Four scattered dots

Seven in the morning. The pressure cooker whistled. He began the countdown. Two more and he's to turn that thing off. One more, and he'd have to have roasted potatoes for breakfast. Smashed potatoes and peas with salt and rice has been his meal, thrice a day; for two months. 

Three months ago Rohit lost his full time job. He'd been surviving on pocket money ever since, groping around the internet for jobs, with just enough food to survive and stay sane. Still, after a grueling job search, he finally managed to get an internship. A remote one. With a salary just enough to cover his rent. As for the rest, well, he had his dad. 

He had to login at 9 AM sharp. That thing kept him busy the whole day. Although his day was officially over by 6, he pulled another three hours, just for the bonus. Straws to a drowning man! He'd cook his meals in the morning itself, and have that for the whole day, which he ended with a glass of milk. He'd have no fiends to talk to when feeling low, no one to visit, no one to think about. Memories do hurt. Well, sometimes.

He had friends. Four of them. Shyam, Ankita and Tarun. He, Shyam and Ankita were school buddies. Tarun was his colleague at his former office. And that was it. He never really talked to any of them after he lost his job. Or, he couldn't bring himself to telling them about it. Either way, things just weren't right. For him, atleast.

2 PM. The half-hour lunch break. He stretched his stiffened-up self. Desk jobs suck, be it in the office or at home. He wasn't exactly feeling well. Logged out at six. Three hours before his usual time. Went out for a walk. He'd been severely deprived of fresh air. The last time he went out was almost a month ago, to get his "groceries". And well, he was surprised. There were some posters everywhere. His neighbors has taken up gardening. Even the trees seemed new. Alien, almost. A tea shack had appeared too, in the shade of a tree, a little way down the road.

And then he smelt it. Toast and omelette. Bidding a hungry goodbye to his month long celibacy, he ran towards the "shop". A crude one. Not the best place to eat. But who cares? He had money, and the shop had a menu, and it smelt heavenly. The dots lay there. Waiting to be connected.
"Anyone there? Hello!"
"What do you want?" It was a woman. He didn't see anyone though.
"Tea. And a cake please"
"Okay. Have a seat"
The voice was so familiar. Yet he couldn't recall whose that was.
"Here.. What are you doing HERE?!" It was Ankita.
"What are YOU doing here?!"
"That's none of your business. Have your stuff!"
"When do you close?"
"10. What do you want?"
"Nothing in particular"
"Then pay and leave. I got stuff to do!"

*********

Rohit walked back home. It's almost 8. Still drooling over the sequence of events at the shack. Ankita. How on earth...?! It's perhaps best to not know. But she'd always been a good student. What was she doing? AH, a consultant somewhere. May be she's been kicked out too. Fate! But this isn't quite her thing! He reached home and called Tarun, all of a sudden, for no reason. He didn't pick up. He sighs, and throws the phone away. He's never heard from him, since the day he was released. Tarun didn't call him back, either. 

He went to sleep at about 10, earlier than usual. The long walk after so long had tired him. That, however might have been a bad omen. He was awaken by a sharp knock on the door. Midnight. 12 exactly. He was confused. No one around knows him. Well, Ankita does. But she won't be knocking doors at midnight. How could she possibly know my address?!

"Who's there?"
It's me". It was Ankita after all. Strange. He opens the door. And well, she wasn't alone. There was someone else.. Tarun! Do they know each other!?
"What are you guys doing here? Come in!"
A: I would have come earlier. I really apologise for my behaviour, Rohit.
R: It's okay. What are you guys doing in the middle of the night!?
T: We had been waiting for quite some time. I came in first, she came after a while. We didn't know each other, but soon realised you are the common link between us.
R: I get it, but why so late? 
A: We weren't just feeling right about meeting you. Suppresses a sob.
T: Let's move on from there. How have you been, Rohit?
R: Decent. What about you?
Ankita was looking down. Something just wasn't right. He could feel it.
T: Poor bro. Looking for a job. 
R: C'mon. You have the internet. You'll definitely get an internship or some freelance stuff to get started with.
T: I can't afford a mobile that has internet, Rohit.

Then there was silence. Utterly cold, deathly silence. Of helplessness and despair. A cold breeze swept across the room through the windows. The breeze seemed to clear a part of the gloomy clouds that had overcast them for so long. Amidst all the darkness, however, they saw a flicker. A distant flash. Hope? Is the flash worth seeking? Or just another hallucination man gets on his deathbed?

*********

A few days had passed since their meeting. Rohit was slogging along over his laptop; it would be his last day as an intern. Although his thoughts had been about Ankita and Tarun, since the day they met; he couldn't bring himself up to actually calling them. Luckily, Rohit was offered a full time job at the company he interned with. He was perhaps the best employee they had ever hired. He was granted a month long leave before joining, which he exploited to visit his parents. For the first time in six months! 

Meanwhile, Ankita and Tarun had moved in together. Tarun had helped Ankita a lot in setting up her tiny shop. He was in a desperate search for work, and she provided the best opportunity, that he used to the fullest. Moreover, his association with Ankita's business proved to be a blessing. Destiny sometimes works in wonderful ways! They expanded their business to include lunch and dinner as well, included home delivery, even hired two people to work for them. Everything within one month. When Rohit was out.

Back at his home, his home, Rohit enjoyed a lot. Met his family, and people and his old buddies. He was almost-a-hero. Few from his place did full time jobs, and he was one among them; during a time when jobs were scarce. 30 days passed sooner than they arrived. He got some of the best stuff his village has to offer, for Ankita and Tarun. His return, however, had its own bag of surprises for him.

He'd never expected Ankita's shop to grow that way. Ankita was back to being the smiling, jolly girl she'd always been. He was also amused to see Tarun enjoying himself so much working with her. The three were smiling- laughing. Laughing their hearts out, after a long time. Winter is over, the Spring has come. Pleasantly inevitable. They chatted together for a long time. Ankita previously stayed in the backyard of her shop, she's now moved in with Tarun, on rent. Not the best, but certainly much better than what she had. 

It was almost midnight that Rohit returned to his 'home'. The house beside seemed to occupied. Someone had moved in, afterall. A personality-ish someone. The bushes had been cleared and flowers planted. They are beautiful. Atleast, he wouldn't have to remain as lonely as he'd been living till then. He smiled and went inside. 

He went to sleep earlier than usual. Of course, not before having his habitual glass of milk. His work was to begin the next day. That sucked, but paid.  He sighed and wound up his day. And then.. BARK! Rohit was startled awake by a loud bark from the street. The loudest he'd ever heard. So he's got a dog. And went to the window to check. It was dark, four in the morning. In the street lights he could make out the form of  a man and his dog. Probably on an early morning walk. He couldn't discern the breed of the dog from it's silhouette. But the man struck him. Tall-ish, bearded and well built. Where had I seen him before? Do I know him?

*********

A few days after that incident, Ankita visited Rohit. A casual meet up. She was fed up with a customer, and Tarun was out of station for a few days. Rohit was almost getting used to being waken up every morning, thanks to his generous neighbour with a loud dog. How does HE survive that? I'll never know! His work kept him busy for most of the day, and he rarely managed to have time for a stroll. Plus the fact that the guy looked so weirdly familiar had him anxious like anything. So much so that he brought their talk to his unseen neighbour.
"Have you seen thee guy?"
"You mean your neighbour? Well, yea. He's got a dog too. An Alsatian I think."
"I see. Doesn't he look familiar?
"Does he? I've never seen him"
"You sure?"
"Um.. perhaps. I don't know. What do YOU think?"
"Maybe I'm mistaken. I'm a bit confused."
"You know what? Take a break. Give yourself some time. You're stressed"
"You're probably right", and he takes a break the next day.

It's the next day. He had a delicious lunch at Ankita's. Returned home.And proceeded to have the best siesta he had in a while. Woke up at 5. And went for a stroll. Guess I should meet him. If not now then when!?. And sure enough, a mere thirty steps ahead. "Beware of Dog". As if his voice ain't enough! He proceeded to ring the bell. And sure enough, "BARK! Bark Bark!!". He was terrified. But not for long.
"Calm down, good boy!"
He's obedient.
"Let's see who we have here.. Hello mister!"
"Hi I'm your neighbour. Sorry to intrude, but are you Mr. Shyam..."
"So you remember me, Rohit!"
"So you've been playing all this time?"
"A bit of fun doesn't hurt, eh? We'd have met each other sooner or later anyway!"
"Ah okay. How you doing?"
"Pretty well. And, congratulations on your new job!"
"How do you know?"
"Ankita"
"You met her?"
"This whole thing was her plan"
Rohit smiled. Ankita was really back to being the good ol' jolly girl she'd always been. They talked some more, and became friends with the dog. Much to the surprise of his owner. Shyam had a kid. who lost his mother a couple of years ago after an accident. Shyam had been raising him as a single father ever since. He and the dog had become his companions for life.

A few more days rolled over. Rohit had by then, quite quickly, learnt how not to overwork himself. He spent the evenings strolling outside with Shyam, or with his boy and the dog. Shyam wouldn't be there forever, ten months to be precise, after which he'd be transferred to somewhere else. 

"Is there anything you regret?"
"Why do you say so?"
"I don't know. You are not that Shyam I knew"
"What's wrong?"
"There's a vague emptiness somewhere. I can feel it:
They remain silent for a while. Staring out in the darkness. They were sitting on Shyam's roof. It was his last day there. Rohit broke the silence.
"Leave it, dude. I'm overthinking, maybe"
"Nope. You're thinking just right. People don't think this much. And as for that emptiness, let me explain. There are things you lose, which are meant to be lost anyway. Then there are things you lose, things which have seamlessly merged within you, which aren't meant to be lost. But when that does- as merciless as it may ever be- it takes with itself a part of you. That shit hurts. It's irreplaceable." His eyes were shining.
"I get it", says Rohit as he puts his hand around Shyam's shoulder, pulling him closer.

*********

*Fast forward three years into the future*

Rohit is now the Assistant General Manager in the company he's working in. He's bought his own house, and lives alone. Ankita and Tarun are a married couple, with them expecting a kid in a couple of months. They run three restaurants around the area, and are doing fine. Ankita's even been teaching as a private tutor for a while, although she's on a break now. Shyam's got a high rank too, after a couple of promotions. His kid has grown up. The Alsatian, unfortunately, is no more.

Meanwhile, on a fine breezy golden sunset evening, Rohit's on his balcony gazing out into the vermilion with a steaming cup of coffee, What if I hadn't taken the break that day? A random butterfly, out of nowhere perches beside him.

*********