Them

They had a tiny altercation that night. Or it was more like two minds, in a mutually exclusive set up, frustrated from the day’s happenings letting the steam off over each other. Or so he thought. Later that night, when the minds calmed down, they realized their follies and exchanged sorry(s). But it didn’t seem correct. She was sorry too, yet the narratives weren’t convincing. She was a thousand miles away from him. He couldn’t go over and sort it out. There were loopholes in the story. But considering that both of them were exhausted, sore from the day, he thought sleeping over would help. Or so he thought. 

The next morning, he received a message before he woke up. It said she would be busy early in the morning, attending a few vendor calls. She hates waking up that early. Others hate waking up that early even more. But apparently the vendors were from China, so the time zone difference along with her diligence convinced him that she really was busy. He decided to let it be, and apologize a bit more sincerely once she was free. He waited and waited.

He gets a message after a while, inquiring about his schedule. If he was going somewhere, what would be his location in the immediate next hour. There was a surprise waiting for him, she had it delivered from very far away, she said. Finally she called him, their first call for the day.

“How busy are you? Will it be possible for you to go and collect your gift downstairs? ”

“Hey! Yes, I think I can manage that. When should I go? Now?”

“Hmm, yes.”

He starts descending the stairs. All this while he is thinking about the present.

“A card? A bag? A book? Food? Chocolates?” Thinking didn’t really help much, so he just decided to keep going. His phone started ringing again, it was her.

“Hey, just wait a few minutes, I want to tell him how to deliver the surprise.”

“Ok, sure.”

After a while he got her call again.

“The guy doesn’t know your department. The only landmark he knows is the BT department. Would you mind going there?”

“Sure”

He started walking towards BTD. His was mind was going crazy. He eyed every person he saw on the way, eagerly scanning them for harboring some resemblance of a surprise or carrying one. None. She told him he had his number. Alright, this will take a call or two, he thought.

Fifty meters away, by the turning, he saw the gift. He was speechless. Thoughtless, astounded by the very idea of such a gesture. He was stupefied, bewildered. It couldn’t have been happening, or maybe it was a dream. He was stunned, he was dumbstruck. He went into a thought coma.

It was her.