The unanswered doubts

image source: google images

Jenny was walking on the footpath towards her office. A woman double her size with long open hair dressed in blue jeans and a yellow top with a jacket hugging her body and a tattoo on her right hand brushed her shoulder and walked quickly into the office.“Wow she has strong legs to walk that fast” Jenny thought.

Jenny was strictly on time to office because of the strangest and weirdest comment she received from her manager for being late to office by 5 minutes. “I don’t think you have grown up in a disciplined family” he had said.  She could not apply for leave that day as she had just joined the company. She was suffering from leg pain due to post surgery injury and it was very difficult for her to climb each step and reach the second floor of the office. The same day Jenny’s husband was undergoing a kidney stone surgery. That’s why she asked her parents and uncle to be with her husband in the hospital.

It was lunch time and Jenny carried her lunch to the lunch room. The yellow top girl sat there and her face was clearly visible now. She had a dark complexion, big drooping eyes, round face with fat cheeks.  The leader of the group Gia introduced her as Aradhya the new employee. She was quite silent and friendly.

A few days passed by and the group started to probe Jenny’s personal life. “I’m feeling so lonely, maybe I should tell them, who else do I have in whom I can confide? Well, I will not tell everything but just tell them what is happening in my life right now”.

“Tell us Jenny, it’s ok and we are here to help you” said Gia

“Well, my marriage is not working out fine so I’m worried.”

“Don’t worry. Things will get better”

“well thanks. I am very happy that you girls are supportive.” Jenny just couldn’t believe she had some well wishers who happen to be her colleagues.

Gia, Shashi, Aradhya, Neela were the lunch group friends of Jenny. Although they worked in different departments they became close friends by having lunch together and having chai everyday. Slowly they started sharing their personal life details.

The next morning, she received a message in the office whatsapp group by Aradhya:

“husband and wife go to ooty,

They sit in the balcony and husband starts drinking whisky

Wife: why do you want to drink now?

Husband: because I have to look at your face for two days and laughs :D :D”

Jenny was stunned for a moment. “This was exactly what happened between me and my husband when we went to ooty! he had a good laugh and was teasing me that night in the balcony”. Jenny didn’t know if she had to think about it or just consider it as a coincidence.

The next day she called her husband and told him that it was raining and that she couldn’t walk in the rain properly, so she cannot enjoy the rain. The whatsapp group conversation began:

Gia: “hey all, it’s raining”

Shashi:”yeah I want to enjoy the rain”

Aradhya:” how can you? You will slip and fall if you walk in rain :D :D”

Shell shocked for a moment Jenny didn’t understand what was going on. “I’m quite weak at technology but are there any means for them to see my messages, hear my phone calls? How is this Aradhya getting to know everything about me? Who is she?”.

Jenny started to remain silent in office and concentrated on her work. Days passed by and the small coincidences with the whatsapp group continued. She prayed to god everyday to keep her safe. She moved with her husband to a new house and life started to get better day by day. Her husband was teasing her by not letting her use his phone and had set a passcode for his phone so that she could not access his phone. No matter how much she asked him, he would not give the passcode just to annoy her.

The whatsapp group message by Aradhya popped:

“Husband: I’m not well I feel very sick.

Wife: Oh you poor thing. Give me your phone passcode, I will call the doctor

Husband: actually I’m doing better now, no need to call :D :D”

Jenny was now worried. “What is going on? How do these people know what is happening in my life?” She told everything to her husband and he said “It’s just a general joke and maybe it’s a coincidence that you are receiving these messages at the same time that you are facing it”. “Well, now how can I question her about this?” Jenny thought. 

Suffused with pain and worries, Jenny was terribly anxious and started to lose confidence. She had nothing else to do other than praying to god. Watching Aradhya laugh everyday just pushed her confidence lower and lower.She reached home from work and took out the keys and realized that she left her phone in the auto! She walked back to the main road but there was no sign of the auto.

She went back home and the next morning she woke up with a smile. She got the phone number deactivated and bought a new phone with a new sim card. She did not give the number to her colleagues and asked them to communicate via mails. She had minimal conversations with them.

A week passed by and the office group did not bother her. Aradhya continued talking nonsense but nothing related to Jenny’s life. Still Jenny thinks everyday:” Was she tapping the phone to listen to conversations or was it just coincidence or was she in touch with my husband?”

-Jahnavi.K.J