Wipe the slate clean- Part 2.

Mornings were the best in our apartment. The sun rays found their way directly to the bookshelf which was right across the window, and illuminated them in golden light. Sure, the result of this was the spine of each book turned a little dull over time, but the words inside stayed the same. After all, everything turned bland in due course, but what was inside was what really mattered. 

I sleep-walked into the kitchen and made myself a hot pot of coffee. I took the first sip and felt each cell of my body slowly waking up. Then my eyes fell on the balcony door which was neither open, nor shut, it just swayed in the middle. I was suddenly reminded of that time in college seven years ago, when he and I were arguing over whether the classroom window remains open or not. I liked everything dark and gloomy. He, on the other hand, argued that a classroom wasn't supposed to be dark and gloomy, which was right, but I just liked being stubborn. We finally decided to leave it half-open. That way we both won. Memories have a way of sneaking up on you and catching you off-guard. Just when things are going downhill, they give you reasons for why you should try to mend them. I smiled at this memory, and decided to buy a bucket of KFC on my way back from work tonight. Food always made us happy. Especially when it was chicken, and deep fried.

Absent-minded, I stepped inside the balcony. Traffic was a drag as seen from the sixth floor. There were several yellow buses lined up, with school children inside them who looked like little lego people. I decided it would be wise to leave a little early today, so I rinsed my cup and started getting ready for work. I rummaged through my wardrobe to find a kurti which was both clean and ironed. A herculean task, clearly. You would think that marriage and adulthood would make you act like a grown up, but it was all a big farce. Your wardrobes remained messy, and you still needed your mom to sort it.

When I reached work, my cluttered cubicle assured me that it was going to be a busy day. Files were piled up on my desk so haphazardly, that picking up even one of them imposed a risk of the entire bunch toppling over. It was like a mockery of jenga, only zero fun, and nobody won. Noon passed to welcome late afternoon- the time period when everyone is sleepy and nobody understands why they have to work. I was hazily typing away on my computer when my mobile notification tone woke me up. It was a text from him.

'Hi! We signed a big business deal today. The entire team is going out for dinner. I'll be late, don't wait up :) '

Well, there goes the KFC bucket down the drain. It was a sad day for both Colonel Sanders and I.

'Congratulations! Ok, have a nice time :)'

*Sent*

After a gruelling day at work, I reached home and put on the gramophone to play some Elvis. 'Are you lonesome tonight?' played, and I was prompt to change the song. I imagined the gods of fate sitting up there and laughing at me. It was almost eleven when the doorbell rang. His ruffled shirt brought back the smell of whichever noisy pub they had been to.

"So, how was dinner?” I quipped.

"It was okay. You ate?"

"Yes. I was about to order another ridiculous item from those tele-ads. Thank god you reached before that!"

He laughed, placed a brown bag on the kitchen platform and went to get changed.

"Hey, I parcelled some dessert back, maybe we can share it", he screamed from the bedroom.

This gesture wasn't made with a romantic intention; it was maybe because he was too full at that moment for dessert. But for some reason, it felt like I was getting him back in flashes. It was like a consolation prize you get after you lose a race, it doesn't mean much, but it's something! And just like that, a mundane day was suddenly sweetened by some lemon cheesecake. Colonel Sanders was still sad, but this missus wasn't!