Within My Mind?!

"I will see you soon."  It was the most uncertain promise. How long is soon? The gap between today and the last time we met in person was 342 days. W ill we really see each other next time, even if he comes back? Our homes are not in the same city, and thus, a few of his homecomings have gone without us seeing each other .  Mostly, we exist through phone calls, text messages, and shared glimpses of our separate worlds.  I will send him pictures of the beautiful blossoms near my house, cute animals acting all weird, and he will reply with photos of the food he cooks  and breathtaking mountains. Oh, how I wish we could capture these together. Today had been one of the best days in a long while. Over the past month, I had been assigned to fix a cluster of critical code bugs no one had seen before. Consequently, everyone chipped in with their half-baked solutions, and I spent weeks testing all of them along with my own ideas. When I realized he would arrive in a week, I...

"How's my love doing today?"  I knocked on the door, holding a bouquet of roses. I know that shades of red, mainly burgundy and deep pink, are her favourite. Oh, I always add white ones, too, because they are my favourite. "Aww, you didn't have to buy such a lovely bouquet," she said, a soft smile tugging at her lips, "I have nothing prepared for you. I feel so awful now."  I chuckled, shaking my head. "You love these, and that’s enough for me. I was out earlier, and I just couldn't resist. You remember Matt, right? He's started selling bouquets in the morning. His garden is essentially a masterpiece now, and if you are ready, I will walk you there. Mind you, he now has a dog, so we have to be careful." "Happy Valentine's Day, my dear." She rushed into my arms, hugging me tightly before placing a quick kiss on my cheek. Then, stepping back, she twirled playfully. "See? I’m all ready and in white, too! I know you...

"Are we done then?" she dreaded asking, knowing that, given the situation and everything that had happened recently, there was an actual probability that the answer would be affirmative. Like most things, it started from something naive and escalated to something big. A planned weekend trip to Les Avants is precisely what both needed to escape life, particularly the work-related events over the past week. The itinerary was to arrive in Montreux in the morning, take the Golden Pass Panoramic train, do a few hikes and return in the evening - it couldn't be more straightforward. Tickets were bought the night before, and the bags were packed with snacks, two large bottles of water, and, of course, the camera. "My goodness, it is half past nine!" she exclaimed when she woke up. She observed that he had already been awake for quite some time since breakfast was in the kitchen, and he was not in the house. He had said several times before that he would leave if she de...

I was sitting in a cafe, alone but surrounded by people. I ordered myself a Cappuccino. Cafes are a great place to get done with your work. You see so many people working, and you either get motivated or feel guilty that you are getting behind, and you put in more effort. Either way, you can get your work done. It so happened that I was stuck on a problem - something that had been bugging me for the past week. I rarely go to a cafe; however, I dragged myself to one with the above-win situation in mind. Nevertheless, as has been the case in the last week, I couldn't get past the problem. The waiter brought my order. I took a sip from the cup and the opportunity to look around. So many people; engrossed in something or the other. From the person making the coffee to people building a new product. From writers deep in their thoughts to people selling their products. It seemed everyone was busy in their own world. Then..., it suddenly hit me how many of them are taking a pause to think...

"Where is the hotel?" asked the cab driver "I think we just crossed it. Can you turn back?" I asked. I took an Uber from Howrah station to The Diamond Plaza. I arrived at around half past five in the morning, paid the fare, checked my documents in the bag, and hopped out of the cab. The hotel didn't look promising from the outside, nor did I expect it to be one. I needed a place to crash and freshen up for an appointment at 11 a.m. I had been on the train for the past seven hours and did not sleep perfectly. As I closed in on the hotel doors, I realized they were locked. Locked iron gates in addition to glass doors guarding the reception area. I searched for any other means to enter, and I found one. There was another smaller iron gate - rusted and jammed. I assume the managers would not want guests to proceed through there. I had to get inside somehow; fortunately, I saw phone numbers, three precisely. I called each number a few times; a regular call, followed ...

"How about the 8th of September? If that works for you." The message was direct and caught me off guard. I tried to remember if I had any plans, but nothing came to mind. So, I agreed without hesitation. We quickly settled on a place, and just like that, it was happening. I could hardly believe it—I had a date set up through an online dating site.