CROSSROADS

ead. He introduced himself to his team and spent a while getting to

*

session with his team. He ordered lunch on his way to

answered as he walke

oice responded fr

waiting for my lunch. You?" He plopp

ong back, y

s breakfast, lunch, and dinner dat

day?" she asked, and he narrated the da

lliance for you, by the way. Just came in yesterday

il with the phone wedged in between his shoulder and ear. Clearly, he w

said the last time

ews at that ti

fter t

hat I wa

egan in a disa

r? Wrong time to eat my head!" H

There was a brief silence before she spoke again. "When

this week." He wished he

tention?" she la

away from his desk, held the phone properly, and leaned back on his chair, sighing. "You want me to

that? You're

I'm in my sixtie

finitely am,"

be a hundred, I'll

nt you to get settled

necessary when I've got a s

least now,

e pursed

ife is so unpredictable. I w

certain that

, a silence of contemplation, one that reawakened bitter memories. Life was un

border. He still remembered that fateful day as fresh as his waking life. When th

r brought him out

, gesturing him to enter. The guy zipped in, placed his lunch on the table

oke, to which he heard

*

a bright orange with the silhouettes of people, veh

ghts whizzing past. His first day at work was uneventful but thrilling, nevertheless. He was entrusted with a big responsibility – to shoulder the company's overseas projects. Though this was something he'

pped out his time and energy. This can't go on, he calculated, need to fi

– Vikas and Dev, of which the older one, Vikas, had moved out with his wife

one. She was old and had medical issues. Besid

ll alone, and he didn't want that. It was through a lot of effort that he found a job that was closer to home. Closer in the sense, he still had to stay el

tion zip past and looked d

ung lady he had seen in the morning. She was busy again, but this time, she was ge

*

of the Chaudhary's residence, and Mrs. A

a bouquet of red roses. "Mrs

es

," he said and h

ouquet. It had a winking emoji and a "Guess Who?" scribbled onto it. Sh

*

patis, salads, and a few large chunks of boiled chicken. Yes, he was a fitne

nd a t-shirt for the evening. When he sat down at

elivered at 7:30 PM t

he mumbled,

wed it to ring at will. "Posture, Dev, posture," he instructed himself. On the seventh rin

calmly. From her tone, he could

He kept a s

the flowers,

ked innocently, biting down on

!" She s

t out la

rather crossly, "I don

Dev caught a g

while, and you've been doing gr

before committing to anything else. You know how hard I'd worked for that. And, I also want that whoever comes into our life, accepts you. I can't leave you behind and walk out like Vikas." At that, his voice

ing in. "Fine. Wh

utiful girl and her pet chickens. He paused, smiling, wondering why she even ca

is mother sensed him smiling. "W

e in his head de

he nodded

the voice ins

There's nothing important

r's voice, snapping hi

ted. "I want to kis

eep," she

*