The Emirates flight to Dubai was re-scheduled to 10:30 pm due to 'technical snag', said the lady behind the counter, quite uncaring for a Customer 'care' executive, with an acid tongue and cold eyes, fancy title used these days to shoo away customers. "Humph!!" muttered Anushka. She looked at her watch, three more hours, she walked around terminal 11B, went to the Crossword book shop zone, started browsing the best sellers, "Will pick up something light, no heavy stuff", she thought.
After paying the bill, she walked up to the Barista counter, and ordered a black coffee, she looked around spotted a place away from the crowd, and started with the book, when suddenly, "Hi Anu", she looked up, it was Tarun, her classmate fro St. Mary's, suave, handsome, spoilt brat of rich parents. She stood up, "Hi" she said."Wow, you have changed, you looked different in school" said Tarun. She smiled,"I know what you mean".He looked at her carefully, the braces had given way to a beautiful smile, the oil in the hair was now replaced with expensive conditioners and serums, the eyes were kohl lined, not hidden behind some thick ugly glasses.
"She looks beautiful, this is surely a successful makeover, what could have happened" wondered Tarun. She looked at him, he hadn't changed, he was cynical and arrogant then also, but she did see some signs of drudgery, "must be overworked" she thought. "So, where are you going?" he asked. "I am going to Dubai", she said. "Work or pleasure?" he winked. "A lil bit of both", she smiled. "Which company would have taken the trouble to give this nerd a job?" he thought cynically.
"So, what do you do Tarun?"Anushka asked, "I used to run my Dad's business, of embedded software, it had to be shut down, we incurred losses, had to sell off everything, a big shark jumped into the market out of nowhere, and gave us tough competition, now am going to Dubai for an interview, B*******, I lost everything, but then thats life, highs and lows are a part of it, you would know it better isn't it?" "Hmmm, that is right" answered Anushka.
"Which company do you work for? Do you still live in the dilapidated house in Lajpat Nagar? And whose clothes did you borrow this time? Are you married? Does your husband work in a government organization?" Then he laughed loudly, before Anushka could answer all his questions, she heard the announcement of the Emirates flight ready for boarding, the lady in the announcement booth said, the passengers traveling by Business class would board first.
Anushka stood up, picked up her Louis Vuitton business bag, "hey where are you going? they said Business class first", mocked Tarun. "I know" she said, "It was nice meeting you, you haven't changed at all", she stretched her hand to say bye. "You are travelling business class?" He was shocked, he wondered, "this geeky, lower middle class girl, who was the butt of all jokes, this dreamer, who had a crush on the handsome Tarun, and he played the dirtiest trick on her, by asking her out on a date, she had borrowed Shikha's clothes for the date, she reached the venue, to find out that half the class was waiting for her there to mock at her, she was rebuked, insulted, she disappeared after that, and today she is travelling Business class to Dubai! Unbelievable!!"
"Hey Anu, give me your phone number, we can catch up in Dubai", he said.. "Like last time?" winked Anu, and gave him her card, "Bye Tarun".
He watched her walk away, he looked at the card, 'Visions software' his throat was dry, in the well air conditioned terminal, Tarun was sweating profusely, his hands trembled, as he read further, "Anushka Iyer - Founder and CEO". He looked at her, the customer care exec was fussing over her, carrying her bag, escorting her. "Humph", he muttered, "the customer care execs take their fancy title a lil too seriously, sucking up to everyone". He scratched his forehead, with the card, and suddenly saw something on the back of the card, "I am the shark who made sure that the minnows disappeared".
After paying the bill, she walked up to the Barista counter, and ordered a black coffee, she looked around spotted a place away from the crowd, and started with the book, when suddenly, "Hi Anu", she looked up, it was Tarun, her classmate fro St. Mary's, suave, handsome, spoilt brat of rich parents. She stood up, "Hi" she said."Wow, you have changed, you looked different in school" said Tarun. She smiled,"I know what you mean".He looked at her carefully, the braces had given way to a beautiful smile, the oil in the hair was now replaced with expensive conditioners and serums, the eyes were kohl lined, not hidden behind some thick ugly glasses.
"She looks beautiful, this is surely a successful makeover, what could have happened" wondered Tarun. She looked at him, he hadn't changed, he was cynical and arrogant then also, but she did see some signs of drudgery, "must be overworked" she thought. "So, where are you going?" he asked. "I am going to Dubai", she said. "Work or pleasure?" he winked. "A lil bit of both", she smiled. "Which company would have taken the trouble to give this nerd a job?" he thought cynically.
"So, what do you do Tarun?"Anushka asked, "I used to run my Dad's business, of embedded software, it had to be shut down, we incurred losses, had to sell off everything, a big shark jumped into the market out of nowhere, and gave us tough competition, now am going to Dubai for an interview, B*******, I lost everything, but then thats life, highs and lows are a part of it, you would know it better isn't it?" "Hmmm, that is right" answered Anushka.
"Which company do you work for? Do you still live in the dilapidated house in Lajpat Nagar? And whose clothes did you borrow this time? Are you married? Does your husband work in a government organization?" Then he laughed loudly, before Anushka could answer all his questions, she heard the announcement of the Emirates flight ready for boarding, the lady in the announcement booth said, the passengers traveling by Business class would board first.
Anushka stood up, picked up her Louis Vuitton business bag, "hey where are you going? they said Business class first", mocked Tarun. "I know" she said, "It was nice meeting you, you haven't changed at all", she stretched her hand to say bye. "You are travelling business class?" He was shocked, he wondered, "this geeky, lower middle class girl, who was the butt of all jokes, this dreamer, who had a crush on the handsome Tarun, and he played the dirtiest trick on her, by asking her out on a date, she had borrowed Shikha's clothes for the date, she reached the venue, to find out that half the class was waiting for her there to mock at her, she was rebuked, insulted, she disappeared after that, and today she is travelling Business class to Dubai! Unbelievable!!"
"Hey Anu, give me your phone number, we can catch up in Dubai", he said.. "Like last time?" winked Anu, and gave him her card, "Bye Tarun".
He watched her walk away, he looked at the card, 'Visions software' his throat was dry, in the well air conditioned terminal, Tarun was sweating profusely, his hands trembled, as he read further, "Anushka Iyer - Founder and CEO". He looked at her, the customer care exec was fussing over her, carrying her bag, escorting her. "Humph", he muttered, "the customer care execs take their fancy title a lil too seriously, sucking up to everyone". He scratched his forehead, with the card, and suddenly saw something on the back of the card, "I am the shark who made sure that the minnows disappeared".
Reading fresh stories like this is like taking a coffee break after a hectic work... I loved the "rubbing the salt in the wound" ending ...
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