When I got out of bed this morning, I decided that today I shall be happy. No matter what.

This morning the newspaper landed with a thud on the front door while I was in the kitchen boiling milk. The milk did not look like it was in a hurry to reach boiling point. I felt a sense of camaraderie with that vessel of whiteness – for this morning I was feeling that way too. Anyways since the milk looked peaceful I darted out to grab the paper. And stood there staring at the pictures of the blast in Peshawar in the front page. Suddenly I remembered the milk! Of course it had finished hissing and fussing and was flowing like a tranquil white river onto the floor. But did I lose it? No way. I calmly sopped it and mopped it and mopped it again – until the floor agreed to not be sticky.

I made myself my calming cup of tea and went to the balcony – my usual morning tea place – with the paper and my cup. The next door uncle (yeah the same obscenely rich people who felled that mango tree to build their obscenely large monstrosity in brick and cement) – has a full-fledged gym in his terrace. (I’m not joking – he really does). And usually they exercise with the door closed. Whenever the door opens one can hear loud, cacophonic music. This morning he had decided to leave the door open and exercise. So loud, unpleasant, non-morning music greeted me in the balcony. It drowned the sound of birds that I usually hear in the morning. Er…did I lose it? NO. I calmly walked into the home, shut the balcony and had my chai sitting on the dining table.

Later, I dropped off my daughter to school (yeah in her new sandals if you please) and reached office a bit late. I beamed at everyone and wished them all a bright good morning! Everyone gave me a weird are-you-ok look. A colleague came up to me and asked in a conspiratory whisper “Something wrong with you gurrrl? Your jaw is stuck or something? Why are you grinning ear to ear?”

I was like –c’mon gurrrrl I’m trying to be nice. Be nice to me in turn. If I'm morose you don't like it. If I'm happy you don't like it even more or what?! So she too grinned back at me like an idiot and I felt that all was well with the world.

I sat on my desk, switched on my system and opened MS – in my DP I saw comments by Harry Ji, Sajith, Suketu, Jhiingu, Tanna and Ketan bhai (only mentioning the ones I had not seen yesterday). I felt good. Yes the day was starting to go the way I wanted.

Just then the client called. He yelled because there were mistakes in the design we had sent him. What is the mistake – I managed to ask cutting through his angry monologue. “My logo – why is it so small and tucked away in that corner.” He whined. So would he rather I put his logo BIG AND BOLD right there in the middle of the ad. Forget the message. Forget the target audience. Let’s get a little narcissistic – no harm in that. I asked him. Trying not to let the blood pressure shoot up (Saala subah subah…). And also trying not to sound too sarcastic. Maybe I did though – for he calmed down and said “Ok make it slightly bigger and leave it in that corner – that should be fine.”

Did I tell you how much I dislike my job these days? Ah…but today is ‘let’s be happy day’. So I shall not crib.

• I had to skip lunch because a 20-page brochure needs to go TODAY. No – I’m not angry (just very, very, very hungry).

  
  




• I had to proof check (and I hate hate hate proofing – that too on a hungry stomach!) - a 10 page technical document. No I’m not cribbing – just sharing my day with you.

  
  




• My obese, screechy voiced client dropped in without warning – she just sat there gossiping like I’m her long lost buddy. I had to politely sit and chat (while the 20-page brochure awaited my attention!). Finally – an hour later when the chat went nowhere in particular - I asked her if she was going to brief me on anything. She grinned sheepishly – “No yaar (?!!) waiting for my husband to pick me up. I was in this area I thought instead of waiting in the sun, I could wait in your office and chat with you.” I was like – you b. I would have finished my work by now. But no…I did not crib. As decided I grinned and bore it all.

  
  

Many more internal fires, phone calls, and smooth lies later – I’m still calm. Really I am. What is it you say – my face is red? Er…perhaps it’s the heat. NO…I’m not upset or angry at all. Deep breathing.... Om Shanti Om.