Between the lines

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 46; the forty-sixth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

TODAY

I had 10 tabs open on the browser and 15 windows opened on the screen. Beneath this chaotic congregation, lay a picture of us. I shuffled between windows to see the desktop background once in a while as I continued to ace the parallel worlds which shared my attention. The table too, was cluttered with papers, pen, paperweights, water bottle and coffee mug which regularly injected me with caffeinated blood. The small fluorescent table lamp highlighted a man fighting it out with all the might he had.

At 1:00 am, a small window could manage to make it's way as it popped up with a dew drop like sound. I was focussed as a hawk but couldn't resist a smile at that. A friend from a distant location had dropped in to catch up. I reclined back and exercised my neck. The chat window glared out to me. "A month more, my friend".  My heart broke a little more as I closed it and stole a glance at the picture.

February, 2012

I tried another tie, third one this. They said it looked alright. I was not convinced though. Nonetheless, I adjusted it and prepared myself to face perhaps the biggest interview of my life. Only later that I'd realize life has challenges tailor made for each situation and there is no such thing as biggest-ever.

I gulped another glass of water. My legs in continuous motion. The red tie made me a little conscious too. I was to go next. Some of my friends tried soothing me down. And then my name was called out. At that, all voices came to a halt. That scared me. It indicated of a doomed fate. She held my hand and told me something that almost everyone you'd meet, says. Everything will be alright and all that.

They interviewed me and a day later told me that I was not suitable. I went jobless when everyone else bagged one, some had more than one. It was a blow to me. I wasn't that bad to be honest, may be just a little distracted, a little easy going.

February, 2013

I cancelled the flight tickets and the hotel bookings. Always the one to keep his cool, today it went a bit too far. She screamed, shouted and cried. I saw her through it and told her what she told me all the time. Everything will be alright. She didn't bother today. Her boyfriend was a jobless man. What else matters?

A little while later she called with temper flaring, and shouted again. This time for the cancellation. Not that she wanted to holiday with me but a jobless man made a choice without asking her. Today, I didn't try to please her. In my heart, I knew we were done. I knew it.

December 2014

She gave me her wedding card. She sent it online too and then came over at my place. It only made things worse. I was still jobless. I said she shouldn't have come. She said the same. I was talking about her coming to my place and she, about me coming into her life. I knew it. Didn't have to ask her spell it out but she did and that was a brutal murder of all the good times we had spent. I wished her luck and asked her to leave.

She called me all sorts of things before she left. She cared no more.

February 2015

Not having a job in this world is tough. Everything was lost but my father told me it's never so. I asked him what can be worse than being jobless. He had no answer, he understood my predicament. So, we looked for a couple of jobs online. Nothing suited my interests but he still stayed awake with me, the entire night.
He went to work next day, half awake and slogged for 14 hours. Came back and helped me search again.
Between the lines, he was telling me what working hard meant  for him. I had never been a hard worker. Atmost someone who can slog when it gets too bad to not care.

His search for finding me a job was relentless. 54 year old, hadn't slept for two days, worked 14 hours each day and still going stronger than me at the search. He didn't deserve such a fate. I tried to get grips with my tears as two of them rolled down cheeks. I told him to go and sleep.

February 2016 - Today

It was this day a year back in time when my father shared my tears. Since that day, I went incognito and worked hard. It is amazing how life unfolds a new page everyday. I never thought I'd be here. In a month's time is my first release. My first product is going to go on the floor.

But for another month, I'll have to keep working like an ant, remain under the cover and tell my father, "Everything will be alright".

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