It had rained recently, the ground was damp and some remaining drops of rain danced from one leaf to another.
Apeksha sat at home, scrolling the websites to pinpoint a good vacancy. It had been only a year at her current workplace but she felt the need to explore more growth prospects.
A notification appeared on the laptop screen, it was the photographs and videos of the recent office party. Apeksha went through the photographs, everyone was smiling and looked happy, she browsed fast towards the photographs of her own group and found them and there she was half in the first photograph, but not in second or the third, partially in the fourth. She was not there in most of them. In the videos everyone was randomly there.
Apeksha didn’t think much of it, until she went to work the next day and met her colleague Vaishali.
“Did you see the photographs?” asked Vaishali in the usual low tone while still mostly focussed on her work.
“Yes, everyone looked happy,” replied Apeksha
“You weren’t in the photographs,” said Vaishali
“It’s ok,” said Apeksha not wanting to wander more into it
“I think it was deliberately done,” said Vaishali
There was a silence as Apeksha did not respond as she did not want to dive too much into it.
“It was the intern in HR, Kapil,” said Vaishali
Apeksha looked at Vaishali unable to connect to what she was saying.
Vaishali looked at Apeksha and said, “he was the one taking photographs and videos with his new smartphone.”
Apeksha recalled the party, a boy who looked just like how she was when she was an intern, clicking photos because his senior had told him, clear nervousness.
“It’s ok, he is new and nervous,” said Apeksha as Vaishali eyes displayed the kind of expression one has when someone doesn’t agree with you despite the effort.
Nothing more was mentioned. However, at lunchtime Vaishali and Apeksha were out on a walk after they had their lunch. Vaishali caught the sight of Kapil walking at a distance.
“Hey Kapil!!” Vaishali called for him
Kapil heard Vaishali, and looked at them. Apeksha felt this was unnecessary, he would probably be confused, but Kapil noticed Apeksha, suddenly his expression changed to the one of being guilty of wrong and he hurriedly walked away.
“Look at that, I told you it was intentional,” said Vaishali, and Apeksha couldn’t believe that Vaishali was right. It was a brief surprise and it briefly stayed and went away. There was work to be done and future to be thought of so Apeksha put it somewhere in her mind in the shelf of surprising occurrences in her life, maybe to be told later at a gathering.
A month later, Apeksha had submitted her resignation and was in her notice period. In the elevator, as few people walked out on their intended floor, she found herself with Kapil.
“You left me out of the photographs,” said Apeksha
Kapil looked startled as he looked at Apeksha.
“Don’t worry I am not offended,” said Apeksha, noticing Kapil did not understand the sarcasm.
“I edited it out, I did not want others to have your photos,” said Kapil slowly in a pressed voice
Apeksha thought about it and understood what he was saying, she smiled, “I understand.”
The elevator stopped and Apeksha stepped out, she turned to Kapil and said, “best of luck for your future, don’t get distracted, at least at this stage.”
Kapil may have wanted to say something but Apeksha did not wait and neither did the elevator doors as they closed.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
Early Morning Memories 