The Day The State Split Asunder - 30

Karthik managed to reach the office early the following day. 

          'Hey, do you have a backup of our project files? Remember, I had told you to save it when I had shared it with everyone?' Karthik enquired. He was on the phone with one of his teammates.

          'How can you be so careless? Just check who has it and give me a call immediately. The system has crashed...' Karthik shouted.

           The entire day he was so engrossed in his work that he failed to notice Sanjana's absence. At lunch break as he entered the in house cafeteria, he then learned about her absence and sent her a text message asking where she is. She didn't reply to anything for the entire day.

 He reached home at around ten in the night. After completing his supper he thought of calling her but later abandoned it thinking she might have fallen asleep. Soon his phone began to ring. It was a call from Sanjana. He excitedly answered the call as it was more than he could've ever dreamed of.

'Hello Sanjana, you didn't come to the office today?' he asked as soon as he answered the call.

'Hello Karthik, I am extremely sorry for not replying to you. I didn't have the balance on my mobile to call you or text you,' she replied in a weak tone.

'Why is your voice so dull? Are you okay?'

'Ya! Actually, I wasn't feeling good today. That's why I didn't come to the office.'

'I know. It's because of the panipuris.'

'Hey, it's not about panipuris.'

'I already told you yesterday not to eat that much. What's the need of having that competition? And moreover, I already gave up at twenty but you didn't stop. You were reluctant to not stop eating until you reached the count of fifty-'

'Karthik… Karthik… listen to me,' she interrupted him. 'Please allow me to speak. It is not because of panipuri.'

'Then for what?'

'I am on my periods. The pain was really horrible in the morning. That's why I couldn't come.'

'I am extremely sorry Sanjana.'

'No problem. It's a common problem in our woman's community. You men will not understand this.'

'How are you feeling now?'

'I am feeling better now.'

'In case you need any help please do call me.'

'Sure and by the way I completed reading the book.'

'What?' he asked in surprise. 'You completed reading it in a day?'

'Of course, it's not even two hundred pages. How long will it take to complete?'

'My God! For me, it took ten days to complete it.'

'Not everyone can read at the same pace and I just called you to say that I really really loved the story. Paulo Coelho is an amazing writer. By the way, Karthik what is your opinion about 'When you want something all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.'''

'That is my favourite quote.'

'But do you know the true meaning of the word conspire?'

'I think helping?'

'No, that's wrong,' she was confident and sure of herself. 'Conspire means making secret plans jointly to commit an unlawful or harmful act and working together to bring about a particular negative result. When you say the universe conspires does it mean the universe will work against us?'

'Girl! You are definitely someone from another planet. How did you manage to do this much research in a short span of time.'

'That is Sanjana! When I want something, no force can stop me from getting it. And Karthik, do alchemists still exist? Did you come across any alchemist in your life?'

'Yes, I already met one.'

'Who is he?'

'Not he, it's she and her name is Sanjana,' Karthik laughed.

'Stupid!' she laughed. 'I really loved the book. I feel like reading it again.'

'Then keep that book with you. Return it only when you feel like you can't read it anymore.'  

'The good thing about books is it always teaches you a new thing every time when you open and read.'

'Which thing fascinated you most?'

'The omens. With our constant exposure to digital news, ads, and social media, we've lost the valuable skill that our ancestors had of gathering information firsthand from our surroundings. We've lost the ability to perceive the deep interconnection between us and the natural world, and the different ways nature is alive and communicates with us.'

'Our ancestors are geniuses in interpreting the secrets of mother nature.'

'Ok Karthik. It's time to sleep. Good night.'

'Good night!'