Colleague

by Abdul Wajed
(Karachi, Pakistan)

He met her while commuting home from the job hunt. His white shirt was pulled out loose from the pants to let in some cool air while he watched the fast moving scenery from the open window. Suddenly he had the feeling of being looked at and turned around to find a well-dressed girl about his age in the opposite seat staring at him. She wore black trousers and a cream colored silk shirt with a matching pair of shoes and small leather purse hanging from her left shoulder.

She casually greeted him and pointed to the file on the floor. His resume had popped out of the file and someone had carelessly walked over it leaving a muddy footprint like a watermark. He quickly picked up his strewn documents and profusely thanked her for the gesture. The train came to a halt at his home terminal and he got off quickly.

Some days later when he was going to the office of a book publishing house for an interview as a production manager he met her again in the elevator. While they were exchanging greetings, the elevator came to a halt at his desired floor. He said goodbye to her and stepped out towards the publisher's office in a hurry. Once the interview was over he rushed to the elevator in order to meet the next interview appointment. As he paced the corridor waiting for the elevator, he looked through the glass wall of the publisher's office; he saw her again talking with the very person who had interviewed him a few seconds ago.

Later that day he received his appointment letter from the publisher. He did not know her by name but found her to be his colleague as a procurement manager in the same office.