Page 67 of One Indian Girl
‘Think whatever of me but this is not what I want.’
‘Trust me. You are not an easy person to be with.’
‘I want a simple life. I just want a simple Indian girl.’
‘I want to break up. I will move out.’
‘Will leave the rent for this month on top of the fridge. Bye.’
My face froze as I stared at the screen. I couldn’t react in front of the team. I clenched my teeth so my eyes wouldn’t stream.
‘Excuse me,’ I whispered to Jonathan next to me and stood up.
‘I need to step out,’ I whispered and tiptoed out of the meeting room to confront the darkness I faced in my life.
I went to the ladies’ room and re-read the messages.
I called Debu. He cut my call. I called twice again.
‘Can you call me?’ I sent him a message.
He didn’t respond. I came back to my cubicle, sat in my seat and covered my face with my hands. Tricia, a sixty-year-old American secretary in our group, glanced at me.
‘You okay?’
I nodded, my lips a flat line.
‘Just tired,’ I said with effort.
‘Are you going to call me?’ I sent a message again.
‘There is nothing to talk about,’ he replied.
I called him. He cut my call again.
‘Am busy,’ his message said.
‘What could be more important than this?’ I responded.
‘Can you leave me alone, please?’ came his answer.
My eyes welled up. I didn’t want to cry in the office. I sucked in my breath.
‘We have lived together for two years. Is it that simple to end it?’ I sent him a message.
‘I should have ended it earlier,’ he said.
I called him. He picked up.
‘I have told you I can’t talk. Stop calling me, please.’
‘Can we talk later?’ I pleaded as my voice began to quiver.
‘I really have to go. Bye,’ he said.
That was that. My face red, I knew I had to leave the office before I disintegrated.
‘I am just going out for a walk,’ I called out to Tricia. ‘Feeling a bit uneasy.’
