The Lost World ...

“Platform no. 1 par aane wali local che baj kar petalis minute ki dheeme local hai, ye local sabhi sthanako pe rukegi……” “ it has been such a long and tiring day, boss is urrrggghhh, he had to get all the work done today only…he knew…” “ye local borivali se andheri, andheri se bandra ...... ” were the words interspersed with the voice in her head. She was almost running to reach the platform and catch the train to her destination. Finally catching the train, she squeezes into the mob to fit into the compartment..

Deepa, lost in the wilderness of her thoughts shook up by the ring of her cell, Vishal calling…..

“Where are you, I am trying to call you since last 15 minutes? says the voice
Deepa : “Just caught the train, didn’t hear your previous rings,..boss was not …..”
Vishal: “do you have any idea, my friends are coming over at our place, and reaching in an hour, every time we have someone visiting over at our place, you have your job and your job responsibilities…..”
“but …”
Beep beep goes the line…
Getting a little tense, she checks her watch, it was already quarter to 7, and the guests were arriving at 8.
“O God, in an hour we have the guests coming and I still need to go and buy veggies, prepare the table, cook, get things in order in the house and get ready.. “uffff”…..” “Vishal is not going to like any un-presentable stuff”

Vishal, an MBA into HR, working for a big four had reached home just 15 min back and found the house deserted and things out of place. Fuming and shouting something on his own, he sits on the sofa, removes his shoes and stretches his legs over the table placed right ahead of him.. switched on the TV and starts flipping the channels.. while running out of patience, he dials Deepa’s number….

He believed that the lady had to manage the house and the household activities of cooking, rearing children, taking care of the family, while all the external world activities should be secondary to her. She could go and work but she had to manage both…That was the concept of modern women to him.

While in the train, Deepa, lost in her thoughts was a little stressed out but was trying her best to manage and carry on the show with a tight rope to walk between her aspirations to get promoted as manager and her so called ‘duty’. Forgetting and forgiving was what she was trying to live by. Vishal in his work had forgotten her birthday yesterday. She had provided clues but to no avail.. With a single tear dropping to her cheek, she rubs it off before someone spots ..

7.30 says the watch, TV is on, house is in the same order,… door bell rings …the stretched legs , while still sitting, rumbles something in an incremental sound…..