The CaLL

Trrrrrrrrrrrrng!!!!
OH!!! The alarm bell ! The sound that I hate the most….but only after my boss’s screams!

Ah, another day kicks off. I did not feel like leaving my pillow alone on ma bed. But sorry my dear hug mate, I have to leave you, office beckons me. I rubbed my eyes, yawned for the umpteenth time, stretched my arms, twisted my neck….oh enough of this circus…finally got my ass of my bed and dragged myself into the bathroom.

I had to take the shower quickly as there is no one in that single room apartment to make tea or breakfast for me…even I do not bother to make those for me! I was late, as usual, for office, and thus bathing was kind of a washing exercise. Somehow, I got into the formal attire with, of course, the tie around my neck, which I hated the most. The British has been long gone, then why the hell are we still becoming their eastern images??? Ah, at least they pay me for this drama.

I drank a glass of Tropicana, which was my breakfast for the past few months, and quickly locked the room. My friend, who usually accompany me for my daily job was waiting for me…my bike. The only problem is he drinks a lot. I mean, a LOT, as if he doesn’t know that petrol prices are light years ahead! As I was getting on to my bike, my mobile rang. I attended and a girl’s voice said “ Sir, are you Sreejith Srinivas?”

“Yeah?”

“ Sir, this is Vidya calling from HDFC. Would you like to open an account in our bank? “

Ah, the usual stuff. I said “ No, I am not interested”

“ But sir, our bank offers……”, she started the usual customer hunting stuff.

“ See, I am not interested. I have made it clear. Bye. “ I hung up the call.

I don’t have time for breakfast, and now she wants me to open an account. If I am late, there is no chance that I will ever have an account.

 As usual, the traffic was high; honking was at peak and lot of people cursed for being an obedient bike rider. And yeah, finally, I reached my office…the place I hate the most…but only after my own apartment.

The only good thing about office is I have got many friends there…in the sense, they also share the same feelings as I have, about the boss, not that they are my real friends. Even, “just friends” will visit their friends’ house at least once in a month. These guys don’t even know where I stay. And, by the way, I don’t care. But as soon as I stepped in to the office floor, I could see smiles on everyone’s faces. I wondered “ Did I get fired? “

“ Hey, Sreejith, when is the treat? “, that was the charming beauty, Tina

“ Come on man, beer won’t do this time. We want hotter stuffs” , the ever-cool ( as he boasts ) Vicky

“ Sreejith, we will go for Hotel Resident Evil, what say ? “, the classy guy ( again, self-proclaimed ) Arush. I don’t like that hotel, especially the bill !

I was walking to my cabin, and each of my ‘friends’ were talking about the party. For what? I wondered again “ Did I get promoted? “ The next moment, my boss’s face came into my mind, and I said “ No”.

“ No, how dare you say that, Sreejith?? You have to give us a party”, the voice I hated the most.. yes, my boss, Vikram, was standing just in front of me. Now I seriously thought , “ Sreejith, you are the ASM, great job man” . The thought of getting promoted brought a wicked smile on my face, a smile which many adored some years back.

“ Look, he is smiling. So the party is on ! “, Tina, “ He doesn’t even look like he is turning 25 tomorrow “

What??? Turning 25? Damn , it is not a promotion. It is my birthday tomorrow. My smile vanished at the thought that I am not going to be the ASM, but I am becoming one more year older.

I couldn’t speak, but I somehow managed to ask “ How come you guys know……..”

“….about your birthday??? Come on, we are living in the Facebook world, bro….FB told us this little secret of yours “, that was Vicky. I hate him. And now, I hate Zuckerberg.

“ Oh yeah, yeah….yeah, the party is on. Tomorrow evening. Hotel Resident Evil. “ I could not believe that I said it. But, yeah, I did.

“ That’s great. Now, everyone back to work”, Mr. Vikram snapped his fingers and walked back to his cabin. Wait, he stopped , turned back and called me “ Sreejith, come to my cabin immediately”. So, this day is also gone.

In a minute, I was there. In Vikram Aditya Singh’s cabin. A huge chair, for a very little man. A very spacious round table, with very little space for files and books, as most of his table is covered with business magazines and some devotional magazines. There are three chairs at the opposite side of the table, but I have never got an opportunity to sit there and talk to him , as he never allows that. I thought “ One day….”

“ Sreejith..SREEJITH!!! “, that scream woke me up.

“ Sir..”

“ The report you had sent to me the other day is not convincing. Some of the ideas that you are talking about are utter crap. I thought I would throw the whole report to the Municipal Waste Tank, but later thought, it would be better if it takes rest in your apartment. I want a fresh report tomorrow itself! “

“ Tomorrow? But Sir, my birthday…..”

“ What? Birthday??? The treat is planned for evening, right? Birthdays will come and go…..” and he added “ ….jobs also”

I got it. “ Yes, sir. The report will be there on your table tomorrow morning. I assure you that, Sir”

“ Good. If you keep your word. Now go back and do your work. Go! “

I did not stand any single second more there. As I stepped out of the cabin, my cell phone rang. Again, an unknown number. I attended the call.

“ Sir, this is Amar from HDFC bank. Would you like to….. “

“ No”, I hung up the call. Banks, I thought.

 I walked back to my cabin, thinking, not about the report. But about my birthday. The day I hate the most. The day I don’t want to celebrate. The day even I don’t remember, and someone else who chose not to remember.

Two years has passed. May be, more than two years. For the last two( or more ) years, I am not me. I had lost myself two years back. My life has been disarrayed and my life has lost its ‘life’, since the day she left me. Since the day, fate had ‘horoscopped’ our lives. Me and Revati had to move apart just because the damn horoscopes did not match, not because we lost the spark of love between us.

But, I thought, our hearts are still close. But, she wanted me to go away from her life. No calls, no messages, nothing. Once, she had told me that if I will be in her life, that will be the happiest thing for her. The same Revati, said, if I call her or message her, or my presence in her life is a disturbance for her. She just kicked me off her life, just like some one snaps off the burning end of a cigarette. I was lost, I smoked, drank, did everything to get rid her off my mind. But nothing could help me. Nothing. She, her thoughts, those moments kept on haunting me.

I forgot to live. I forgot to laugh. I forgot to be sociable. I forgot what I was. I changed. I became someone else. I tried to get into the company she worked, but failed. I tried to see her may times, call her many times, but everything failed. One every birthday, I expect that she would call me to wish…just the two words…at least drop me a message…nothing happened.  I started hating my birthday. The unfortunate day on which I was born, which ultimately took her away from me in the form of a damn horoscope. And now, I don’t know where she is, what she does or she got married , I don’t know anything. I don’t live. I just exist.

The mobile phone woke up again. Again the unknown number. I did not pick up the call as I was sure that the call was from HDFC.

“ Hey, dude, don’t forget about the birthday party, ok ?” I hate you Vicky. I smiled.

Another birthday. The office friends have ignited in me the hopes of Revati calling me again. No, she will not. She might have lost my number. Even I don’t have her number, and I have changed my number many times. Then how can she know about my phone number. But, she can get the number from our mutual friends, right? But, she will not do that. But, it’s been two years, may be she also feels like calling me. Hmm. No. that will not happen. I know her. Or will she??

I was not able to concentrate on my work. All these thoughts were running in my mind. I stepped out of my cabin and went out to smoke. Cigarette kills. It kills you and sometimes, your stress as well. The mobile phone rang again. I looked at the number and hung up. Must be HDFC, again.

The entire day, I was thinking about the call. Revati’s call. Just 6 hours to midnight and at any time that call can come. Or the call will never come. But, I don’t know her mobile number. How can I know whether it’s Revati who is calling? Hey, wait, what about all those unknown calls I rejected, without even attending them? What if one of those was Revati? God, I don’t know. I will never know. All I can do now is to wait…wait till midnight.

I had a nice shower and sat in front of my table to prepare the ‘report’ for my boss. He must have planned this.. to ruin my pretty birthday eve. Dumbass. As I was hurtling with the report, I was looking at the clock. It was 11:45 pm and not even a single message came wishing me “ HapPy Birthday”. (Sigh)

I stopped preparing the report and kept on staring at the screen of my mobile phone. I could not sit. I walked around in my room looking at my phone. Finally, the clock ticked 12. No messages yet. No calls yet. Even those idiots who are waiting for my party hadn’t sent me a message. And, my Revati did not call. I shouldn’t have expected that. Fool again.

I said to myself,  “ Happy Birthday, Sreejith “. I dropped myself onto my bed. I closed my eyes.

The phone was ringing. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the screen. Again, an unknown number. Damn, don’t these guys sleep? , I thought. I almost disconnected the call, but on a second thought, I attended it.

“ Hello?” , I asked, hoping it was my Revati.

“ Hi, Is this Sreejith? “, a girl’s voice

“ Yeah!!! Revati? “ I was sure

“ mmmm…Happy birthday, Sreejith” , her voice…after such a long time.

“ Thanks, Revu, miss you a lot “

“ Miss you too. Bye”, she hung up.

I was too happy. I jumped off from my blanket. Danced around…..

The phone was ringing. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the screen. Unknown number. Wait, is she calling again?? No. That was a dream?? She did not call me? No. It was me who called me. But, could this be Revati? I attended the call.

“ Hello? “, I asked, hoping it was my Revati.

“ Hello, Is this Sreejith Srinivas? “,  a girl’s voice

“ Yeah!!! Revati? “ I was not that sure

“ Sorry sir, this is Ramya, calling from HDFC, sir”

I did not know what to tell. All my expectations, all my emotions, everything burnt down. A birthday, which was supposed to be just another day for me, was lit up by hopes, that Revati would call me…waiting the whole day for her voice whispering into my ears “ happy birthday”…but now, all I have got is a call from HDFC…the first call on my birthday….

I could feel tears flowing down my cheeks, but still, out of nowhere, I said, “ Love you, HDFC”
Saying that I threw my phone somewhere, I closed my eyes, leaving my heart to beat fast and tears to flow hard…

I kept on saying “ Love you, HDFC “  …. God knows, why.