words!

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  2. Well written.. Especially the ending..

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  3. That was a well written one. :)

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  4. If Saumya doesn't marry Raj, it will serve him right.

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    1. I am not sure, someone who read my blog said he was right and she should understand.

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  5. Superbly written!!! And a good twist in the end. :)

    Writing on the go

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  6. very nice read...! crisply written. But one suggestion I would like to give, maybe, u can consider a different name to the story. The name kind of gives away the twist in the end!

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    1. Apala, am so bad with headings...wish someone could help!

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