(8:00 Meira's home)
The day begins with the chirping of the birds. She woke up with the heavy flexion. "Oh! I woke late again. No! No! I can't run every day to office like this."
"Ah! The alarm definitely needs a jolt of power if it hopes to wake me" she bawled.
Putting her coffee machine on Meira rushed to make some crumbled eggs. She managed to bathe, the scent of her favorite lilacs filling the air, giving her day the perfect start.
"8:50. Yes, I can catch this one. It's definitely coming by 9:05 & I can make it." She gasped with affirmation checking her phone.
…
(9:05 railway platform)
"Feww!!" Meira struggled to catch her breath. No sooner did the train arrive at Platform No 4. As usual, it was a bit of a struggle yet she caught the train. The crowd rushed toward the next stop and Meira's was right ahead. Dashing faster she got down the train, luckily today she got her sharing auto in no time.
"Excuse me, Drop me at Rozie Tower?" Meira instructed the driver. The other passengers were supposed to get down after her so Meira took the last third seat.
…
(9:50 Rozie Tower Main Gate-1)
"Ma'am, your ID?" asked the guard.
"Oh, wait." Meira started digging through her hand bag. She immediately got distressed. "No ID, where did I keep it last night?"
"Ma'am, sorry I can't let you in with your employee ID" the guard informed boldly.
Meira's face stretched.
"You can ask your employer to write a mail requesting for your entry approval" the guard urged with a smile knowing her to be one of the employees.
"No choice I have to call DS's secretary" Meira hesitated, letting her unwillingness to show.
…
(10:20 Kiran Inc – Meira's office)
The day felt dismal – Meira hadn't managed to be on time. Being punctual was her little obsession which she glorified every day. And what worse was she forgot to carry her employee ID also making DS to mail on behalf.
After missing her morning snack at the canteen, Meira started writing a note to DS—explaining her forgotten ID, promising to be more careful, and thanking him for mailing it.
"You are literally writing a note to memorize! I mean you just go & thank him simple" Tina giggled and spoke.
"Yeah, I know. But you see I have never made such kind of mistake Tina. This is really embarrassing. And my impression would go wrong now on DS" Meira responded anxiously looking at the note.
"DS won't make a fuss of it. Just go" Tina added.
Nodding to Tina, Meira rushed to DS cabin.
"Devkar Salai, Founder & CEO of Kiran Inc" Meira's scanned the nameplate at the door.
After knocking, no one responded. 5minutes later, she came back to her desk. Meira checked DS's to-do list his secretary which showed that he was supposed to be attending a meeting at client place. Meira scowled as she checked the request mail which DS sent to the security head with her in CC – "Shared from Android" she muttered.
Work didn't just occupy DS's time; it consumed it. The concept of a 'day off' was an alien language he refused to speak. His office was a fortress where the air never changed and the decorations never moved. Even when the carols of a festival echoed through the streets, the only sound in DS's world was the rhythmic ticking of a clock that never stopped for joy. He didn't live for the moments in between; he lived for the labor that filled them.
The silence in his home and the frantic pace of his work were the twin legacies of Kiran's passing. Ever since Meira lost her best friend, DS had traded his fatherhood for a desk, using the mountain of paperwork to hide from the ghost of the girl they both loved.