Of Sunsets

It was dusk without the colour that defined it. On such an evening, Suhasini opened her balcony door and stood against the railing -- her cup of tea clutched in her hand, and a half-lit cigarette in the other. Arbitrary lights in arbitrary flats inside her complex were coming to life, unnecessarily. The sun was most adamant to set. She had a particularly unremarkable day at the office, and she needed to get out of it. The pent-up anger found its way in the number of spoonful of sugar she put in her tea. Nothing was going as she thought it would.

Kavya, her roomie was in her hometown. Ever since that night when she had accidently stepped into Suhasini wrapped all over Aditya, she had been avoiding her. Suhasini could not understand who could be the possible problem, Aditya or her. But she had more important things to segregate than thinking about Kavya's absence. The lack of competitiveness at her workplace lately, bored her royally. She could not believe that there were no obstacles and that her ideas were gladly accepted.

She looked at the sun. Bloody go down, you! She looked down at the crowded swimming pool. Happy children howls could be heard. How easily you idiots are happy having completed one lap. Go for the next, cmon! She went in, lit another cigarette and came out. That chubby boy in yellow, yes, my bet is on you. Cmon Fatty, bum that girl, beat her, cmon. Suhasini was completely engrossed in the strokes when suddenly her phone beeped in.

"Yes, Aditya." She looked bored.

"No, I am on field." Fatty, fast, cmon!

"Sorry honey, not possible. I might be late. Plus, I want to be by myself, so..." Yes, yes, go Fatty!

"Whatever, Adi. Your choice. Hang up, bye." How could you lose from that far, Fatty? Damn you.

Suhasini looked into the mobile in her hand and without thinking twice, banged it on the floor. It dispersed into immediate pieces. It was finally night. She sat on the raised platform, her back against the railing. She was on the last cigarette in the packet. Damn. She was very angry now and somewhere regretting that neither Kavya, nor Aditya was around. She stubbed her cigarette and just like that, jumped off the balcony. It would be difficult to say whether she or her last stub landed first.

Like her mobile phone, immediate parts of her body lay harmlessly on the ground. The soaked children were screaming in shock. Suhasini made the jump from the fourteenth floor. Not many knew that the entire floor was devoted to special services and Suhasini was attended to by Nurse Kavya and Manager Aditya. Her family was affluent enough to shun her in luxury.

Like the adamant sun, Suhasini finally set.