Technology, Money & Questions

"Okay, honey. I gotta go. I've a very big day tomorrow. I love you, bye!", I ended the call with my girl Natasha and sheepishly looked at the watch. Oops, I did it again, the time is well past 3'O clock in the morning and I'm gonna be royally screwed tomorrow. It's okay, after all work-life balance is more important, isn't it?

Suddenly, I felt an urge to go for a walk. Of course, not the best of an idea when you have an important consult meeting with your client. But, its 3 AM in the morning and I've this early-morning-idiosyncrasy, I just won't get sleep now. Oh, its not that I wake up everyday by this time. I just won't get to sleep that easily if I get to bed in the late hours of the night. And with all the consult meeting and stuffs, I'll really get hyperactive and wouldn't sleep in the end. So, I decided to take an early morning walk to the park in my neighborhood and I swore myself to be back in half hour.

The park is very near to my house, just about 5 minutes of walk. I locked my room, very much unnecessary. Even, if some burglar manages to get into my house, he would pity me and leave something for me. I do not stay in the same place for a long time or rather, I do not get to stay. Either I'd have to move to some other place because of my work or there will be one or the other reasons to move on. Not sure whether I fabricate those reasons, never tried to analyze them anyway. love something new every now and then.

I slowly strolled along the side of the road towards the park and got a glimpse of two or three stray dogs looking at me devilishly. I often laugh at people when they say that they're afraid of stray dogs. Now I see it very clearly. The dogs really seemed to have greater impact in the deserted road with deathly silence.

I should have brought my jacket, I could feel the chillness in my spinal cord. I envied everyone who is sleeping in their cozy bedrooms. I had a weird feeling of someone following me for quite some time now. When I turned back, I'm totally appalled by seeing my company, one of the stray dogs. It's eyes were glowing like red hot iron and I don't know whether it has any plans of tasting my blood. I had to beg myself not to run.

I started to walk briskly when already I reached the park. At least, the park is well lit, one less thing to worry about. I decided to go around the park once and leave to my room. The park is full of tall trees and the moon light formed a wonderful silhouette, just picture perfect. Just like my Natasha.

Natasha, we have been dating for the past one year. Thanks to my friend Ramya. Natasha and Ramya were colleagues. Natasha, is just perfect, a girl of my liking in each and every bit. I have felt many a times that we're indeed made for each other. Thinking about Natasha made me very happy as it had always been from day one.

But, something is not quite right for the past one week or so. We have been fighting a long time, of course its a part and parcel of being in a relationship. But, we never fought this much in our more than one year stint of togetherness.

I'm thinking about our last conversation over phone. It started off very well with a default discussion about our respective work day and slowly the talking drifted towards our marriage. Of course, I'm the one to start it. I wanted to get married , I do not wish to waste time any more. I knew that she is the one for me, and I'm pretty much sure that she also feels the same way about me. But still she is not yet ready for the big decision. So, I picked up the topic, she said no as usual and we fought for god only knows how many hours. Its 4'0 clock now and I felt very sleepy. I walked back to my room and just crashed in my bed.

I woke up on time in the morning, did not care for my breakfast and rushed to the office. It's a real big day. Suddenly, its seven in the evening and I'm not yet done with my work. My phone rand and went silent for the third time in line. I was cursing whoever invented the mobile phone and suddenly it doomed on me that I had dinner plans with Natasha. I told her that I'll pick her up from her office. It was her, she had called me thrice and I bet you that she is already waiting for me. I have no other choice, packed my laptop and started running to the parking lot. I called her on the way, she didn't pick my call as expected.

After a considerate amount of effort,I convinced her and we went to our favorite place for dinner. All went well until I asked to marry her.

"Ratheesh, I do not understand why would you want to get married so soon. I just can't imagine getting married now, we're together for just over an year and I've not got settled in my job either."

"Natasha, listen. For gods sake, I'm 29 years old now. Don't you think that your argument is quite baseless? I never told you to quit your job. All I'm asking you is to marry me."

She just gave me an disapproving look. And neither of us spoke for the rest of the dinner. Well, at least it was peaceful. I dropped her, reached my home, finished off my pending work and dozed off. The next morning I got a call from Natasha. She has got an opportunity to go to UK for an year and she has decided to take up the offer. Bang!!!

Just then I realized it. We're already in the expiry date of our relationship. That's what all the fuss is about. Great, didn't I tell you, I just do not get to continue with anything for a long time. Within a weeks time I bade her good bye and we parted away as good friends. Of course, I like her a lot, but I like this change too.