“Hold thaaaat!!” I yelled to nobody in particular from a distance. The lift door closed nonetheless as I reached, making me further late for “the” work meeting. Frantically pressing the buttons and cursing under my breath, the series of scenarios playing in my head …..

“Oh what’s new in this, God I dislike this generation’s lack of discipline”, would be a general humdrum amongst the people by this time.

“Yeaaaah, Mr. ‘I would rather be brainy than brawny’ is very presumptuous seeing he’s neither!” A roar of laughter from colleagues.

My brain is running the scenes over and over. People laughing on my back. Picking on my introvert self.

DING.

The lift is here, I rush in and directly run into a person, and next thing is both of us are picking the books that fell from her hand due to my stupid self, barging in unceremoniously. She picks her book lingering a moment on floor, gets up says cheerfully-OOH very cool shoes Mister!

“I’m so sorry, I am in bit of a rush and my mind was elsewhere. And Thanks, they’re new!”

“It’s alright. I have seen you rushing before, you work in finance right? Level 26?

Embarrassment engulfs me. So even a random person on lift has judgment reserved for me.

“Yes. I do”

“Well I have seen you reading, always alone in the break room.”

“Oh. Yeah I like reading and I am new here so not much company, I saw your books, my favorite author!”

A bright smile crosses her face. “ Is he? Do you wanna go for a coffee after work and we can discuss the works?”

DING.

“That’s me”, I go out handing her my card.

The meeting goes surprisingly well, and my presentation being the focal point of it. People around seem happy with me.

Do I judge people that they judge me in the way I judge myself?? That makes no sense. I have to stop overthinking.

“Bro, you nailed it!” a colleague pats my back.

“What a smooth conversion of ideas, great job!” my boss says.

Yes,  I am probably alright.

And I have a date in the evening with a pretty girl who reads my favorite author!

Heart elated. Happy thoughts surging.

I go to check how I look for the first time since morning. Neat shirt, simple work attire but due to extreme rush had to pick the new shoes I had gotten yesterday – chic, but in no way a substitute for work formals. They’re cheekily named Bee-Keeper, black with hints of white and tan in leather. Buzzy.

Smiling to myself (after what seemed an eternity), “well, she liked the shoes AND my fav author, how about that?”.

It’s a good day to be alive.

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