The New Year

The New Year

Image Courtesy – Jonathan Petersson on Pexels.com

The new year’s festivities floated in the air; everyone excited with the arrival of yet another year has another reason to indulge themselves – the new year’s resolution.  All the dieting and exercising, drinking and sleeping late, everything turned possible with the use of one ubiquitous phrase.

‘I will stop/start it from first of next year,’ and lo behold, no one could argue with such a compelling argument.

Suraj however, wasn’t as lucky, working six days a week, it was only the Sundays that would provide him some relief.

When the entire world around him prepared for the festivities, he trudged along to reach his office and then back home with the laptop bag lazily slung around his drooping shoulders, an insignia and proof of what he does; as in the old times people were easily recognizable from their uniform, the laptop bag, and the formal attire now noisily communicates about who you are and what you do in the easiest of ways; no questions, just a glance, and everyone would know.

‘It’s damn cold,’ he murmured as he prepared to slip inside the bed after a long day at the office and post eating whatever he could find in the fridge. 

There was no question of spending more time cooking as it was better utilized watching the new movies constantly streaming on ubiquitous online platforms.

‘I won’t watch anything today,’ he resolved and placed his phone on the table beside his bed.

‘What’s the league table like,’ a thought suddenly struck his mind, as the hands moved towards the phone on their own; the blue light of the phone reflected on his face, as the browsing which began with a quest to find out the score, slowly moved over to social media where he was faced with the sudden realization of having missed out on a plethora of important things.

‘Escaping nowhere’, the movie everyone had been waiting for so long is finally released on his favourite OTT and he didn’t even know it, but not anymore; his feed was filled with reactions of people to the movie which he would be watching the last, after almost everyone in the world at the end of the day, and that’s because he couldn’t check his social feed earlier.

‘I should have been the first one to write a review,’ he lamented and started watching the movie with a loud sigh.

The time flew away but when he accidentally glanced at the clock there was a little surprise for him.

‘2:30 A.M,’ it read as he yawned lazily.

‘You will be the one leading the presentation,’ the words of his boss reverberated in his head as he paused the movie with at least half an hour still left.

‘I should sleep now,’ he thought as he reluctantly put an alarm allowing him only a couple of hours more to sleep.

‘That should be enough,’ he sighed and unwillingly placed the phone on the table.

The alarm rang at 6 a.m. and was quickly snoozed, it rang after 5 minutes and was snoozed again.

Finally, Suraj’s puffed eyes stared at the mobile but it was already 8:30. 

‘I only have an hour to reach the office,’ the thought suddenly shook his mind and he felt a cold shiver down his spine, jumping out of the bed.

’30 minutes to get ready and another about 45 to reach,’ he muttered while exploring all the possible permutations and combinations to be in office in the next 60 minutes.

‘Impossible,’ he thought preparing for a major dress down from his boss when he suddenly looked at the mobile again.

This time, he saw the date and his sight froze for a moment.

‘1 January,’ it read his expressions suddenly changed.

‘It’s a holiday damnit, and tomorrow is Sunday,’ he shouted out aloud, slapping his head and bemoaning the efforts he put in while taking that quick shower and even getting up well before his usual holiday time.

‘Woke up early, missed to watch the entire movie, I am such a fool,’ he murmured and ran back towards the bed.

The hands reached out for the mobile as the movie began from, where it was left the last night.

There was an unusually loud grin on his face.  This was probably one holiday; he was the happiest about.