SHADES OF HEARTS.

The Start of a Day.

A terrible noise. What the hell is that. Oh, the alarm.

Without opening my eyes, I put the alarm on snooze and continued my sleep. Fifteen minutes later, the same sound started ringing through the room.

Guess it is time. I lazily got up, cursing randomly. The thought of leaving my cosy bed in this cold winter morning seemed a cruel thing. 

All the same, I dragged myself out of my heavenly harbor and started getting ready hastily, in the usual monotonous way for the usual monotonous day, randomly contemplating and cursing all the turns and phases that has got me to this place in life.

After all those years of studying, sacrificing my passion for cricket, I'm still running around to make a living. Well, being the first son of the family, responsibility seems to be the only consistent factor in all my choices.

My firm is two blocks away from my apartment and walking that distance just adds onto the unpleasant day, nevertheless I was left with no other choice as my bike was at the service station. Which in turn brought me the thoughts of my current financial situation and calculating the hole that the service charge posed. I stopped at the chai-wala on the way, a small tea shop near the bus stop, where I ordered tea, bought a newspaper and skimmed the news. The usual politics, with the n-number of parties and their floating promises. And, India lost against England in the ODI last night. Damn. Wonder what's gotten over the players!

"Good Morning Saab", A cheerful voice greeted me. I looked over the paper and saw the 10-year old Ranjan smiling with my glass of tea in hand.

I got the tea with a smile and watched him happily going back inside the shop, collecting all glasses, whistling some tune.

Such innocence and joy. No worries in life.

Whereas me, I have got so so many reasons to hate my life. My Job for one, where I had to work my ass off for a meagre income. And then there was this problem with food, where my fitness goes for a toss with all those cheese and oily junks. And the same old friends and the boring parties, with the same old frustrations that were so common in our lives. Not far behind these problems, were other things like tax, politics and india losing a match, etc.

While I was trying to put these thoughts away before it turned me bitter, My phone rang. I saw my mom's name on the display. Huh, not again. I cut the call vowing to myself to call her back when my mood is fine. 

Family who don't understand but still expect me to come out stronger. Girlfriend, Third in life but still as bugging as the previous ones.

Life sucks Man!

Rewind. To the start of the Day.

 A terrible noise. I woke up with a start.

Huh. Just the loud booming music of a car speeding through the streets.

It is still cold and dark and I could see the lock dangling on the shutter of my shop. It is clearly not 6 o clock else my boss would have opened the shop.

I cleared my eyes and decided to get up before the owner of the vegetable mandi that is right across my tea shop comes or a policeman comes and shoos me away. After that rule came, the one banning us from sleeping in platforms or streets. Wonder why they didn't stop to think about our sleep in this cold winter.

I woke Jeetu up too, who was lying beside me. He sat upright for sometime and got up. Well, He has to deliver the newspapers before it dawns. So he rushed off.

I am a proud worker in chai-wala where i wash glasses and deliver tea. My boss is kind, unlike Jeetu's. Every night Jeetu would come with some scar in his body. The only scar i get is while i wash glasses when sometimes i get a scratch and it pains. But koi nahi. My boss does not shout at me and gives me a bun, One in noon and one at night, and 5 rupees every day which i am saving, so one day I would have a tea shop on my own with Jeetu. 

My ma used to say I am smart. I wish I could hear her voice one more time.

My boss one day said that she has become a star and watches me everyday. I will make you proud ma.

Life is good.

With a smile, I started off with my day.