Angel – A short Story

October 23, 2008 at 10:07 am (people, short story, women)

Why is it so difficult for people to be happy?

Take for instance, Anita.
She was having a wonderful time with Prashant. Suddenly he said something unkind. Seeing her face fall, he was full of regrets. Apologised a hundred times.
She could’ve just accepted it gracefully and moved on.

But no! This became a trigger for melancholia! She left the restaurant in tears and rushed home.

Freeze.

You must be wondering about me. What is my problem if Anita is so distraught?
You see, I am her guardian Angel.
You have one too.
Our job is to ensure your happiness and safety all your lives.
But do you guys co-operate?
No!
You make it so hard for us. With your constant fears. Imagined worries. Unnecessary fights. You guys just love to be miserable!

Anyway, lets get back to Anita.
Now that she’s heading home, I have to make sure her parents are out for dinner. Otherwise, seeing her in this state will upset them and trigger their melancholia too!
Relieved that no one is at home, Anita lets herself in heads straight to her bedroom, falls on her bed and proceeds to have a good cry.

She imagines all sorts of things.
Prashant leaving her, going off with another woman, marrying her and having babies with her! (At this point, she sobs uncontrollably)
She imagines herself as an old maid, ageing all alone in a nondescript old age home.
And all along, I wait frantically for her to snap out of it.
But when her imagination reaches a point where the attendant in the old age home rudely throws hot coffee on her, I decide I just have to stop it.

So Akhila, her best friend drops in for a casual visit. Does this cheer her up?
A little in the beginning. But after a while, she has to tell Akhila how badly she was treated by Prashant and starts her waterworks all over again!
I give up.
To distract her, Akhila switches the TV on.
I make sure one of Anita’s favourite film is aired on the channel which comes on.
But Anita just stares at the screen, stubbornly refusing happiness.
After an hour, hugging Anita & asking her to cheer up, Akhila leaves.

Anita’s alone again.
Turns off TV. Turns on the waterworks.
Her imagination soars again.
Charged with self-pity and hurt, she starts thinking about all her previous fights, trying to read hidden meanings in each one of them.

I become desperate. I have to stop her now.
Imagine if the almighty is watching me right now. If he catches Anita in such a melodramatic mood, I am done for!

In a desperate attempt, I arrange for her brother to call her from the US. This should cheer her up. She is very fond of him and still misses him sorely.

The phone rings. She picks it up. Her face brightens up in surprise and she smiles.
Thank God! I heave a sigh of relief.
After 40 minutes of catching up on each other’s lives and exchanging family gossip, she hangs up, still smiling.

Hurrah!
If she goes to sleep now, maybe my work for the day is over.

But wait. Where is she going? It’s 10 in the night!
A walk to clear her head. But at least she’s happy now.

Uh-oh! I don’t like the looks of that man, eyeing her from the corner teashop.
He stubs out his cigarette and starts to follow her.
I have to do something.
Maybe I can cause a minor mishap and stall him.
But that’s going against my grain.

Or I can make Prashant materialize on his bike, with Anita’s favourite peach colored roses.
That’s it!
I do just that and after a few minutes of crying on his shoulder, she’s very happy.

Finally, I can call it a day now.
But who knows what problems this girl will create for herself tomorrow?

Anyway, tomorrow’s another day.