Gowri gets a new job.
A week later, after what she described as “the most thorough interview process she had ever heard of,” she landed the job. The technical round had gone well, she told him, but it was her portfolio and the recommendations from her previous colleagues that had sealed the deal.
“You’re a lifesaver, Eeshwar!” she said, practically bouncing with excitement as they walked around the temple complex after the Saturday volunteering. “This is exactly the kind of opportunity I was hoping for. And the salary is better than I expected. My parents are thrilled.”
“I’m glad it worked out,” he said, hiding the skip in his heartbeat at seeing her so happy. “Looks like we’ll be bumping into each other at the cafeteria too.”
Their office interactions grew naturally from there. Coffee breaks that started as casual check-ins about how she was settling in gradually flowed into hour-long conversations about everything from work projects to weekend plans. For someone who often kept to himself, who had always been the quiet one in any group, Eeshwar found it strangely easy to talk to Gowri. She had a way of listening that made him feel heard, of asking questions that drew out thoughts he didn’t even know he had.
She’d learned his coffee preferences within a week, strong filter coffee, no sugar, and would often appear at his desk with a steaming cup when she noticed him rubbing his temples during particularly frustrating debugging sessions.
“Thought you might need this,” she’d say, settling into the chair beside his desk for a few minutes of conversation that somehow always left him feeling more energized.
One a rainy Friday evening in July, as the monsoon clouds opened up with typical Bangalore intensity, Eeshwar was packing up his laptop when he noticed Gowri standing near the reception area, staring out at the sheets of water cascading from the sky.
“Everything okay?” he asked, approaching her with his usual quiet concern.
“Cabs keep cancelling my ride,” she said with a frustrated sigh. “Apparently no one wants to drive in this weather. The bus stop is a fifteen-minute walk, and the buses aren’t running on schedule either and nor do I have an umbrella. If I walk down in the rain, my laptop will get wet, but I have some work to finish tonight, so I need to take the laptop home! I’m basically stranded until this lets up.”
The rain was coming down harder now, drumming against the office windows with an intensity that suggested it wouldn’t be stopping anytime soon. The security guard was already shaking his head at employees who approached the door, clearly advising them to wait it out.
“I can give you a ride. If I remember right, I live pretty close to your house, so, it wouldn’t much of a detour” Eeshwar offered, the words coming out more confidently than he felt.
“No, no, I don’t want to trouble you. I’ll manage somehow.”
“Come on, Gowri. It’s absolutely pouring, it’s already past eight, and your place isn’t far from my place. Please. I’d feel terrible leaving you here.”
She looked at him for a moment, seeming to weigh her options against the relentless downpour outside. Finally, she agreed with a small smile. “Okay, thank you. But I owe you dinner for this.” As soon as they sat in his car, she called her parents and informed that Eeshwar was giving her a ride and will join them for dinner.