READ THIS BRIEF BEFORE YOU LEAP:

• This is 100% fiction.
• All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
• I have taken a privilege to use the name “Akshaya Premnath“(film star) just to add color to the story and tried tell it in a different angle all-together. (and obviously i am big fan of Akshaya).

 

Location : Infopark, Cochin.

“Malare Ninae Kanathiurnal……………”

I walked carelessly and entered my office humming and listening to the song from the movie ‘Premam’ which had been hovering in my head and playing on my lips since yesterday.

I am that kinda  guy who long embraces a song until it squashes  by listening to it on loop.

I looked around and realized that most of the cubicles in the office were empty.

‘Guess am a bit early today’ I thought to myself.

After alighting onto the  not-so-cozy seat in my cubicle I automatically started with my first-thing-in-the-morning routine(like removing my watch and putting it on the desk, taking the wallet off from my back pocket, turning the pc on etc) When finally after those mundane yet Herculean tasks were over I leaned back and stretched myself to relax.

The same mellifluous song ricocheted in my ears.

I closed my eyes for my usual morning meditation.

Yes..  Seriously… I do it.(Learned it from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Sudarshan Kriya class).

Suddenly a breeze carrying a sweet fragrance tickled my nose and I started breathing heavily. I could sense my nose moving slowly in the direction of the fragrance frantically searching for its origin. I tilted my head and glanced around.

I could feel that soothing smell penetrating me.

I opened my eyes gently and saw her for the first time.

There she was coming in like a white swan in a green and black cherisher to my department.

‘Who is this girl?’ I wondered.

Even the blink of my eyes turned sluggish.

I removed my ear phones and slightly lifted myself to see if she really was going to sit opposite my cubicle.

Somehow I sat back down on my seat and the shock absorber of the chair pushed me up lightly. It felt like everything was occurring in slow motion.

She blessed me with a cute smile and floated away.

Meanwhile I had to take a deep breath due to the temporary cease of respiratory activity prompting me to wrap my face within my palms to indulge in some unequivocably wild thoughts.

‘I haven’t seen anyone so beautiful’

‘Or is it just about beauty, charisma or charm?’

No…  It was about her assertiveness.

I was always in the quest for someone really cool. Is she the one I’d been searching for? My mind kept on allowing and denying pop ups with sometimes vague and at other times assertive answers to questions framed involuntarily. Total chaos. I thought I was spiraling into anarchy which was nothing but only a storm in the teacup.

LATER…..

Someone patted on my shoulder and I got up to see this fellow called Koshy, my only friend here.

I think the story cannot go on without telling a few words about this guy because his is an absolutely crucial role.

He is… F… Ok let me put it this way. He is like Barney Stinson (How I met your mother character) and he does “legendary” stuff.  Hope I have driven home the point.

I slowly removed my ear phones so that I could take cognizance of what he was saying.

“Dude Cine actress Akshaya Premnath has joined our company as HR assistant..  Hey that Ohm Santhi Oshana fame” he said jutting the words out in one go.

He was literally shivering with admiration. I remained clueless for a few minutes, but all of a sudden my brain cells had passed on the information. Oh shit!! So “That was it” I murmured.

“Hey what are you blabbering ji??? Are you still on this planet or what?”

“What is what? Bro she is sitting opposite your cubicle. Let me go and say hello now”.

“Oh yeah I remember now” I said without looking at him.

“But what are you going to say hello for?”  Sensing danger I quickly added “Man, just don’t try hitting on her, ok?  Because I am in love with her.”

“Love?”

“Just an hour ago she wasn’t even here and moreover she is a celebrity.  Everyone likes and loves her”. He burst out laughing.  He pushed himself back onto the chair and started laughing egregiously.

I maintained silence for a few minutes and bowed down my head. Then in a rather soft voice I said

‘Dude it’s not like that. I fell for her even before knowing that she is a celebrity’.

Koshy stared at me for a few minutes and then slowly rubbing his chin using his pointer finger and thumb he said ‘OK i will help you’ and narrowed his eyes.

“First follow my two rules” He was preaching in a ‘Buji’ like manner.

“What rule?” I enquired dubiously.

He sighed, erected his body and raised his pointer finger and said

“Love Rule Number One – ‘Be unique and not ubiquitous’ ”

“Since she is a celebrity do something very different and stand out among competitors so that you can acquire a fair chance of capturing her attention” he said in a stern voice.

I smirked.

Next he raised his middle finger and said

“Rule number Two – ‘Find the Achilles Spot’”

“Every girl has a soft spot. Find it and hit there straight before anyone else does”.

“Ok I understand man. But how do I do something different? Singing, dancing, and all such stuff I guarantee I cannot do.”  I grinned

We were both immersed in a deep brain storming session.

Suddenly Koshy burst out “Idea!!!! I’ve hit on something!!!” Before he could even start speaking a guy sitting next to our cubicle desperately and pathetically signed to lower the audibility of our commotion.

So in a comical hushed tone he continued “The thing is you’ve got to share something informative in the coming “Monthly employee meet up cum Earth Day”  session. You should brand yourself as an informative guy. Certain girls fall for such maneuver of intelligence”.

“But I don’t think so she is that kinda girl”. I scratched my head in doubt.

“Dude her spectacles are an indication that she is well read and high up the intellectual scale” Koshy said

“Who is wearing spectacles you idiot? She doesn’t have spectacles.  Whom do you think you are referring to? Go to hell” I fumed and got up from my seat.

He held my hand and dragged me down with efforts of controlling his laughter going in vain. And finally when the tide had subsided he said “Come on man.. I was just pulling your leg” complimenting it with a wink.

I sighed.

Finally we decided to take a session on Amazon Kindle(an E-Reader i bought recently) experience at the event and informed the authorities.

Next Week at “Monthly employee meet up cum Earth Day” : 

I stood in the last row in the auditorium holding my “Amazon Kindle” in the left hand while busily shaping my right hand finger nails with my teeth, tension building up with each passing second.

When I glanced at Koshy and found him all settled and composed, obviously it resulted in raising my agitation.

How dare he push me into this mess while was sitting there all relaxed? I felt like kicking him.  To hell with his idea. I couldn’t even sleep properly last week.

Practicing this bloody “kindle” experience speech.

But then i remembered

Probably Akshaya  gonna call me up first as per the Event agenda published yesterday.

So I started recollecting the speech which I had crammed up without thinking about anything else.

After a few minutes Akshaya  came forward with a portable mike and a piece of paper. She looked adorable in her sleeveless tank top and blue jeans.

She started with the formal introductory speech and then said “A small change in the agenda”

“I am hereby introducing our most recent member, the extremely talented “Pious Joseph” from Thrissur who obviously has got something up his sleeve for you.”

The crowd welcomed him with a great round of applause.

I stood there clueless, ashamed, utterly in bewilderment and speechless.

He welcomed the crowd with a sweet but manly smile, put his back pack aside and introduced himself.

“My name is Pious and I have a 4 year experience in android development. Today I am going to play an instrument which has been my soul mate since childhood”  and  he finished it in such a humble and gentle manner.

Camera focus turns to us.

Background: Pious started playing the music instrument while singing that song,

 “Sach Keh Raha Hai Deewana Dil

Dil Na Kisi Se Lagaana…….

Maine Har Lamha Jisse Chaaha, Jisse Poocha

Ussi Ne Yaaron Mera Dil

Toda Toda, Tanha Tanha Chhoda”

Koshy:  Gone man… Everything is Gone. What an apt song!! He is singing it for you my friend… He chuckled.

I stayed there numb while Koshy kept on blabbering.

Koshy: Nothing can beat the musical stroke and the instruments man, he sure is gonna steal the show. Your “kindle” will go all the way down the drain.

I smeared my face with my handkerchief and sighed helplessly.

Background song playing:

“Mousam mousam husne mena dekha bus pal per akhe mera mena ab jeevan me”

Koshy: Oh God!! Such a manly voice. Moreover this guy is from Thrissur. They know how to conduct a business and they very well know how to impress girls. Everything is gone man. Hey!! Look at Akshaya . He grinned

I looked at Akshaya . She was lost in the melodious song and standing still without taking her eyes off him, jaws dropped.

I glared at Koshy fractiously.

Koshy: But, what I don’t get is why is he using that stick? As far as I know the Guitar is played using the bare hand.

I lost all control and burst out to Koshy “You fucking idiot that’s a violin not a guitar. To hell with your sucking idea.”

With that I put the kindle back in my bag fuming with rage, walked back to my seat briskly and threw myself onto the seat. I stared at my computer screen without blinking for a few minutes.

As always, to add salt to the wound someone else materialized.

I asked her “What?”

“When are you going to fix the bugs I pointed out today?”

QA Head Janet…

“I will as soon as possible and let you know”. I said furiously.

I put on my ear phone lazily and opened Visual studio

The song started playing in my ear..

” Avalu vendra ivalu vendra…………”

I mechanically typed into the Visual studio editor

“Evidalelum Scene  motham Kontra”

 To be continued………………

 

NB: Thank you Aswany for wonderful editing.I really appreciate your time and effort. Love you my dear friend.