On Time - for the first time: By Shireen M

Beep...beep....beep....the alarm went off again.Anjali's hand was trying to find the alarm clock..it was the fourth time she hit the snooze.Her mother walked into her home and said "Do you want to miss this interview too?". Suddenly Anjali realised she had interview that day.She woke up with a jerk and jumped out of the bed. "Maaa....Why dint you wake me earlier", she walked into the bathroom.Her mother left the room shaking her head.

It was her 5th interview, she missed the previous 4 because she was late.If there was one thing Anjali can do on time is being late. She was always late to school, late to college, as a matter of fact she was born a week later than the doctor told.

She rushed out of the bathroom, got dressed, gave herself a quick glance in the mirror and ran down the stairs where her mother was waiting with the breakfast.She ran past her mother to the door and said

"Bye ma".
"Anjali...eat your breakfast".
"No maa...I'll be late.", she left out of the house before she could hear her mother say anything.

She was determined to make it this time. She was laughing stock among her friends, they joked about her being late. If they were to meet, she was always told time 30 mins the scheduled time, even then she would come after everyone has come.she would always feel embarassed about being late, she could never help it, howmuch ever she tried she would always be late.She believed she was cursed to be late.

She was standing on the road to take the Auto..none would come in sight that was empty. All the autos passed by with happy and merry children hurrying to schools.She was getting restless."not this time...not this time" she told herself.She saw empty one coming in distance, she made quick jestures with her hand to signal to stop. When it stopped , she hopped in thanking her stars and said "Road No-12".

With the Auto kept wheeling off and the sound of meter ticking periodically, she was lost in her thoughts. She was a bright student, smart and hard working, but always lost good opportunities because was never on time.She remembered one of her professors told her "You may be the best, but being late goes to show how careless you are, and nobody wants to work with careless people"...her eyes were moist with the thought of those words, she had to prove him wrong and she will do it today.

she was jolted from her thoughts as the auto stopped suddenly and she could not believe what she saw.It was a traffic jam, she saw vehciles on road for as long as she can see. Thanks to the urban development and explosion of population Hyderabad has become famous for traffic jams than its dam biryani.She got of the Auto...sighed and then quickly told a 50Rs note and thrust it in hands of Auto driver and started to walk.she thought if she could walk through the traffic jam and get an Auto on the other side , she could still be on time. She started to walk as fast as her legs to take her.she looked at her wrist watch, she still had time.If she could catch Auto now, she will make it on time.

In that noisy traffic, she couldnt help but notice, crying of a child, she was getting late and had no time for other people's problems.She couldnt walk further, she had to turn back and check, she walked a little back and in a small alley she saw a 16 yr old with the little baby lying in front of her and the baby was crying uncontrollably..and the 16 yr old was sobbing silently.She couldnt walk away, she reached in her purse, took a 100Rs note and dropped it in front of the child and walked away relieved from the guilt, with her dupatta to her nose because of stench of the sewage and poverty both.In India, charity works well to mask our inability to help fellow human beings.

She walked to the end of the panjagutta circle and got into Auto waiting at the corner near Metro Shoes. She looked at the watch, she was 5 minutes early. She quickly got off the Auto, paid him and rushed to the reception.

"Ms.Anjali:, said the reception, Anjali couldnt help but notice the thick makeup and red lipstick she was wearing
"Please be seated...someone from the HR dept will come down", she smiled flashing her white teeth

The interview was a success, she knew she nailed it. She walked out of the building with a faint smile, a smile of triumph and victory and her eyes stopped on a dingy looking building, which had a arch shaped board with peeling paint that read "Seva Sadan".

She came home whistling, her mother knew the reason. She did not have to ask, she knew her daughter got the job.
"Were you on time"...
"Yes ma...for the first time I was on time" as she flashed her id card that read

"Anjali Mehta.
Seva Sadan - Volunteer"

Her mother stared at her wide eyed as she whistled her way upstairs to her room.