it's another day (part 3)

he was silent for a long moment and then said "can we talk after say one hour? I am waiting in the middle of the parking lot oddly blocking the movement of other vehicles...please try to understand.” She snapped the line abruptly.

He threw the cell phone on the empty seat in frustration and pulled the back gear to adjust the position of the car. He started reconsidering his plan of spending two nights at home. It was indeed the interview at the school for admission of his four-year-old son. The school management was hell bent on having a chat with the parents before admitting the child. He could not help but attend the same. may be he will have to conjure up another excuse for coming back by next evening itself. Otherwise things would go beyond control. While he was gathering his purse and cigarette packet, a man walking past his car suddenly stopped and pointed his finger at the front left wheel. He looked at the man quizzically anticipating the most unwelcome trouble. The man swept his palm horizontally in the air indicating that the front left tyre of his car was flattened. He took a deep breath and cast a resigned look in a general direction into the dry and sizzling horizon. This was the last piece of ill luck that could have befallen him. He turned off the engine which died smoothly with a mild tremble as if finally exhaustion took hold of its overstretched muscles. He still did not move but sat inside the car with a comatose mind. He knew that he needed to do some active thinking but could not inject any stimulus of life into the immobile numbness. The air-conditioner was not on and the blower quickly started throwing a hot blast of air on his face. It became impossible to sit any further inside the closed space of the car. He clambered out of the car and lifelessly walked towards the front left wheel with the hope that his interpretation of the man's gesture was mistaken; but no!

The front left tyre was totally deflated and appeared to be in a pretty damaged condition. Almost all the threads were smoothed out. It had rubbed against the hard surface of the road for quite a distance it seemed. He stared at the tyre for a long moment and then concluded that he had no way other than getting it repaired. Slowly his mind started getting back its composure. “First let me have some food, then I shall take care of this matter," he thought aloud.

Locking the car, he walked up to the eating area.

"One grilled fish combo with extra cheese.”

"Hundred and five rupees, Sir.”

“Oh...please add one more slice of cheese with the burger.'

“You will get extra cheese anyway."

"I know what your extra cheese version is. I want one more in that slab.”

"Sorry! That's not our standard. I can't offer you something special like that...you can take a cheese dip along with it.”

“I said another additional cheese slice in the burger! It's not cheese dip."

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