Namaskaram 🙏

Date of Update: 19.08.2022

*****

Mid noon mid summer sun is emitting the heat all over the city. Even in that hot afternoon the whole city is very busy with lots of traffic. People kept wiping their sweat and continuing their work. Like everyone the employees in that office building are also working seriously.

There is a ting sound indicating it to be the lunch break. The whole place turned bustle. But there is a girl who is very involved in her work and didn't paid heed to the ting sound.

"Ragini!" A girl kept her hand on the girl's shoulder bringing her to the earth from the world of work.

Ragini looked at her raising her eyebrow.

"It's lunch time buddy. You were very much involved." The girl said.

Ragini looked at her watch and hit her head lightly. She smiled at the girl thankfully nodding and the girl left. Ragini sighed. She took her lunch box from her bag and moved towards the canteen where everybody would be having their lunch. While moving towards her usual lunch place she frowned seeing one of her colleagues and also a good friend sitting alone and thinking deeply staring at the food. She sat opposite to him.

"Are you trying to have food just by looking at it Laksh?" she asked.

Laksh looked above and shook his head smiling lightly. Usually she prefers to have her food alone since she tries to concentrate only on her food. She believes food has to be eaten with concentration and being silent. But today seeing him sitting alone unusually and also in deep thoughts she thought he might need some company.

"Then why is it untouched today?" she asked opening her box.

It contained as usual vegetable salad, some rice and some dal. She always keep an eye on her diet. Not to maintain her physical body structure but to stay fit and healthy both physically and mentally.

"No... nothing!" Laksh said and was about to get up.

"I left my usual place and sat here just to make your mood good but I think you are in no mood to get to your normal mood." She said shrugging.

He sat back and sighed.

"I am worried about my shelter from next week." He said.

"Why? What happened to the place where you are living now?" she asked.

"Till now I stayed as a PG. But now they want everybody to vacate the PG so that they can renovate it properly. They had told me a month ago regarding it but every house I got to see was either beyond my budget or very far from our office. You know about Mumbai traffic!" he said sighing.

"Hmm... really a problem." She said.

"Hmm... I asked one of my friends. He also couldn't find one for me. Our office area is really not a comfortable place to find a good shelter!" he sighed again.

"Well... I think I have an idea!" she said.

He immediately snapped at her.

"I stay in a flat. Two BHK. My flatmate left like two months ago. So I stay alone. You may consider it if you are okay." She said shrugging.

He looked at her with wide eyes.

"You have no problem to stay alone with a boy?" he asked straight.

"I trust you. You don't trust yourself?" she asked frowning.

His eyes widened even more if they could listening her. Not for the words that she trusts him but for the question of doesn't he trust himself. He huffed and looked away.

"But I have a condition!" he said looking at her.

"Dude you are going to stay in my flat. I have to impose conditions. You have a condition. Great!" she said looking at him unbelievable.

"Yeah I am unique!" he said raising his collar.

She shook her head in disbelief and signed him to say the condition.

"I will pay rent!" he said.

"You are thinking I am doing you a favour. Hell no! You are going to pay for the petrol for my car since we both will be using it from now. And also you will pay for groceries for fifteen days." She said.

He chocked hearing her. She chuckled passing him water bottle.

"Deal?" she asked forwarding her hand.

"Deal!" he said smiling and shaking his hand with hers.

"Let's get your things evening after office." She said standing from her place.

He nodded smiling at her and she left giving a smile back. He chuckled shaking his head.

"Hello ma! I just got a place!" he said to his mother as he immediately dialed to her.

"Is it safe and comfortable babu?" his mother asked.

'Safe? I don't know!' he thought in mind but immediately shrugged of his thoughts.

"Yes ma! It's one of my colleagues flat. We both will share the expenses." He said.

"Oh! Who is he?" his mother asked.

He? He thought in mind.

"Rag... I mean Raghu!" he said.

"Okay babu. Take care!" his mother said.

He held his head as he cut the call. He totally forgot about this. He rushed towards Ragini's desk.

"Ragini we need to talk." He said.

"About?" she asked working.

"About the thing we spoke in lunch!" he said.

"Then we will talk after five Laksh. I am busy now. Go do your work." She told continuing her work.

He glared her and left to his desk.

"Yaar one after another tension. I am going to die with this headache." He spoke to himself.

After five in the evening.

"Your work isn't done yet?" she asked as she saw him still working even after five.

He looked at her with tired eyes and face. He looked terrible.

"Woah! How did the four hours change a human in to a zombie?" she asked.

"No energy to laugh Miss. Perfect. Remind me to laugh when I am fine." He said getting up from his place and taking his bag.

"Well! What's that made you like this?" She asked as they walked out of the office.

"What else? The work! There is a glitch in the project which needed to be submitted tomorrow and it made me this way since nobody were able to find it." He said sighing.

"Let's talk something else then. What was it you were so desperate to talk after Lunch?" she asked.

"Oh great! You reminded me. You told I can stay at your flat. What about all the people who would ask who am I? You know what I mean." He said worried.

"No. I don't know what you mean!" she stated.

"Dude! I have no energy." He stated.

"Dude I don't care what people ask or say or think about me or about you who is going to be my flatmate. I know what I am. I know what we are. I don't need to answer someone." She said as both of them got into her car.

"You sure?" He asked worried.

"Nope!" she said giving him a look.

He understood the look and looked outside.

'Should I say ma about this?' he thought.

"Here we are!" she stated bringing him back from his thoughts.

He sighed and got down.

"Ten minutes. I will be back with my things. They are almost packed." he said.

"You keep your things packed always?" she asked.

"Not always. I have decided to stay with my friend this weekend. Since from Monday I am not allowed here I thought to leave with my bags and try to find a solution. So most of the bags are packed. Clear?" he asked rolling his eyes.

"Yeah! Let me do the honour of helping you to get your bags out." She said.

"Girls not allowed!" he said closing the door and going.

She shrugged and sat there in the car waiting for him to come out with his bags. Soon he came back with his bags. Once settling the bags in the car they got ready to leave.

"Hey what about your family?" He asked worried.

"Why are you worried for everything? You didn't ask me help. I offered. If I have problems I wouldn't offer you the help right? So please stop those enquiries." She said irritated of his enquiries.

"Zip!" he said acting like zipping his lips.

She chuckled while he chuckled following her chuckle.

"Here we are!" She said as she stopped the car after parking it at the prescribed place for her flat number.

They entered her flat with his bags and Laksh looked around.

'NEW HOME!' He thought in his mind.

*****

Thank You for reading.

With Love

Dharani (Dhaరणि)