FRIDAY FROLIC - 1

“Why do you keep all those books in your flat? You don’t have room for other

things. Besides, I am only asking you to give them away to someone else, so they

can make good use of it.”

“Yes, I will do something about them. Why don’t you give away your vogue and

cosmopolitan magazines, while we are on the subject? You just let them pile on”,

she blabbers sounding disinterested.

The daughter rests her neck on the seat of the cab, tilting her head backward,

cupping the neck by its sides drawing faint semicircles behind her, as her eyelids

gently drape her eyes.

This is what 10 hours of meaningless slogging in front of the computer do to you,

she thought.

“Mom.." she says in a feeble voice, her lips continue to move but she swallows the

words that should have been spoken, and quickly fills the silence with, “How is Dad,

is he not too stressed with the opening of the new bank branch?

Ask him not to stress himself", she quickly adds.

“He is fine sweetie, he misses you girls just like me, but you are all happy and that’s

all we want”, the love of a parent being spoken.

“Mom I will talk to you later, I have had a long day. And I am almost home”, she

notifies herself more than her mother, as she cuts the call.

She looks out the window, the high beam headlights at the distance are blinding as

they shine right through every drop of rain pouring with the loudest of noise and

syncing with the honks of the hurried drivers. Her shoulders and sleeves start to get

wet, and she realizes it when her back meets the seat cover.

A slave of traffic. That is what Bangalore makes of you, she thinks as she slips into

a trance.

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