Leave Application

Sheetal, a girl who works in a famous software company, here in Bangalore, comes back to her PG late in the evening, totally frustrated. She picks up her phone and calls her boy-friend. The conversation goes something like this:

'Hello......Where the hell have you been?....Why did you take so much time to pick my call??'

'Ehh....'

'What ehh.....I don't want to hear any of your stupid bahanas. Do you even know how frustrated I am today??....It's 11pm. I have just got back to my room. I didn't even have proper dinner. That stupid meeting went on till 10pm.....and we were given only biscuits during the call!!'

'Ehh...what are you saying?'

'What am I saying??.....What can I say??....There is nothing left for me to say. You never allow me to say anything in the first place!!. Even my stupid manager, doesn't let us talk during the meeting. Only he keeps on talking - blah blah blah!!.......What am I saying!....Arey, if I speak two words, people think I am a chatterbox!!. How mean is that?'

'Hmmm....'

'...And now that I have come home so late, these PG guys did not even keep proper food for me. They have even stopped making any good sabji's. Everything is expensive, it seems!!.....Arey, the prices of everything has gone up. Everything, except my salary has gone up!!'

'Ok...just relax'

'Relax!!...what relax!!....people do yoga to relax. But I don't even find the time to do that!! By 9am I have be present in that stupid sa cubicle of mine. And then work till 10pm at night. Even donkeys don't work so hard!!.....and in return, even a single leave application is not approved!!....You don't tell me to relax!!'

'Ok...I think we should talk in the morning'

'Morning...what morning....that same stupid thing - sun rises, bird flies, omlette fries, employee cries.....that morning. Arey, I haven't seen the sun in last 3 years. All I see is my stupid monitor and even more pathetic keyboard. My life has become such a mess that if I forget all about my manicure and pedicure, it's ok....but if I forget my email password, my life becomes hell!!'

'Ok....I am hanging up now!!'

'Yeah yeah...what do you care about me. You go and enjoy your dear sleep. I don't feel like talking to you ever!!....I am going to switch off my phone now. BYE'


As promised, she switches off her phone and goes off to sleep in a very bad mood. The next morning, she carries that same mood to her office. Just as she enters her cubicle, her boss, Saurabh calls her into his cabin. She is even more frustrated. She just leaves her bag at the desk and goes to meet him, wondering what he will say now.

Saurabh: 'Sheetal, Hi Good morning. How have you been?'

Sheetal: 'Good morning sir....I am doing ok'

Saurabh: 'OK good. Just wanted to tell you that your leave application for next week has been approved. Congrats....I think you should go and enjoy your holidays.'

Sheetal is absolutely delighted. She goes back to her cubicle, switches on her computer to check her emails. There is an email from her boyfriend.

'Where have you been all night? Is everything ok? You didn't even call me yesterday night?'

She is surprised. She pulls out her mobile, switches it on and checks the last dialled call.

It says "Saurabh - Manager"