Shades of Life

Start of Something New

Hey guys: Just a reminder

I came across some quotes that symbolizes what I want to depict in this story at some point so I thought of adding few quotes and my thoughts describing them in my point of view. You guys can read it or skip it totally up to you. Don't forget to comment and let me know what you think

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“It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection”

                 -   Bhagavad Gita

Bhagavad Gita, is an amazing holy book written with amazing quotes which are life turners. In today’s world which is ruled by social media perfection has become a necessity for everyone. Be it looks or profession or anything else. Everyone are envious of what they see on ** or twitter and want their life to be perfection has depicted in the video or image that is posted by others. It’s the filter age where anything can be camouflaged with a single swipe and others see that and feel bad about the life that they have. This happens a lot in beauty industry but now everyone is influenced by Social Media Platforms, so much that they are forgetting their own true self. People are being swayed more easily now a days than ever. Our true self is hidden somewhere within us with a load of bullshit covering it up. Maybe it’s the age acting the way it is but after a certain age you tend to realize what is true and what is fake, that’s when you find what you are looking for which makes you a better version of yourself.

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Enjoy the chapter:

I turned back around towards Sarah closing my eyes tightly.

“Hey, chill. They won’t get mad at you. This is public place” Sarah said looking at me sympathetically.

I can’t chill. I just saw my boss throw a hissy fit this morning and now I’m in the same café he is in. Gosh, he must think I’m stalking him or something.

“I don’t know about that” I dragged my words as I saw both of them get up and walk towards my table. I sat there keeping my eyes on Varun who was staring right back at me.

This is not good.

“Hey guys, she works in your company it seems” Sarah said smiling oblivious to the fact that he knows me. I mean I can’t blame her, there are hundreds of employee alone in Bangalore branch. She can’t expect him to know each and every one of them.

“Yes, she does” Varun said with his eyes never leaving mine. I gave him a nervous smile.

“Hey Sarah, I want a freshly baked apple pie. Let’s go” Aakash said holding only Sarah’s shoulder.

“Fine, but this time only one alright. I can’t make the whole batch again” Sarah huffed and got up.

“We’ll see” Aakash said winking at her.

“Akshara, enjoy your food and let me know if you want anything else” Sarah said smiling and walked off with Aakash while Varun stood there staring at me.

Okay, now it is getting a little creepy.

“Are you following me?” Varun asked as he took Sarah’s former seat.

I scoffed at his words.

Me following him? Yeah as if.

Does he think himself as some kind of celebrity or what!

“Since how long are you in this café?” I asked him meeting his gaze without having a nervous breakdown.

He looked confused at my question.

“About half an hour” He answered looking at me with a frown.

“Aha! I’ve been here for more than an hour” I said triumphantly.

He looked at me dubiously. I sighed at his gaze.

“Are you okay now?” I asked risking getting an answer ‘It’s none of your business’.

“I’m fine and I’m sorry” He said gulping as if it was hard for him to say those words out loud.

“It’s okay but your poor phone. I’m sure it was latest model of iPhone. How can you harm such innocent devices?” I asked huffing and then realized what I said.

What! I panicked.

This is what happens when a lot of things happens at a same time to a socially awkward person.

And also I care for electronic gadgets just as much as I care for Kurkure.

“Don’t tell me you have unhealthy obsessions to electronic gadgets too” He said shaking his head.

“Sorry, whatever you said is true but I crossed a line” I said scratching my head.

“It’s fine” He said shaking his head.

Should I bring it up?

What if he gets mad?

Should I apologize?

“Why are staring at my coat?” He asked looking at the place where I’ve been staring.

Get a grip Akshu!

“Umm, I wanted to apologize for troubling you” I said wetting my lips but didn’t elaborate.

Give me a minute.

“What are you apologizing for? I have a list” He said raising his eyebrows. I actually saw his lips curve into a smile but he soon made it flat lined.

“For the other night. I was drunk and behaved childishly” I said scratching my neck.

“You remember that night?” He asked with a smirk, tilting his head to his left.

Why does he look so cute while doing that?

“I do, I mean the next day after I came from work my friend called and reminded me” I said giving him an embarrassed smile.

“Ah, that video call girl who thinks I’m hot” He said casually but I saw lip twitch.

He is making fun of me and if he isn’t then he will start now.

“Oh please, she was swamped in her work so she must have been tired” I said raising my eyebrows.

“Aww, aren’t you cute?” He said cutely while I sat there shocked.

Did he just call me cute?

Is that even allowed? I mean he is my boss after all.

“Thank you, a lot of people thinks so too” I said giving him a weary smile but gave a modest answer.

He stared at me for a second and burst out laughing.

I sat there as if I have seen a ghost.

I’ve been in this company for nearly one and half week and I have never seen him smile and laughing is miles farther than that.

“I didn’t call you cute, that is what you called me when you were drunk” He said controlling his laugh.

I went to flashback.

“My name is Akshara”

“Go sleep”

“Not before you say my name”

“Fine, Akshara go sleep”

“Aww, aren’t you cute?”

“You are not as bad as I thought”

“Bye, good night. Don’t let the bed bug bite”

Que cringe.

Why am I such sappy drunk?

Can’t I be a badass drunk?

I chuckled awkwardly.

“Sorry” I said giving him a weary smile.

“Stop, if you keep saying sorry for the things you have done in this past week and a half, we will be here all night” He said shaking his head.

Jerk.

“I was not that bad” I said pouting.

This is not the kind of image I want to maintain with my boss.

“Oh, trust me you were” He said sighing.

I pouted not knowing what to do.

That’s what I do when I’m in a fix of not knowing what to do.

“What are you doing over here?” He asked me.

I showed him my book.

“I came here to read and chill” I said grabbing my sandwich and took a bite.

Should I offer him?

I moved my samosa plate towards him.

He looked at it and me raising his eyebrows. I nodded towards the plate.

He actually rolled his eyes at me.

“No thanks, you carry on. I’ll leave now” He said and stood up.

“I know you are my boss and I should cross the line but once I was a victim of back to back problems be it with friends or family. If you ever want to talk and take it out of your chest, I’m there to listen and you know where to find me” I said with a hesitant smile. I don’t know if I’m being inappropriate or not but I’m being sincere for sure.

He kept looking at me with some emotions in his eyes that couldn’t decipher.

 He nodded his head and walked out. I kept looking at him until he disappeared.

I don’t know how his life is or what he is going through but when told him that I’m there to listen, I got a vibe that he was lonely. Maybe it was the way he was looking or the way his eyes were, I don’t know. I have read tons of stuff about his family but I don’t believe all of them. Media captures what they can see from the outside and not what they are going through internally.

I know a thing or two about how problems in our life affects us. Sometimes we find the solution right away and sometimes that problem gets more and more problematic and it would give us tension and it would lead to depression and anxiety. If it is family problem, then depression is a must. Even when you think you are fine, you are not until you face the problem. Either you solve it or take some time and accept it.

If it is financial problem, the anxiety kicks in that too if you owe someone money. Being in debt in not something easy, I have heard so many people committing suicide when they couldn’t return the money that they owed. In college, I’ve heard and seen so many instances like one of my high school classmate’s father committed suicide when we were in our first year of engineering due to financial issues. In our second year, some friend of my friends committed suicide. His girlfriend was also my friends hi-bye friend. I’ve never met her but I’ve heard a lot about her. She recently passed away in an accident and it was gruesome one.

My point is, not all problems get solved after a while some stay for a long time and eat a part of us slowly and steadily.

I know he is my boss and I shouldn’t talk to him like a friend but I felt like he needed a stranger to share his problem. With strangers, it’s easy to talk. You don’t have to worry someone finding out as people around you won’t know that stranger.

There was this website where I would read a lot of fanfiction and I made few friends there. They are from other parts of India and I share my story with them and vice versa without taking tension whether my family would find out or not.

I returned back to my book and continued reading it while finishing my snacks. After an hour, I closed my book and wandered off to the library section to check out the books and was happy to see a lot of books that could read in the future. I saw harry potter collection and squealed. I’ve seen the whole series twice but never read the books. I always wanted too but life got in the way.

Those books are one of those to which you get addicted and can’t stop reading so you leave all other work and continue reading day and night, yeah those kind of books.

After noting down few books name, I finally thought it was time to go home. I still have to prepare dinner and eat it. I have to give my mom a call too. It’s been a while since I talked to dad