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What if you see it yet don't

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Henna got her fourth cup of coffee and sat down. Eight tabs remained open on her laptop. The formatting on the proposal she was working on remained moodily erratic from page to page. She fidgeted with the pen and notepad.

Nothing helped.

Around her, colleagues handled client calls and purposeful correspondences and insistent managers. It was a regular Tuesday afternoon for the rest of them. It was a regular day for Henna too. Except that for Henna, today, regular wasn't good.

Some deep inhalation later, she tried to get back to work. But she couldn't for some practical reasons.  You see, she sat opposite her boss's cabin and unlike others, she could see her mildly attractive boss hanging from the ceiling. Everyone else, on the other hand, saw their mildly attractive boss polishing his fountain pens with a silk handkerchief.

There are some things people don't put on their resumes. The ability to see prospective death is one of them.
Henna shut down her computer and decided to head to the gym. She'd lost enough sleep in the past to bother about the inevitable now. Henna wouldn't be completing the proposal by the end of the day. She wouldn't be turning it in by the due date. However, tomorrow when everyone would turn up at work, they'd all see what Henna saw today.

And then missing the deadline wouldn't matter.

Comments

DI said…
That was SO dark, I almost felt guilty for liking it as much as I did!
4:53 PM
Mukta Raut said…
You don't think it could be a true story?
4:57 PM
DI said…
It could be, I guess. But I am sure I would never want to be Henna, or even know a Henna. It is tough to live with a power that's almost a curse no? Unless you are also capable of changing what is destined. So, I hope it is never a true story. It is a great story nevertheless.
6:31 PM
Anonymous said…
This is my first comment here. But I have been binge reading your blog for a month or so.

Two things:
You are an amazing writer. I am surprised that you are not a published and famous author. Or are you?

I loved this story. It has an odd premise with a really twisted ending. The story reminds me of etgar keret's short stories. Have you read them? You should. There are a bunch of his stories online. Give it a try.
7:17 PM
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
7:19 PM
Mukta Raut said…
Hi Anon, No...I haven't read Etgar Keret. Will look him up. Thank you for the recco...and the compliment! :-)
2:37 AM
Anonymous said…
Mukta,

You are SUCH an amazing writer. I didn't see this story developing even. Initially, I thought you were posing as Henna to give your blogging a different style (I Know silly me!!)

The story just began and hit me towards the end, if you know what I mean.

You are gifted, woman!

Much luck and love,
The one who calls and remembers you as Moo Moo :):):)
12:58 PM
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