Theribari disillusioned without a job for many months I decided to hunt down different offices. I have moved to a modern building with parking lot in the front. If people see me going to my home they will feel envy of the house. I take pride to enter the building but once I start taking staircase I have to climb up until it ends. No one will doubt I live in attic and no one will doubt I do not have a car. Once I come out from the building I have a secret route where people will not see me walking in the cold air. I set a timing such that a car of my neighbour moves when I was out in the park. When that vehicle moves from the parking, no aunties from the verandas will see me walking except one aunty whose husband owns the car. Few times I wished he did not have married to his aunty so that every tenant in the building remains thinking I too own a car.
Every morning at 8.30 I put on the best gho I have, hold a file which contains a blank page in case someone wants on the way, with a mobile phone and my attic key hung from a Hyundai leather hanger in my hand, walk slowly to any office I can think of. As I walk slowly breathing a sense of pride, passersby will deceive how content is my life. I walk slowly because of the pain from the piles. And managing to walk normal when I confront girls on the path has become a challenge for me. For few meters away until they leave the sight of me I have to hold my breath, adjust the muscles in my groin area and majestically put the legs ahead of me. Girls and women on the way have become painful for me to walk.
My mobile phone is without balance for so many days. Worst no one ever calls me. In the crowd of women I frequently look at my phone as if I am expecting one important call. A restless walk to and fro and some murmuring will make people consider how important I am.
A group of women were coming on my way. I was with my file and phone in my hands. I lifted the phone to my ear and started to talk. I acted a big boss in this monologue and scolded the other end like any Hari Sadu would do. I think my phone did not like me that day. The women came nearer and I remained talking seriously. The severe tone and grievous expression in my face gave way for the women to look at me, I saw from the corner of my eyes. Just then there was the sudden vibration and a loud ringtone in my phone. It pierced my ear shocking the life out of me. There was a loud "Azai" from me and dropped the phone with the quickest response in my brain. The phone dropped on the tiled path fragmenting the battery to the drain. And next I saw the women looking at me, some covering their faces with their hands, inside laughing with all the forces they had. When I bent down to pick up the phone the file dropped from hand with the gush of wind exposing my blank paper. I did not know whether they saw the Hyundai logo hanger without a car key. At that time, I could not look at them, theribari. I felt lucky they were not my neighbours to see me coming out from the building; sorry from the attic of the building although they knew I do not own a car.
The women left me and I moved on. At a distance I saw another young women coming towards me. I looked at the phone which was dead from the wet battery. The girls were nearing me. I lifted the dead phone to my ear and acted another Hari Sadu with lots of commands and orders. I even scolded at him. They were looking at me, I saw from the corner of my eyes. This time I was lucky the phone did not work for another vibration.
By the way my phone was completely out of order and I have still not known who made that important call in my life.
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