SHORT
FICTION STORY
__________
“Tete-a-Tete” with a Pretty Techie Girl
Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE
_________
I love walking – and – I love talking.
That’s why no one wants to come for a walk with me.
“Oldie Goldies” of my age feel that I walk too much.
“Youngsters” feel that I talk too much.
That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when a pretty techie girl smiled
at me and asked me if she could join me in my evening walk.
“Hello Uncle…” she said, “can I walk with you…?”
“Of course…” I said, “I would love your company – come along…”
“Thank you…” she said – and – she started walking beside me.
______
Dear Reader – after my retirement – I live in a modern residential
complex in a posh suburb of Pune.
It is a well-designed gated community – quite expansive – comprising of
a number of high-rise buildings – well laid out – in verdant environment – and with
good amenities – gym, swimming pool, sports facilities, walking and jogging
track lined with trees, soothing green lawns, a lovely garden, nice shopping
complex, basement parking et al. – located in beautiful spacious
environment.
Most of the residents are young “IT Software Techies” who work in the IT
Park nearby – young couples – Double Income Single Kid (DISK) – or – Double
Income No Kid (DINK) – who lead busy lives – and believe in maintaining a “hail-fellow-well-met”
type of relationship with fellow residents of the gated community.
The pretty techie girl who was walking with me – she was around 35 –
married to another “IT Techie” – they were a “DISK” couple.
I had seen her in the mornings – with her school-going son – waiting for
the school bus – along with other parents.
She lived in our building – or “Tower” as the builder had named it – and
– we met each other quite often – but – as I said – it was a “hail-fellow-well-met”
acquaintance.
Her name was Nisha.
_______
For some time – Nisha and Me – we walked in silence.
Then – Nisha spoke.
“Uncle – I wanted to talk to you…” she said.
“Okay – go ahead…” I said to her.
“It’s about your tweet about “quiet quitting” in relationships…” she
said.
“Oh – so you follow me on Twitter…” I said – feeling a bit elated.
“Yes, Uncle – and – I read your blogs too…” she said.
“So nice to hear this…” I said, “which blogs did you like…?”
“I read your blog on “How to Survive Incompatible Marriage” – and then –
I saw your tweet on “Quiet Quitting” in relationships – so – I thought you were
the best person I should talk to…” she said.
“Okay – I am all ears…” I said to her – guessing that she probably
wanted to talk about her marriage.
I was right.
She spoke about her marriage.
“It’s about my married life…” she said, “I am feeling suffocated…”
“Suffocated…?” I said to her – with a questioning look.
“Last evening – it was so bad – that – I was seriously thinking of
divorce – then – I remembered your blog “To Divorce or Not to Divorce” – I read
it again – I thought of all the stakeholders – I read your tweet on “Quiet
Quitting” – and – I thought it would be best to talk to you…” she said.
“So – you want to “quiet-quit” your marriage…?” I asked her.
“Yes…” she said, “I want to know exactly how to do it…”
“It’s simple…” I said, “reframe your marriage as a “job” – you know how to
do “quiet quitting” in a job – you put in the “bare minimum inescapable effort”
to keep your job – similarly – you do the minimum required to maintain your
marriage…”
She gave me a thoughtful look – maybe she was confused – trying to
digest what I had said.
So – I decided to help her out.
“Tell me – when did all this start – when did you start feeling
“suffocated” – as you put it…?” I asked her.
“It was always there – but it became worse during the COVID Lockdown –
my in-laws came to live with us – then “Work-From-Home” started – for both me
and my husband – and online school classes for my son – and – I had to bear the
whole burden – overload of “work from home” – they expected us to be on our
laptops 24/7 – and then – cook – clean – shop – do all the housework – cater to
the idiosyncrasies and never-ending demands of my in-laws – my son’s school
work – everything – it became too much for me – and now – it continues – my
in-laws have moved in with us permanently – I am totally stressed out and
suffocated…” she said.
“And – your husband – doesn’t he help…?” I asked her.
“He is in his own world…” she said – with a tinge of contempt in her
voice.
“So – you can be in your own world too…” I said to her.
She looked at me – confused – so – I decided to elaborate.
“Are both of you are still “working-from-home” – aren’t you…?” I asked
her.
“My husband works from home – I work “hybrid” – for 4 days a week – I
work from home – and one day – on Friday – I go to office…” she said.
“You must start going to office every day…” I said to her.
“Every Day…?” she exclaimed, “you want me to go to office every day…?”
“Will they object…?” I asked her.
“Object…? I don’t think so. In fact – my boss will be very happy…” she
said.
“So – start doing it – go to office every day – you don’t feel
suffocated at work – do you…?” I said to her.
“Not at all – I love my work – and the office environment…” she said.
“So – start going to office 5 days a week…” I said to her. Start working
from office – I have experienced that “out of sight – out of mind” does work…”
I said to her.
“But what will happen at home…?” she said – a bit anxious.
“Don’t worry – once you are not physically at home – things will take
care of themselves…” I said to her.
She looked a bit apprehensive – so – I assured her.
“Disentangle yourself – emotionally – that’s “quiet quitting” – you go
to office – things will work out at home on their own…” I said to her.
She smiled – she seemed to have accepted my suggestion.
I decided to change the topic a bit and ask her about her relationship
with her husband.
“You said that you were seriously considering divorce – is your
relationship with your husband that bad…?” I asked her.
“I don’t want to live with him – but divorce is a difficult decision for
me…” she said.
Observing the expression on her face – I could infer that she didn’t
want to talk about it in detail – so – I decided not to delve further – but keep
it simple.
I smiled to comfort her and spoke to her.
“If you don’t want to divorce your husband legally – you can divorce him
emotionally – that’s what “quiet quitting” is all about…” I said to her.
“Emotional Divorce…?” she said – curious.
“Yes – “Quiet Quitting” is akin to “Emotional Divorce” – sometimes –
when it is not be feasible to physically quit your marriage – it may be wise to
emotionally “quit” instead – so – “quiet-quit” your marriage – you emotionally
disentangle from your husband – you leave emotionally – instead of leaving
physically…” I said to her.
She looked at me – a contemplative look – as if she was seriously
thinking about what I had told her.
“You make so much sense…” she said to me, “and you think so differently –
well – I had never looked at marriage from this angle…”
“If you carefully observe – you will see that all married persons practice
“quiet quitting” – in varying degrees – at some time in the marriages – and
some have settled down to a “quiet-quitting” equilibrium” in the married life…”
I said to her.
“Like you…?” she said – with a smile.
“Maybe…” I said – smiling back at her, “I have just posted one tweet
about quiet quitting in relationships – the one you saw – now – I think I will
write a detailed blog on how to “quiet-quit” relationships – especially marriage…”
“Yes – you must write blog on “How to Quiet Quit Marriage” – it will
help so many who are in a similar situation as me…” she said to me.
“I will certainly do that…” I said to her, “and you think about what we
discussed – take your time – do what you think is best for you…”
“Of course, Uncle…” she said with a genuine smile, “thank you so much
for talking to me…”
________
For some time – we walked in silence.
It was already dark.
Then – Nisha looked at her smartphone.
“I think it’s time for me to go home…” Nisha said – and – we smiled a “goodbye”
to each other – she walked towards our building – and – I walked towards my usual
bench in the park to do some meditation.
________
ONE DAY LATER
________
On the next day – as I started my evening walk – I saw Nisha coming towards
me – it seemed she was waiting for me – she looked happy and cheerful.
We started walking together.
“I must tell you something…” she said, excitedly.
“Good News…?” I said to her.
“Yes…” she said, “I am going to New Zealand…”
“New Zealand…!!!” I exclaimed.
“Normally – I refuse to go abroad to work on onsite projects – but –
this morning – I asked my boss if there was a foreign assignment – and – he
said there was one in Auckland, New Zealand – and I immediately volunteered to
go…” Nisha said, elatedly.
Nisha was so excited that she ran out of breath – so – she took a pause
before continuing to speak.
“My Boss was surprised – and so delighted too – he said I was the best
person for it – so – I am off to New Zealand for 6 months…” she said.
“Wow – 6 months…?” I exclaimed, “congratulations…”
“I must thank you…” she said to me.
“Thank me…? For what…?” I said to her.
“Last night – before going to sleep – I was thinking about the “quiet
quitting” concept you told me in the evening – and – I thought – wouldn’t
physical distance help me emotionally disentangle myself…?” she said.
“Long Distance Marriage – excellent – that’s taking “quiet quitting” to
another level...” I said to her.
“Yes – physical distance will make emotional detachment easier – “out of
sight – out of mind” – as you said…” she said.
“What about your son…? Will you take him to New Zealand with you…?” I
asked her.
“No – he will stay here – my husband and in-laws will look after him…”
she said.
“Oh – that’s good…” I said to her, “your son is big enough now – he is 9
– I had gone to boarding school when I was 9 – he will manage – but he will
miss you – since you are such a doting mother…” I said to her.
“You know – like my marriage – I am too involved with my son – I think
it is better for me to do a bit of “quiet quitting” on the parenting front
too…” she said.
I marveled at her ingenuity.
Indeed – she was taking “quiet quitting” to the next level.
VIKRAM KARVE
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