Can't Live Without!

I looked up.

11.50.12 is the time. Last time I saw it was 11.49.

I cursed myself and started studying the file before me. The time seems to be crawling when one wants it to race.

There came a sound near the window. A dove was about to land and it took off immediately. It is a bright morning of November. Balmy weather around. 'Perfect for a good walk or a picnic', I thought to myself. Then I tried to recollect the last time when I went for a walk in such weather. I was not successful. I sighed and looked at the clock. It is 11.52.15.

The eye sight was the first to be affected. The spectacles came on. Black shadows under the eyes became full fledged circles. Less sleep means irritable mood and by the time I reach office, my irritation used to become full blown rage. The evening traffic gave me enough reasons to become an angry young man, err...not so young man!

Weekends go before I perceived they are there! Children started to complain of my anger and my wife started giving the eye more often than not.

I checked again. It is 12.03.34. Another 11 minutes plus, I calculated.

I have had enough. I went to a doctor. He gave me a lecture, a long one about time management, priorities in life etc etc. and bored me almost to a deep slumber. He gave me lot of examples of how people in my condition ended up in hospitals, abandoned by family and in very poor health. He gave me an ultimatum and gave me strict instructions to be followed to have some kind of recovery. So the treatment started.

Now it is 12.14. 16. Less than a minute away. My pulse quickened. I drank a full glass of water, closed the file in front of me and stood up. All this while, my eyes never left the clock. Slowly I walked towards the file rack. On top of those books is the object of my affection, the sine qua non of my existence and an oasis in this dreary existence.

It is 12. 15.

I slowly pick up the object. My fingers tremble as I start operating it. I have only 5 minutes and I intend to use that time to the last second. For the next 5 minutes I forgot the entire world. My worries, my tense moments, my problems, all pushed back to the edge of my consciousness. My fingers moved nimbly and were expertly maneuvering the controls. I was not even sitting down; every moment was precious.

The timer beeped. It is 12.20 already! With great reluctance, I tore myself from that spot to which I got glued. I placed the object reverentially at the same spot. I slowly walked back to my place. With a deep and long sigh, I opened the hastily closed and tossed aside file and started to immerse myself again in that. As I was doing so, the words of my doctor rang in my ears,

'This addiction to smart phone is the bane of our society. Health, relationships, quality of life, you name one, it affects all. Your whole existence gets centered around that contraption and before you know, your day or night is gone. Get away from that. 30 minutes gap for each successive usage of the phone for the next 10 days. No phone after 10 pm. See me after ten days'