Raghav's POV

          "Clink, CIink", the card reader's swipe machine beeped and so did the access detector light turn green but the glass door didn't open to Raghav's dismay. There I, Raghav Srivastav, was standing and looking through the stripped see-through door to check if anyone was there in the floor to help me with the access. I had just been shifted to Block 10B at the office campus. The cubicles were a few meters away from the door and the lights on the passage connecting it to the door had not been lit up except for the two closer to the door. The needle had just struck 8:20 in the morning and I knew I would have to wait for a very long time for even a fly to arrive here.

          "Great! Raghav! Now enjoy standing like a watchman at the door. Why did you even think of coming early on the day of shifting", Raghav was talking to himself, like enacting a monologue. "It's because... Raghav, you fool, had come into the Lady HR's words of maintaining the great 'Work-Life Balance' and enrolled for the evening GYM sessions sharp at 5:30 pm. Now how on earth are you going to finish your work before the session?"

             I started banging my head with my closed fist when I remembered that my own manager, Mr. Selva Ganesan, was the gym instructor too. Both ways I was doomed. If I didn't finish my EOD (End-Of-The-Day) task, my clients would escalate it to my manager and if I stayed back to finish it and bunked the Gym session, all the vicious tentacles would come out of my man-eater-manager. I was trying to figure out how I had dug my own grave? Like they say, when a Girl says something with her fluttering eyes and mesmerizing voice; we dumb guys always nod our heads, that's the beginning of the end of something.

             I was looking down at the floor, busy cursing myself, just then a pair of blue and white sneakers with untidily knotted laces came into the scope of my vision. The sneakers were moving towards me with a scuffed jogging speed. A thin tall person in blue jeans with maroon and white checked shirt dashed into my right arm to swipe the card. My pupils dilated with joy and my face beamed with glee, as the door to the ODC (Offshore Development Centre) opened. Without any haste, I sneaked through the open door and now I could see myself getting the golden brownie points from my man-eater manager cum gym instructor. Tailgating was not allowed at office but desperate times require desperate measures. I let out a relieved sigh as I made my way in. I had to thank my savior for the day, so I hurried to catch up with Mr. Sneakers.

            Once our footsteps were in line, I put my hand over my savior's shoulder and continued our forward stride. With each step we took, the lights above us were automatically switching on, as if it had a motion detection sensor. "You don't know what you have just done for me. Thanks a ton, Bro! Your deed will not go unpaid. Call me anytime, in need, ok Bro?" I exclaimed in a happy tone and about to turn to give a bro-hug.

          "BRO???... Excuse-me!", as I heard this authoritative voice, I turned to come face-to-face with my savior. I saw two jet black eyes hidden behind a geeky, the-jetson's-cartoon-inspired, black spectacles.

            "Excuse-me!", again the words came out and the head titled towards my arm over the shoulder. Only when the shoulders shrugged, the jolt woke me up. I noticed the black line on the upper eyelid extending in a pointed upward curve along with the deep red painted long nails on the hand which pushed me, to take a step back. "What the hell, you think you are doing?", as the words came out from her mouth, she tripped over her long untied laces.

              She bent down to tie her laces and tucked her fluffy one-sided fringe behind her ear, I continued to look at her, only then I realized my savior was not "Mr. Sneakers" but "Ms. Sneakers". How could I have been such a blind idiot to mistake a girl for a boy? The answer to it was, her dressing sense; it was so tom-boyish along with her short haircut, it made up for a perfect camouflage. On Google-ing it later, I found out that it's called a pixie hair style with bangs, which is quite a craze among a few girls. I was so embarrassed with my act and I had to apologize to her for it but she was gone, disappeared into the thin air and lost among the bustling people entering into the floor.

           I walked up to my desk and logged on to my workstation with her visuals, of tucking her maroon streaked bangs behind her ear whilst tying her laces, flashing in front of me. Now the only thing in my mind was to find her and convey my apologies.

             I narrated my magical morning encounter to my friend, Vikram, over the phone, after our discussion about the coding defect raised against our names by the client. He laughed out a loud, and didn't leave any stone behind to ridicule me for my fairy tale myth. He said, "Idiot! those lights are scheduled to switch on by itself at 8:30 am. Looks like soul swapping happened in the morning, you turned into a girl with your fairy tale imagination." Vikram continued to snort out loudly.

            "Hmph! You are just being jealous Vicky. Whatever it was, but one thing is for sure, I have to find her and apologize. I already have a starting point. She's got to be somewhere in this floor only, I can find her easily"

🎶🎶

Oh, baby, when you talk like that

You make a woman go mad

So be wise (sí) and keep on (sí)

Reading the signs of my body (uno, dos, tres, cuatro)

I'm on tonight

You know my hips don't lie (no fighting)

And I'm starting to feel it's right

All the attraction, the tension

Don't you see, baby, this is perfection?

🎶🎶

            All of a sudden Shakira's Hips don't Lie song was booming on the phone and I know Vicky was upto his antics. God! that boy doesn't wait a second to poke fun of me. Can't expect anything less from a man who was not only my best friend for the past four and a half years but also my mentor and confidant. If I would take away, anything from this office, it would be our friendship. Friends till we die! Though he means a lot, he is annoying to the core. Just like now.

           "Vicky! Vicky!..... VICKY!" I had to call out his name repeatedly, raising my voice up an octane, each time, so he could hear me. I have known him enough to be sure that he was just pretending not to hear me.

               " VIKRAMENDRA YARLAGADDA, I say shut it!", I screamed, knowing that ought to stop him. There, the music died out. If you need to get his attention, all you have to do is call out his full name, and you will be awarded with his dull voice. He disliked his name, stating it didn't sound cool. Can't blame him, it took me two weeks to learn how to pronounce it properly.

           "Ok, ok! All the best Bro! But one last thing, before you say sorry to her, go wash your eyes and see first if there is a moustache on the face. Who knows who you'll go and apologize to...hehehe."

"Enough! Bye!" and I cut the call.

*****A/N*****

Will Raghav be able to find his Ms. Sneakers?

They started on the wrong foot, will it matter?

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