Chapter 2 - Late Night Blues an Oblivious Bliss

                                      Chapter 2 - Late Night Blues: An Oblivious Bliss

 

Scientists say that love is stimulated by three chemicals in the brain: Noradrenaline, which stimulates adrenaline production, causing that racing heart and sweaty palms; Dopamine, the feel-good chemical; and Phenylethylamine, which is released when we're near our crush, giving us butterflies in our tummies. The next few days in the office were pretty dull and mind-numbingly monotonous. Our office was located on the urban side of the city, surrounded by gorgeous skyscrapers. Our management had taken over three stories of a boat-shaped building. Each department was given a separate floor. The Office had over four thousand employees working in different departments around the clock. The banking system could be relentlessly tiresome. It was employees like Raina who made life easier for customers and the management.

When I walked onto the floor on a Sunday evening, it was unusually quiet; however, my cubicle was occupied. Since my manager was on a week off, I decided to search for a seat for myself. Sam and I were always the ones to search for cosy corners on the floor. I finally found a system, next to another system that was already logged in. "Seems like someone’s on a break," Sam said as she sat to login to another system beside me. Our chit chat continued as we continued to start the applications on the computer. Soon I was logged in and ready to take calls. Sam said, "Look at me; I want to ask you something." I turned to her to give her my full attention. She cleared her throat as I watched her face transform into a serious one. "I told you so much about Zak. Do you think he will accept me into his life? Do you think he is the right person for me? I don’t want to end up like Mom and Dad." She said this while wiping away tears from her eyes. I was caught off guard because I always saw Sam smiling and cracking jokes, laughing at the top of her lungs. She had this funny tone, which she used as humor, where she spoke like a diva. This mushy, sensitive side was hidden behind the humorous cliché. I took her hand in mine, looked her in the eyes, and said, "Sam, just because our parents messed up doesn't mean we will, but it's good to have this genuine fear over your life; it may help you make the right decision." She wiped away her tears, and said, "I am sorry, I didn't want to start crying. I saw something last night that shook me up from within." Fighting back her tears, she said, "I had a huge fight with mom last night, and while I was trying to console her, I heard the person next to me take a call. I knew this voice, from the corner of my eye I turned to see, and I saw this tattoo of the Queen's crown on the wrist of the person. Sam realised we had company, and she wiped her tears and turned towards her monitor. I had ample time to turn and look at the person. It was her, Raina. It was like someone had lit a thousand lights inside me. Sam distinctly commented, "And just like that, your day becomes better!" Raina was loud, assertive, and yet charming. My eyes didn't move from her tattoo. She noticed me staring at her tattoo and asked, "What happened?" with a nod. I pointed at her tattoo and said, "I love your tattoo, but why a crown?" "That’s the meaning of my name," she said, pointing at the system. She gave me a signal to wait.

Finishing the call, she turned to me and said, "My name is Raina, which means Queen. That’s exactly what the tattoo resembles. "I like your tattoo as well. But why a cross?" "I believe that every Christian should be recognized for that. "For me, my identity comes from the cross," I said, and the conversation continued. Slowly, we discussed different aspects of the religion. Raina came from an orthodox Christian family. Our conversation went on for a few hours, and Sam sat there staring at us. But it felt like I'd met my soul mate, the love of my life. It was like a movie. Soon my bubble broke when she got up from her seat and said, "I have to call my boyfriend. I will be back."

            It was as though someone pushed me into a deep, dark abyss and shut the door on me. I kept falling, and there was no one to hold me. I turned and looked at Sam, and she said, "Awww… come, let’s go for a smoke." I carelessly smiled, but I felt so numb from the inside. As we made our way out of the room, I could see Raina taking the stairs with her phone fixed to her ear. Seeing her walk away, I said, "Sam, tea?" She nodded, and we walked into the cafeteria instead of taking the lift.

                After grabbing a cup of tea for Sam and me, we both stood outside smoking, and at a distance, I could see Raina speaking on the phone. The way she walked, with her curly hair moving in the cold breeze, the zipper of her red jacket shimmering in the light, and her big, shimmery eyes, drew me in. Sam observed me sinking into my bliss and said, "Let’s take a walk," as she grabbed my hand. We started to walk down the road. I started to gaze at the stars in the dark, gloomy sky. This is the mystic reality of being blue; when you feel the blues, the entire universe feels the same. As much as you don’t want to feel it, you can’t do without it either. The late-night blues are blissful.