Work on a Valentine day

The cab had not yet started. He once again tried to reach her; this was his fifteenth attempt from the morning. She has not answered even one of the calls. Fifty plus sorry messages he had sent also did not invoke any response from her.

He was Sridhar – a twenty three year old, software engineer, who has two years of experience in IT Field – all two years in Infosys Technologies Limited. Infosys has been good too him. He has managed two CRR1s in a row, couple of appreciation mails from the client in his project; and most important of all he got a girl friend here. It was during his training in Mysore that he first met her – her name Swetha – now working in Mysore DC.

It was she who was not picking up the call now; and she has every reason to do so. In spite of her virtually pleading with him, that she had to be at Bangalore on Sunday, he forced her to come to Chennai on Saturday. This Saturday was not just another Saturday – it was Valentine day and he had wanted to spend time with her. She agreed after a combination of persuasion and threat from Sridhar, and came to Chennai – but only after he booked her a return ticket in Cauvery Express on Saturday night itself – by this at least he could spend the entire Saturday with her

Alas! His plan however went awry and he was not able to spend even a moment with her so far. His Onsite Co – coordinator called him in the morning, and said there was a bug that needs to be fixed immediately. He couldn’t say no. His Onsite coordinator is not some one who ever asks him to come on weekends; unless of course there is an emergency. This was an emergency; that bug needs to be fixed. It was only a small bug – at most it would take only two hours maximum; but only he knows the system well and he had to come. He still consoled himself saying that he could at least spend the afternoon with her.

The small error in the code played hide and seek with him, and the two hours turned out to be ten hours, and now he is sitting in the six o clock cab hoping he could at least meet her for few minutes before she leaves. He nervously looked at the watch every few seconds. His watch showed six o clock, the cab has not yet started.

“Why don’t they start the cab on time” - it was just two minutes past six in his watch – but he was increasingly getting irritated. He had to be there in central at least by eight – that would give him half an hour to apologize and also gift the ring to her.

Its’ not the fault of the cab driver. He has to wait for the instruction of the transport coordinator. But the cab driver didn’t say that to Rajesh. “We will start soon sir” – the cab driver replied with a gentle smile.

The cab slowly left the office campus, and gathered momentum. He would be the last person to get down from the cab. The others would get down long way before Chennai Central.

He wanted to be as soon as possible with his girl friend. Normally when ever he travels in a cab, he would be praying to God that the driver should slowly and carefully; but not today, he wanted the driver to press down the accelerator to the full throttle.

Unfortunately, the young driver today, was not like some of his contempraries, who think they are driving in Formula 1.The cab driver was the person who loves to drive at the correct speed – and that made Sridhar angry. He let most of the cabs that started behind them from Office to overtake them. “Were you driving road roller before?” – Sridhar asked in a irritated tone to the driver.

The girl sitting next to him the cab was actually pleased to be at last traveling in a cab, whose driver follows road rules and her face showed that she didn’t appreciate Sridhar’s sense of humor. However the driver was not angered. “No sir, I was driving Mahindra Van before” – he answered matter of fact with a smile.

Sridhar’s anger increased at that reply. He started to murmur among himself – however every one in the cab was able to hear the murmur. “How these guys know my urgency. Working on a Valentine day, and missing a nice chance to be with my girl friend. Shit, now he drives as though he is Mahatma Gandhi’s grand child, following all rules. I’m not sure that she will ever forgive me for what I did today.”

The girl sitting next to him was reading the Zodiac Signs page in the morning paper. For his sign “Taurus” – it was given “You will make wrong decision’s today”. “Ya I made two wrong decisions today. First agreeing to come to work on Valentine day, and then to select this cab.” Other Infosians in the cab were hoping the driver would give him a fitting reply; but he remained silent with a gentle smile as usual.

He was lucky at last. The signal where he expected that the cab will waste at least ten minutes had a green signal. He hoped they could easily cross the signal, in spite of the slow speed. But the cab came to halt suddenly. “Why the hell you stopped? Go, its still just orange” – Sridhar was not able to control his anger any more and shouted at the cab driver. “Sorry sir, we are not supposed to cross the signal when it is orange.” “But every one does” – Sridhar almost yelled to the driver. There was no response from the driver other than his usual trademark smile.

More signals followed, and all others in the cab had got down. He was only person remaining, and he was racing against time, to meet his girl friend. For the first time in his life, he started to hate his job. How could he do a work, that doesn’t even allow him to see his girl friend on a Valentine day? He was angry at every thing; from his onsite coordinator, to his girl friend that is not picking the phone. But all his anger was now directed towards the cab driver.

“Sir, will we reach Central before tomorrow” – he asked the cab driver mockingly. “I will try to reach as soon as possible” – the cab driver said with a smile. Sridhar began the long monologue of how he is the most unlucky person on the earth – how he could not stay with his love even on a Valentine day. The driver heard it all- but he kept on driving as usual.

At 8.20 the ten minutes before the departure of Cauvery Express, the cab reached Central. Sridhar got down from the cab, closed the cab door, at a high velocity in anger, and ran in to meet her.

After he left the cab driver, took his cell phone. There were ten missed calls. He dialed the number and began speaking, “Sorry dear, I was not able to talk to you properly even on a Valentine day. But what to do. Work is more important right. I had to take those people who work hard in office back to their homes. I will try to meet you tomorrow”

Sridhar was not there to listen to that and he continued to believe he was the unluckiest person – though he got to spend at least few minutes with his Love.