📓 MNC Diary — Episode 3 Cold Nights, Warm Thought

---

The Voice That Wasn’t There

Dear Diary,

I turned quickly, heart racing… but there was no one.

Maybe I was just tired. After all, it had been a long day — traveling, first flight, first time in Delhi, first day in the new office. My mind was probably playing tricks on me.

So, I pulled out my phone and booked an Ola. The app showed 15 minutes. Enough time to just stand there, breathe, and take it all in.

The night was chilly, the air crisp, and the streets of Delhi still alive with energy. Neon lights glowed from tall buildings, traffic hummed in the distance, and people walked past, each lost in their own world.

For me, this was a first.
First time out of town.
First time out of state.

And in that moment, one thought crossed my mind — I’m in my forties now, yet I’ve hardly traveled anywhere.

If I had one regret, it was this: not seeing more of the world.

But standing there, wrapped in the Delhi night, I told myself — it’s never too late to start.

So yeah, I was lost in these thoughts when my phone rang — the Ola driver.
“Sir, I’m outside. I’ll wait 2 minutes,” he said.

I opened the car door and was about to step in when I felt a hand on my shoulder and a voice right next to me, softly saying my name, “Raj.”


---

Not Again!

I turned in shock.

And there she was. Kajal.

Seriously? Out of all my old team members, I was seeing her twice in a single day. And both times, she was calling my name.

For context — I’m a quiet guy. I don’t like much drama. I avoid attention. If I see someone I know in public, I usually won’t call out to them. In fact, I even pray silently that they don’t see me either.

I hate being the center of things.

So yeah, this was a lot for me — two Kajal encounters in one day.

She smiled and said, “Hey Raj, so going home?”

In my head, I rolled my eyes — No, going to the office, idiot.
Obviously, I didn’t say it out loud. Just kept it in my mind with a polite smile.


---

Awkward Small Talk

“Yeah, hectic day,” I finally said. “How about you… are you going somewhere?”

And here’s the funny part — idiot this time wasn’t her. It was me. 🙄

(Why I call myself an idiot? Well, will tell you later in this diary. But trust me — it fits.)

Anyway, she replied, “Yeah, going home. I had one client meeting, so just completed.”

Then came the question.
“So tell me, Raj, where are you staying?”

And without even a second thought, I blurted out:
“Delhi.”

She tilted her head, almost smirking. “Yeah, I know that… but where?”

She didn’t say the words — but her eyes were asking it loud and clear.

I quickly covered it up: “NCR.”

She smiled. And in my head, I was like — Please don’t say it… please don’t say you’re living there too.


---

The Fear Comes True

And guess what? She said it.
“My home is there.”

Finish.

The exact fear I had came true.

Before I could even process, she immediately asked, “If it’s okay, can we share the cab? Since we’re both going to the same location.”

Dude… it was almost 11:30 PM.
I still hadn’t had dinner. I was tired, hungry, and mentally done with surprises for the day.

And now this kind of shock landed on me.


---

Idiot Me

And can you guess what word came out of my mouth?

“Sure, why not.”

Idiot.

Didn’t I say earlier this word fits me perfectly?


---

The Unexpected Ride

So finally, we were in a cab at 11:30 PM.

Me — the shy guy, out of town for the first time.
And her — the girl I didn’t like, the one with whom I had more bad memories than good.

Life has a strange sense of humor. Tried my best to avoid, yet here I was, traveling with Kajal, sharing the same ride through the dark streets of Delhi.

I leaned my head against the window, looking outside. The city was still glowing, cars rushing, the air carrying a chill.

Above, the stars were shining bright. It was a full moon night.

But my eyes weren’t just on the stars. I was looking beyond them…
Beyond the sky, to where God lives.

With only one question echoing in my heart —

What’s going on?