Feeds

“Tell the workers that they can’t do as they please. If they don’t agree to our terms then I will not hesitate to fire them.” I screamed at the HR manager and disconnected the call.   Running a business was not easy and the workers- I had always thought that all they wanted was to extract money from the rich. I used to hate when they came into my room, hanging their sorry faces, giving a million excuses whenever they wanted any favor.   Nothing went as planned on that particular day in September. I decided to leave the office early. It had rained heavily and the ground was very slippery. To make matters worse, the driver was on leave. I decided to take the highway so that I could reach home early.   Unfortunately, there was a terrible traffic jam on the highway. I saw cars standing bumper to bumper. There was an accident that was causing the delay. I honked several times but it turned out to be pointless. And there I was, stuck on the highway with absolutely no clue about how long it would take for everything to clear.   I became highly impatient. I saw that the bike lanes on the highway were practically empty. Though none of the cars seemed to take the lane, on an impulse, I decided to switch lanes and take the bike lane to escape the traffic jam.   As I maneuvered the steering wheel and accelerated, I noticed a cyclist heading towards me. I quickly drove towards the median to avoid an accident. However, the wheels skidded owing to the slippery road, and my car collided with the median. I lost my consciousness. Everything that happened after that seemed like a blur. I could hear the sound of an ambulance faintly.   I regained my consciousness after a few hours in the hospital. My wife, Riya, was standing next to me.   “That cyclist! It was all because of him. I wonder how much money he will demand from me now, Riya,” I said, being concerned.   “Rahul! You had lost blood. It was the cyclist who called the ambulance. He even volunteered to donate blood. Besides, he told me that he used to work in your company. He refused to accept money when I offered him. Though he was very poor he was such a good-hearted person,” said Riya.   “Oh Really! What’s his name? I would like to meet him,” I said.   “He said his name was Raju. He has left already.”   With tear-laden eyes, I sank as soon as I heard his name. I had fired him just a day ago for an insignificant reason. I remembered yelling at him when he asked me for money to pay his daughter’s school fee.   He had proven that despite being poor he had a rich heart. The accident proved to be a turning point in my life. I realized that wealth had nothing to do with a person’s character.     

“ Look at her million dollar smile. She is the most sought actress in the film industry. She has everything that a woman could possibly want,” said a woman to her husband as the celebrity came to receive a prestigious award on the diaz. But little did the woman realize the several untold stories that the celebrity hid behind her smile. The failed relationships, the countless therapy sessions and medications to manage her clinical depression were driving her crazy. In her ten years of career as an actress, she had mastered the art of smiling.

The setting sun which usually shone with an orange yellow hue seemed to be engulfed in flames of scorching red. The house was brimming with an unsettling quietude. “Sheela! Where are you?” Rohan’s voice bellowed as he entered. Sheela’s scarred body had several untold stories to tell. She came out from the room carrying a suitcase. “ How dare you?”, Rohan lifted his palm to slap her. But Sheela mustered all the courage required to finally find her voice. “ Enough is enough!” she said as she unapologetically left her mangalsutra on the coffee table and walked out. She was finally free.