"Minu...wake up dear....come on my sweet little angel" Minakshi's father entered her bedroom to wake her up.
"Dad, let me sleep for five more minutes. Today is a holiday" she said covering her face with her blanket and getting irritated that her father is waking her up this early.
He looked at the wall clock in her room and said, "Come on, it's already 9 AM...see.".
"Ummm" she gets annoyed.
Her father sighed and after thinking for a while and smiling mischievously, he put his hands near her waist and started tickling.
"Hahahaha...Dad stop it please...hahaha" Minakshi said beating her hands and legs because of the tickles.
"Dad this is not fair," she said making a face while sitting.
"Why?" her father asked, furrowing his brows.
"Mom never let me sleep during the week and today you did not let me sleep" she complained cutely folding her hands and turning her face in the other direction getting angry.
"haha..okay now brush your teeth and have your breakfast..come on fast fast," he said sending her to the washroom.
Today is Sunday and today is the day when everyone could eat breakfast peacefully because there is no hurry in rushing anywhere.
During breakfast, they all sat together. Minakshi's parents, Minakshi and her sister Roohi, who is only 3 years old.
"RING" "RING"
Just then, the landline phone rang.
"Hello," Minakshi's father picked up the phone.
"Okay, I am coming...Wait for me there where we decided to meet" he said and hung up the call getting serious.
"I have to go. Someone has called me and it is urgent," he said to his wife before she could question him.
"When will you be back?" she asked worriedly.
"Don't worry I will be back soon" he replied putting some files in his bag.
Minakshi came running to him and hugged him saying "Dad please don't go. Let us have breakfast together like always"
He felt guilty looking at Minu's sad face. Sitting on her level he hugged her back and promised to come back soon and said he would bring presents for her.
She waited for him till night. She heard the siren of an ambulance outside her house. Her mother walked out opening the gate of her home.
Hearing the siren, some neighbors gathered there. One of the neighbors took Minakshi and her sister inside their home.
Minakshi turned to see what was happening. There was no clear picture of what was going on for her. But she saw her mother's emotionless face. Her mother covered her mouth with her hand sobbing.
"DAD," little Minakshi said
"DAD" Minakshi almost screamed as she woke up.
She looked here and there and thought it was a dream. Everything was so real. Their last breakfast which did not happen.
She was crying remembering her father. She wiped her face before getting up from the bed.
"Minu, are you alright?" "Didi, what happened?" her mother and sister banged on the door in alarm.
She opened her bedroom door and came out with a serious face.
"What happened?" Her mother asked, worried.
"Nothing. It was a dream," she said rubbing her eyes.
"I heard Dad...did you see Dad in your dream?" Roohi asked her waiting for her response.
"I will get ready for the office," Minakshi said and dashed to her washroom to freshen up.
Her mother turned to Roohi with tears in her eyes and left to do her work.
Minakshi ate her breakfast silently. Today her mother cooked 'paneer ke parathe' her favorite.
She reached her office on time and went straight to the tenth floor.
As soon as she reached she got a call from Akhil.
"Hello sir," Minakshi said picking up the phone.
"Minakshi I am on the way. Have you reached the office?" Akhil asked her while driving his grey i10 car. His phone was connected to the device in his car.
"Yes sir, where are you now?" she asked looking at the time on the watch she was wearing.
"Spare me 10 minutes. Abhimanyu is about to reach. If he gets there before me, try to waste a few minutes. I am hanging up."
"But Sir,..." she could not complete the sentence when Akhil disconnected the call in a hurry.
"How can I do this?" she thought to herself banging her mobile lightly on her other hand.
Just then the lift makes a DING sound to let her know someone is there. It's not someone, it's Abhimanyu because it's the boss's lift.
"Think of a devil and a devil is here," she said to herself biting her lips in worry.
Abhimanyu is very particular about his working hours. How is she going to waste 10 minutes? She was lost in her thoughts when Abhimanyu passed her but stopped thinking she did not wish him today.
He turned around towards her and came slowly near her table and banged it with his fist.
Minakshi came out of her thoughts unexpectedly and looked at Abhimanyu.
"Good morning Sir," she wished him hurriedly bowning her head.
"Good morning...Are you alright?" he asked her putting his hands in his pants pocket as usual.
"Yes Sir," she replied not looking at him but at the floor.
Just then Akhil ran out of the other lift. He stopped just an inch away from Abhimanyu.
"You are late," Abhimanyu said giving him a deadly glare.
"No," Akhil said furrowing his brows.
"I am on time," He said again looking at his watch and giving thumbs up to Abhimanyu.
Abhimanyu sighed in dismay and asked Minakshi to bring two cups of regular coffee.
"Sure Sir," Minakshi said and headed towards the lift.
After a few minutes, she returned with two cups of coffee.
Abhimanyu watched Minakshi when she placed the cups on his table. She was silent today compared to other days.
Akhil observed Abhimanyu looking at her with his hideous gaze. When Minakshi left his cabin Akhil asked him.
"What happened?" Akhil asked Abhimanyu at which Abhimanyu looked at him raising his eyebrows as if he did not understand what Akhil was asking him.
"I saw you watching her" Akhil clarified his doubt.
"No,...I mean yes...means No..." Abhimanyu tried to say something.
"Yes, or No," he asked excitedly.
"Why are you even asking? I asked you to submit something" Abhimanyu tried to change the topic which Akhil understood.
"Don't change the topic...I am asking because I have never seen you observing any girl before" he sounded shocked.
Abhimanyu tried to ignore him by snatching the file from his hands to read.
"Since the time I knew you, you were always deeply involved in coming first because coming second meant nothing to you...You remember why...Right," Akhil said this time with little concern.
Abhimanyutightensn his grip on the file he is holding.
"It is very well known to me. You don't have to make me remember that," he said without looking at him or reading the file.
"You may leave now. I will call you if needed" Abhimanyu said in a serious tone.
Akhil sighed and looked at him standing from his seat.
"To be honest if you are observing a girl, I am happy for you my friend," Akhil said just before leaving Abhimanyu's cabin.
Abhimanyu put the file back on the table and turn around to look outside the window. The only thing he can think of in this view is SILENCE.