The introduction.

A week later, Friday evening 8:30 PM.

Like usual Friday evening, Sufi songs were reverberating in my apartment with a middle-loud voice on the speaker. One could easily notice the sheer happiness for queueing weekend through my eyes.

(Ring) (Ring)

Phone chimed. A succession of shrill rings cut the hush.

“Hello..” I quickly greeted

“Hey. Dev..?” A feminine voice on other side uttered with a sluggish tone.

“Aanshi?” I questioned pausing myself for seconds.

“Yes, I am.” She nodded, with again a sluggish tone.

“Wait, I can’t believe it’s you again!” I expressed my astonishment.

“Why? Did my name not flash on your screen?” She questioned with a rising intonation.

“No, Actually I didn’t see that. I am cooking dinner and phone is connected with the headset, was on a call with Mom minutes before. Just picked up your call through the headset.” I spoke about my status quo. 

“Ohh!” she hummed.

“And, honestly yes! I have not saved your number, never thought would ever get a call again.”  This time I revealed the truth.

“And now that I have?” She paused me in middle with an alluring voice.

“Feels unbelievable,” I added.

“And?” she appealed.        

“And, I am happy.” I whispered with a smile.

“And? And?” she appealed again.

I chuckled and she joined me.

Me: “Hey! Don’t tell me it’s the wrong number call again.”

Aanshi: “Ahh No! I called you with all my consciousness.”

Me: “Ohh! This is the second strange thing happened to me.”

Aanshi: “And, what was the first one?”

Me: “Your first call last week, obviously.”

A laugh whirred on both of the sides.

Aanshi: “You know what, I had a very tough day today at the office, ran behind a client with no fruit full result and for that this grumpy Boss’s scream.”

“Ohh! You too don’t like your Boss.” I paused her, to say,

Aanshi: “What do you mean by you too?”

Me: “Neither I like my Boss.”

Aanshi: “Gosh! So, Bosses are made to be hated.”

“Maybe. In fact, I am happy with the word Manager but hate the word Boss” I giggled.

“And then?” I asked halting a moment.

Aanshi: “Yes! now that I am back home, I was thinking of someone to call and speak. Guess what!! The first name that came to my mind was of you.”

“My pleasure!” I rendered with a numb voice.

Aanshi: “You accurately said on the last call. Confessing in front of a stranger feels great, I mean in my case at least no chance of these confessions to land at my Boss’s door.”

“Well, we are not technically strangers anymore,” I added to her statement.

Aanshi: “No, we are. I know merely nothing about you apart from your last confession and the same story goes for you as well.”

“Hmm! True but we have at least revealed some good amount of information about each other and moreover strangers don’t stumble upon again.” I said.

Aanshi: “True! Yet that does not disqualify us from a stranger state, isn’t it?”

“Whatever! By the way, you were speaking about some confession.” I mumbled to pull her attention back to her previous statement.

Aanshi: “Yes! I have a confession to make but make sure you won’t think me bad or make fun of me.”

“Pinky promise, I won’t,” I said to agree with her.

Aanshi: “Wait for a second, what’s the sound in the background?”

“That’s some Sufi playing on my speaker” I replied

Aanshi: “Ohh! Do you like Sufi?”

“Yes! I love them, I mean that is the purest form of music.” I added.

Aanshi: “Must agree! Even I do love to listen to Sufis.”

“Awesome! by the way, do you want me to mute the speaker?” I asked.

Aanshi: “No no! let them as it is. I am liking them.”

“Great then! so where we were?” I pulled the chain again.

Aanshi: “I was about to confess.”

“Yes! Go ahead then.” I comforted her.

Aanshi: “Great! so the confession is, often I feel like to scream at my badass Boss and ask who made you sit on this position? On some other time, I literally feel like to tear his hairs out and punch like punching bags for his idiocy. He certainly causes more pain to me quite often than some rude clients. You know what, I feel like to have that Shakalaka boom boom pencil to draw a fucking big monster just to swallow my Boss on my command.”

She halted for seconds after vomiting her agonies out.

“Calm down. Calm down.” I asked her to breathe.

Aanshi: “That’s all, that was my confession.”

“Glad that you spoke. You must be happy now, are not you?” I offered my empathy.

Aanshi: “Yes! Feeling relaxed. I was freaking out though. By the way, do you possess any alike demonic thoughts about your Boss or you are just a decent guy?”                                                           

She chuckled.

“I wouldn’t consider myself decent, yet never thought to own a Shakalaka boom boom pencil just to draw a demon for my Boss.” I laughed.

Aanshi: “Ha – ha – ha”

(a smile boomed)

“By the way, what you do Aanshi?” I asked out of curiosity.

Aanshi: “I work for a health insurance company here in Bhopal.”

“Let me guess, you are planning to sell me a term plan policy in recent future?” I pulled the humour.

Aanshi: “No! I work for the corporate insurance department. All my clients are either companies or trusts. So be assured I am not going to sell you a policy on this Friday evening.”

“Thank you. By the way, they say ‘you can never take a seller out from a salesperson’” I snickered.

Aanshi: “That does not apply to me, I barely think about the company’s business during off-hours.”

“Why don’t you try to change the department or company to get rid of your Boss?” I asked.

Aanshi: “I tried to change the department once, they offered me an individual loan department which I didn’t like much. Finally, I convinced myself saying this is a good job with a handsome salary and the work location is very close to my room.”

“Then you gotta deal with your grumpy boss quite often” I said.

Aanshi: “Now that I have you to confess, I think the pain will be healing rapidly.”

A laugh bloomed.

“By the way, if not this insurance job then what you would love to do?” I questioned out of curiosity.

 “Hmmm…” she took 5 seconds to re-think.

Aanshi: “I would love to own a hotel for dogs.”

“wait, what? A hotel for dogs?” I sounded unpredictable.

Aanshi: “Yes! You heard me right. Imagine a bulky German Shepherd is sitting on the table no 2 waiting for his order Chicken tikka. On table 5 a tiny Bulldog and a cute miniature white Pomeranian are sharing their dry Pedigree and on the table no 3 a muscular Dobermann is enjoying his meat and brown rice bowl.”

“Interesting. I am finding you a mystery box.” With a maximum astounding tone, I beamed.

Aanshi: “By the way what you do Dev?”

“I work in an MNC for a billing department” I replied.

Aanshi: “And, do you like what you do?”

“Not to the great extent but yes to some extent and as you said, other criteria’s drive more to stay in this job than personal likes” I responded.

Aanshi: “Then what are your personal likes?”

“I am artistic by nature. Anything relating to art & culture they attract me.” With a deep tone, I replied.

Aanshi: “Like..?”

“Hmmm.. Like writing poems, blogs, stories, reading mythology etc. Anything with a touch of intelligence attracts my eyes easier.” I answered.

Aanshi: “Wow!! But, what do you mean by intelligence? Don’t you admire beauty?”

“I do but I don’t rate beauty more than intelligence. I mean, with time beauty fades and intelligence prospers.” I made my clear statement with a contented tone.

Aanshi: “I would love to see some of your works.”

“I’ll text this number some links for you to check them out.” I quickly delivered.

Aanshi: “No, don’t do that.”

“Why? you don’t want me to text you?” I sounded surprising.

Aanshi: “No, Not like that. Let me imagine first how they would be and, I really want to listen to them from you direct before I discover them.”

“Interesting.” I retorted with a smile.

Aanshi: “you know, last time during Bhopal Pride March my office was volunteering and I got a chance to meet some well-known authors and influencers. I was being awestruck by the thoughts of some authors; they definitely see the world from a different angle.”

“I remember somewhere I read about Bhopal Pride March. Was that the one that happened to support the LGBT community?” I asked doubtfully.

Aanshi: “Yes, that started in 2017 to support the LGBT community and in 2018 on its second edition we participated for a march.”

“wow! Good stuff.” In appreciation, I hummed.

Aanshi: “Yeah, you know kinda stuff that corporate does just to flash their brand on newspaper, but anyhow meeting some renowned personalities there was the best part for me.”

“So, was that the last time you met an author?” I asked with a deeming voice.

Aanshi: “Hmm! And look, then I bumped on you unknowingly.”

A laugh buzzed over both sides.

Aanshi: “so when are you narrating me your scriptures.”

“If you are free for the next hour then?” I added before she ended up her ask.

Aanshi: “Holy God! its 35 minutes we have been talking.”

“Yes, we are indeed. Neither did I realize.” I echoed along with her.

Aanshi: “I’m sorry. I gotta grab my dinner otherwise have to sleep empty stomach.”

“So, should I expect another call?” I asked hurriedly.

Aanshi: “Hey, I’ve got a deal. How about a single call in a week and we limit that to 30 minutes.”

“Sounds auguring.” I nodded with her.

Aanshi: “Great, so can’t wait till the next week to listen you narrating me direct some of your beautiful verses.”

“I’ll wait till then as well” I whispered with a smile.  

Aanshi: “It was such a pleasure and relaxing to speak with you Dev.”

“So as mine.” I joined her.

A tiny smile reverberated.

“Will catch you soon, bye till then.” And she hung up.

Pulling out my mobile from pocket I saved her number as “Miracle Knock.”