“Happy Birthday!”

“Thanks for the gift. But it’s not for another 3 weeks!”

“I know. I know.”

“I presume you’ve marked it in your calendar.”

“Haan, haan. Of course.”

“As usual, you’re preoccupied with something. It’s something to do with your writing. Or thinking of writing. Right?”

“Er… okay… well…”

“Admit it. Okay… wait, wait. I know this. Let me say my piece before you take off into your writing woods”

 “Did you say writing woods? Hmmm… nice.”

“Oh no! Are you writing that? Listen, Vivek. Listen to me first. Listen…”

“Uh-uh! Listening. Tell me.”

“I liked the gift. It’s awesome. Loved that you thought of personalizing it.”

He smiled. He’d got it right. Write right, the workshop mail said… Oh no, he was going off again. She was saying something.

“…. And then we could go to that place where we went to…”

“Hey… hey… hey… just a minute… back up a bit… when is this happening?”

“I knew you were not listening.” She sounded irritated. “For my birthday weekend, of course!”

“Er… yeah… my workshop is on the weekends.”

“Hmmm.”

He wondered why there was a chill in her voice. She had liked the gift after all.

“So… you are saying that you will be busy with the workshop on my birthday”

“Yes. You understand, don’t you? It’s going to be the last day! Oh no! I don’t know what I am going to do when it ends.”

“Right.”

He couldn’t figure why icicles were dripping from her words.

He brightened up.

“You did like the gift, didn’t you?”

She didn’t say a word. Pulled out her laptop. And started punching the keys furiously.

“Er… what are you doing?”

“Signing up for a writing workshop.”

“Really? Wow!”

“Yes, but I am doing the weekday batch. The Wednesday batch. Your birthday is on a Wednesday remember?”

Sign up for My Alchemy: the online writing workshop. Choose between weekdays – every Wednesday – 7pm to 9pm IST or Weekends Saturday & Sunday 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm IST. Learn all the important elements you need to know about writing well, writing effectively and writing with clarity. Courses start 23rd Sept 2020 (Weekday) and 26th Sept 2020 (Weekend). Go to www.bookmyshow.com to reserve your space. Seats limited. Or write to me at alchemy@abacusyellow.com

Part of the Food-for-Thought series for My Alchemy -the online writing workshop. Read more about it here. Or see latest participant feedback here

Want to eavesdrop on similar conversations?
Dinner? It’s optional.
Why on a Wednesday?