Today she wanted to get up a little late, giving a break to her daily routine of the last 35 years. Though at the back of her mind lots of worries and tensions about the future were knocking, yet today she wanted to look and feel happy… relaxed, for the sake of her hubby.
She turned to the other side of the bed to see if Suresh, her husband, was also sleeping. But he was not there!
Where was he? What was he doing? She started searching for him in the prayer room, in the washroom, in the garden… but he was not there. Chandni was a little tense now.
She knew the previous days were hard for Suresh. So much had happened in the last few days. Where was Suresh? He was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly she was scared. Oh, I just hope he has not gone and done the same thing today also… She took out her mobile and started calling him.
And Suresh… where was he?
There he was, standing near the platform of a suburban station, watching his 7:35 local train leave. He knew he was late today and obviously he was angry. He kept murmuring, Why didn’t Chandni set the alarm today? Didn’t get up on time… didn’t even give me my tiffin. She is becoming careless and forgetful nowadays… getting old maybe. She should know that if I miss this local train, the next one comes after 20 minutes. Reaching office late means I will be marked half-day absent too. What a waste! I seriously need to tell her in the evening to be a bit more careful.
He was getting more frustrated. So much work was pending in the office… last-minute detailing, so many files to be submitted. His head started spinning while remembering the workload… and the phone rang!
Oh, now she calls… to say “sorry”… were his first thoughts. I don’t want to talk to her, he thought.
But as the phone kept ringing continuously and the train was nowhere to be seen, he decided to pick up.
“Hello…” he said. “Now don’t come with all your sorry tactics. This will not cool me down. You have just wasted my half day, and boss shouting is another thing I will get!”
“Yes, it’s me… Chandni. Listen, where are you? Why did you go to the station today? I have been searching for you in the house.”
“What I forgot, Chandni? You forgot to get up and pack my tiffin, and you blame me!”
“Oh no, no, listen dear… You got retired yesterday! Now no office, no local trains, no busy schedules and no files to update…” Chandni’s voice echoed through the phone.
And Suresh listened… listened… and went numb.
An integral chapter of his life, going and coming to office every day, was gone. Taken away from him. He was a retired man from today.
He didn’t know how to react. So he cried without showing his tears. He laughed without any reason. Whether he was happy or sad, even he didn’t know.
Image Courtesy: https://www.pexels.com/@altamar/
If this story reminded you of someone you know or a phase of life you’ve seen closely, do share your thoughts in the comments below.
– Meenu Lodha
About the Writer
Poetess Meenu Lodha is a bilingual poet from India whose verses carry a quiet charm and reflective depth. Though English is not her first language, she expresses herself with ease, gracefully honouring both English and her native vernacular.
For Meenu, learning is a lifelong journey, and she enjoys challenging herself through writing and creativity. With a lucid, lyrical style, she often draws inspiration from nature, turning it into her creative workshop. Through gentle imagery and thoughtful expression, she embraces colour, beauty, and emotion, walking steadily along life’s path with poetry as her constant companion.
