Stories

Pay me not!

Mansi decided that life isn’t worth living. She had shouted, screamed and cried but nothing could change the inevitable. She hadn’t slept properly for days and she had even forgotten all her relationships because of this and yet, she hadn’t found success. “We are working on it.” She heard every time she called Airbnb customer care. “Let me tell you what the issue is,” Mansi started telling the customer care person what the bug in their system was and how they can fix it.

Elevator Escalation

“Defender is the worst product ever,” Mansi said chomping down on her eggs. “What?” She asked looking at the stunned faces in front of her. “Nothing. I was just saying that he worked in Defender before.” Mansi’s colleague said pointing towards his left. The person on the left had his hand frozen trying his best to smile. “Oh, I didn’t mean it that way. Windows defender is still better than Update software,” Mansi said in full damage control.

Faster we fall

Mansi decided that she would kill him. Not because he threw water on her precious clothes; not because he teased to date her sister; and definitely not because he was cute. She decided that the only way everyone in the office would stop teasing her about him was if he didn’t exist. “I know it’s not the right thing but what choice do I have?” Mansi thought and mixed the juice with a little alcohol.

Murder at First Sight

Mansi decided that she would kill him. Not because he threw water on her precious clothes; not because he teased to date her sister; and definitely not because he was cute. She decided that the only way everyone in the office would stop teasing her about him was if he didn’t exist. “I know it’s not the right thing but what choice do I have?” Mansi thought and mixed the juice with a little alcohol.

Rotten Parched Lips

Mansi touched her lips and was annoyed. “Damn these rotten parched lips.” She said and reached for her lip balm. As usual, it was just out of her reach. She stretched her arm and before she could balance her feet on the ground, the wheels of the chairs moved backwards and she was flying towards the ground. She saved her face by placing her hand on the ground and heard a crunching sound.

Disease Extrapolation

“I think I have throat cancer,” said Mansi in a somber whisper. “What?” Her friend asked choking on his innocent sip of water. You don’t have the watercooler talk to discuss matters of life or death. Mansi nodded, her expression fixed and her eyes shifty. Worry was visible on her face and was now mirrored on his. “How?” “You know I’ve been coughing for the past week. During my travel, I fell completely off the wagon.

Pen or Sword

Mansi picked up a pen and used it like a sword. Not defying governments or changing the world order by writing the next masterpiece. She literally picked the pen and stabbed him with it. Her intention was clear. His leg should be the canvas for her. “Are you done?” He drawled and continued watching the movie. Then pen had failed her. She looked at the pen incredulously. She turned to her own hand and saw that the pen was working perfectly.

Prioritization Paradox

Mansi wept! She wanted to take a knife and slash at her computer. The stupid machine had decided that it was more important to restart right now than let her work. She called the machine names which would have brightened her mother’s ears and then cursed the company that made the operating system. All in her head as she worked for the company. She had to run the script before 5:30 pm, otherwise, she won’t be able to go home till 7 pm.

Nightingale

Mansi hit her head with a stick. “Ouch! Damn!” She screamed with pain. “Why won’t you get out?” Mansi said with annoyance woven in each word. She kept pacing in her room holding her head in her hands and rubbing the spot where she had hit herself. “Damn this song. Why can’t it leave me alone?” Mansi said again as the song went on a loop in her mind. “What should I do?

Prioritization Paradox

Planted March 1, 2024

Mansi wept!

She wanted to take a knife and slash at her computer. The stupid machine had decided that it was more important to restart right now than let her work. She called the machine names which would have brightened her mother’s ears and then cursed the company that made the operating system. All in her head as she worked for the company.

She had to run the script before 5:30 pm, otherwise, she won’t be able to go home till 7 pm. That was how the company’s cabs worked. And she shuddered at the thought of booking a taxi and explaining the path to driver. “Damn you!” she said to the machine as a dot continued moving indicating the progress.

Mansi checked her watch - it was 5:10 pm right now and it would take the script around 10 minutes to run. She had ten minutes before giving in to despair. She went to get a glass of water - 9 min left; she chatted with her colleague nearby - 7 min left; she played a quick game on her phone - 3 min left. Her heart rate picked up as she looked at the watch. And then - her computer was back to life.

“Yes,” she shouted and opened the software. It was blank. Her file was conspicuously absent.

“Where did you go?” Mansi shouted and went to the folder where the file was saved.

The folder was not there.

“It’s wiped clean,” whispered Mansi, all sense of time forgotten. She sat there stunned for one whole minute before the corner of her mouth twitched. Before she knew it, she was laughing and packing her bags.

“What happened Mansi?” The guy sitting next to her asked.

“I just realized how quickly something loses its priority if it ceases to exist,” said Mansi and ran for the cab. She had one minute and it was the most important thing to her now.