Express to De-Stress…

Express to De-Stress…

That’s really a class building standing tall by 15 floors all laden with bluish green glass and state of the art construction with ample greenery around.

The top five floors have a serene view of the nearby natural beauties in abundance – a green topped small hillock to one side, a calm and undisturbed lake on one side, beautifully lined up row houses on the other side and on the fourth side – the highway lined up with similar tall structures.

Most of the employees are long serving, not just for the understanding, supportive management, above par payments but for this very peaceful and beautiful surrounding that it is in the midst of. The creative team occupy the top five floors, which you understood, unsaid.

It is an ad agency and creativity being the nerves and blood of the industry norms, this location and the management give ample freedom to express that, the key to the success that the agency has dwelled in.

The creative head is Shekar whose creations do shake the clients and audience for the content and the jelling message it carries. He doesn’t take credit for that though and strongly believes it is because of his ever vibrant young team that challenges stereotyped promotional ads and come out with that leaves lasting impressions on the viewers.

His second assistant Shalini is the charm and the brain behind most of their works. A brilliant girl she is, is a formal one if it is to be said here, she is something beyond even the creativity that Shekar has, if forced to describe her.

Little plump but very dynamic and agile, tall with medium cut curly hair, not so fair but fairer than the fairest in the team, sharp, witty and a mix of traditional and modern thoughts blended well as a Brazilian coffee. Simple she is dressed up and not decked up with jewelry nor painted with exterior proof emulsions.

Having just described about two characters in detail must have given you clues where this story is heading to – right? A twist is what is awaited interestingly by the readers, these days, so be it. Wait a while for that scene to unfold very shortly.

Shalini is in her mid-thirties, unmarried but married to her profession for years now. A few guys have come past her life but were never even a comparison to her character, forget her professional skills. They went past as just acquaintances. She is one who looks for the love in anything anybody does.

Shekar is in his mid-forties and an issue-less divorcee. His ex, liked him for his status and the ad agency glamour he carries around but never ever appreciative of his art or profession, leading to the divorce after a few years of patching up rituals as it happens in all cases.

Shalini is expressive, bold and she did propose to Shekar a few months back. He brushed it away saying it is her childishness and she should be more choosy in selecting her pair – the right one, the right age. But she was adamant and made fun of him saying that his ads are bolder than him, how come?

Shalini to this date remains single and keeps going to the same office as usual to her suite in the 15[SUP]th[/SUP] level. The fun frolic remains the same and the output of the creativity talent always on the rise. But where is Shekar? Now that Shalini heads the team.

Has the author missed a few paras or is it that the reader missed a few in-between? Here it comes.

Shekar hasn't been all that good with his health and hasn't been taking care of himself after the divorce, which took a toll on his health to a great extent. Multiple complications did he develop and was on work work mode for over 18 hours a day. He enjoyed work but not life. He should have heeded to Shalini, who he likes and probably was on the marginal state of loving too.

It was over six months now after Shalini proposing and Shekar has been biding time and the thought of living with Shalini excited him too much. Unlucky idiot he should have agreed and his health both physical and mental would have been all right. Both would have had a life, with the pair which loves their profession and respects each other and above all easy going and who love life as an art.

There was an ambulance which rushed to the office at 11 in the morning and Shekar was taken away on having got a severe attack. The 15[SUP]th[/SUP] level conference room table hosted a super-size cake and in it was etched – Shalini my love… Shekar - with a heart pierced with the love arrow.

The ecstasy he carried and his health that could not bear it, cracked and pierced by Shalini’s love for him, as in the cake, symbolized the scene – the day he wanted to express his love to Shalini.

Shekar never returned to hold Shalini’s hand. He was gone but not from her memories. She is bold and would remain bold be it single in the years to come.

Never hold your feelings, express at the earliest – even if it doesn’t derive desired results. You can move on, cope up but if you hold on, it might not hold you to live longer.

 

thanks N'

i wanted to justify the title and message so killed him - heartless fellow I am

first fb haan? - oh call the ambulance

 

Good I haven't seen that. Next one I shall keep it happy.

Specimens are there, good to realize

 

thanks mmaa - hereafter only happy endings - done

 

first fb from you and that too saying it is good is a shocker