Shower Story

The phone started ringing as soon as I got into the shower. The dratted telephone always rang as soon as I was committed to doing something which would not let me answer the phone. There were days when I sat beside the phone and waited and waited a long time for someone to call. She did not call that day. Not even the day after. But it doesn’t matter now because she messaged me and told me it was over. I was not angry, hurt or insulted because there was nothing palpable going on for it to be over. But she prided herself on being proper. **** her!!

“Hello”

“Hello, Sir. I am calling from Kotak Mahindra……”

Click.

Lousy Bastard !

Placing the receiver gently back, I tiptoed to the bathroom hoping the floor did not get as wet as to deserve my housekeeping attention.

Turning the knob, I stood below the shower of warm water imagining I was enjoying the chilly rain on a windy hilltop. I know what you are going to say but cold water leaves me chilly.

Did I tell you that my phone is one of those ancient kinds? Never mind now. It was ringing again. I let it ring. I looked up to find a hair moisturizer owned by my room-mate. What the hell? I squeezed out a dollop. No one was watching and no one would know.

The telephone rang again. After a complete ring-out, it rang again. But I was stubborn, my will made of the toughest fibre of human emotions. I let it ring.

I was not going to let anything interfere with my time alone. Wait. This did not sound right. I meant I was not going to let anything interfere with my showering. There! You naughty good for nothing!

Just as I finished toweling myself and was feeling like a fluffed dog after a bath, the telephone rang again. With an exaggerated swagger I walked towards it and said hello with a growl in my voice. My mom wiped the floor with me for the next one hour as I hadn’t picked up her call and made her worry so much. My protestations weren’t given a chance. Just like that.