Consequence

The Nikon on the display shelf was the best bet ever, a fully loaded DSLR. I did not have the heart to look at its price tag as it would probably take months of fasting for me to afford it. Heart heavy, I walked into the store to buy new earphones for my wreck of a music player, with an unwilling glance at the Nikon while the clerk billed my order.

Wish it were mine..

'Ma'am, excuse me. Ma'am?'
The clerk was shouting.
'Congrats. You are our hundred thousandth customer and you get that beauty there absolutely free. All yours.'

All mine..

He kept beaming at me with an obvious mistranslation of the shock my face showed.

Minutes later, however, I was marveling at the pseudo-physical entity christened 'dumb luck' as I hobbled to work, clutching safe the Nikon. On the way to my cubicle, I cast half a look at Samuel, our team leader, the post I was once considered for. Boss never told me why I had not made it..he probably hadn't been able to come up with a good reason or didn't want to tell me about the call he had received from Sam's influential uncle. The promotion would have relieved me from most of my financial tight-knot..the student loan for graduation, the rented single bedroom flat..

I deserve it.

A call from Boss. 'To my cabin, please.'
When I came back to my cubicle, I was vaguely gathering what he had said. 'Samuel posted to Gurgaon..team leader..we thought you were best for the vacant post..'
Numbness.

I found my way back home alright, taking a triple extra cheese pizza and chocolate mousse to celebrate. Just as I smacked clean the last vestiges of mousse and readied for a take on the Nikon, my room mate Molly messaged.
'Hey I wont be coming tonight. He's taking me out for dinner and we'll be staying over at his place. I have the spare key. 'Night. :-)'
She seemed excited. He was my unrequited love.

Bitch. You stole him from me. BITCH.

At 2am, I heard Molly sobbing on the sofa.
'He never did love me, you know. Told me he had been using me to get to you.'
Spasm. What in Christ's name was going on?


In a matter of hours, I woke up feeling maniacal. If what seemed to me was true, I had just been activated to control nearly everything that happened to me. To put this theory to test, I stood before the mirror, closed my eyes and began concentrating hard.

Turn my eyes green. Turn my eyes green..I want green eyes..

Nothing happened. Probably only involuntary thoughts and emotional surges became real. That still remained unbelievable.

The day had more surprises. On my way back home, I humoured upon a list of self-centered thoughts, stopping for a quick bite at Carter's. The air outside was thick with cigarette smoke and drunk revelers lingered on the street although it was only 9pm. Choosing to ignore their catcalls, I pretended to be busy texting on my phone when one of the losers shouted a nasty remark across the street. My fist clenched; a surge of anger swept past like never before..

Kutte ki maut marega saale!

And..