My head was already hurting badly. I went to check the cafeteria, and the person who usually stays there wasn't around. But he knows me, so I figured even if I worked while he was gone, he wouldn't say anything. I had done it before too when he wasn't there. I asked Juli what she wanted to have-she said juice, and for me,i want milk tea. No one here makes milk tea like in Bangladesh, so no one really knows how to prepare it.
I started by cutting the mango. Then I opened the blender lid. While thinking about Alex and those painful words he said, without even realizing it, I put the mango pieces, the seed, the skin-everything-into the blender without any water. On the other side,I put only the tea in the kettle without adding any water.
I told Juli to get the glass and mug ready. I switched on the blender, then switched on the kettle. With both machines running, I stood near the kettle-Alex's words kept running through my head. I don't even know how much time passed; I was so lost in his thoughts that I completely lost track of time.
Suddenly, there was a loud BANG. Both the kettle and blender exploded at the same time. Everyone came running toward us, and they were all laughing. It was ridiculous-I could've been seriously hurt! There was a mirror on the wall nearby; I looked at it and saw what had happened. Since I was near the kettle, my whole face was splattered with the black soot from the explosion. Moments later, Juli saw me and started laughing too. The glass and mug had both shattered as well. everyone fell silent.
That's when I saw Bob Sir coming toward us, and behind him... Alex. Oh shit. Today's the day I die for sure.
Sir came and stood in front of us, Alex right behind him. I noticed Alex was trying hard not to laugh, but I could see it in his eyes-he was laughing. I tried to just give a small smile at him, but right then Bob Sir shouted, "Both of you, come to my office. Now."
As I walked past Alex, I saw he was still trying to hold back his laughter.
That's it. I've had enough.
I don't know how so many stupid things happen because of me. I went to Sir's room with Juli in that condition—face, clothes all covered in black because of the blast. Sir had never spoken to me so loudly before. I know today things got a bit too messed up. I do like that person, yes, but that doesn't mean he'll laugh at my situation. I know I look funny right now, but still, why would he laugh?
Juli suddenly got up and said, "Sis, you messed up but why did Sir call me?"
"Will they kick us out? I'm really scared," she said.
Me: "Shut up already."
Truth is, I'm scared too. But what can we do now—what's done is done.
After a while, Sir entered the room.
Bob Sir looked angry—it was obvious.
And behind him, Alex was still trying not to laugh. This guy is still like that. Now I was starting to get mad.
Sir sat down and looked at me and said, "Jiya, today's incident was very serious. Something could have happened to someone, but thankfully nothing did. You were lucky. To make sure nothing like this happens again to you or anyone else, I'm banning you both from the cafeteria."
Banned??Where will I go now? The cafeteria was the only place where I could breathe in peace—now even that is gone. My eyes filled with tears.
Sir: "You know Toro, right?"
Both of us shook our heads silently.
Sir called someone on the phone and said to send Toro to the room.
Who's this Toro now?
A moment later, we saw a skinny guy enter wearing a red shirt, green pants, yellow-bleached hair—like all the traffic signal colors in one—and blue sunglasses. A chain around his neck.
Juli and I were both stunned. We'd never seen this "piece" before. Where had this flashy dude been hiding?
I suddenly blurted out, "traffic sig—I mean, Toro, where have you been all this time?"
Hearing that, Alex laughed .
I really like love smile, but right now, it felt like poison.
Sir: "Traffic sig—sorry—he had gone to India. Toro came back just yesterday. Toro, intro."
I'm smiling to myself and saying, "Even sir thinking the same thing as me." 🤭
Toro began:
"Mam, my nam ij Tanak Mishra but my short nam is Toro, I'm 35 year old. I have 2 children and i wife, I live in India ka Mumbai."
Ah, poor guy, he's trying so hard to speak English.
I started:
"Main apko uncle bulaungi, aur ap mujhe mam nahi, Jiya hi bolna thik nai?"
(I'll call you uncle, and you shouldn't call me 'ma'am,' just 'Jiya' is fine, okay?)
Everyone was shocked.
Sir: "You can speak Hindi?"
Me: "Yes sir, I learned it in childhood watching Doraemon dubbed in Hindi in Bangladesh."
Toro:
"Didi, mujhe itni khushi ho rahi hain ki kya batao apko, finally didi koi toh hain jiske sath main baat kar sakta hu. Sir ki sakt mana hain ki Hindi nehi bol sakte hum, phone par bhi nehi. App hi bolo mere biwi kaise samjhegi, bacche ko English Medium main perhata hu isliye samajhte hai wo thora. Main English barabar samjhta hu lekin bolne main dikkat hoti hain, mujhe sir mere acchai k liye bol rehe hain fir bhi didi ap samjhnge mujhe jo kehraha hu main."
(Didi, I'm so happy, you have no idea. Finally, someone I can talk to. Sir has strictly forbidden us from speaking Hindi, not even on the phone. You tell me, how will my wife understand me? My kids go to an English medium school so they understand a bit. I understand English well but have trouble speaking it. Sir says it's for my own good, but didi, I know you'll understand what I'm saying.)
Sir: "Only English. If you want to stay here, you need to fix your English. That's why Hindi is not allowed—so that your English improves."
Me: "Sir, he's just really happy to find someone he can talk to in Hindi. He'll only talk to me in Hindi—please give him permission. Please, please, please!"
Alex: "So childish."
You wouldn't understand—you live in your own country.
I gave him a sarcastic side-eye and looked back at Sir.
Sir said gently: "I can say "okay," but only a little. He really needs to improve his English. You will speak in Hindi on one condition — you must teach him English properly. To survive in this country, English is very necessary. Among you, no one even knows Tagalog.
Sir is truly thoughtful with everyone. We may be doing low-level jobs, but he still speaks to us with such kindness.
Sir: "Back to the topic. Toro will bring you whatever you need from the cafeteria. But I better not see either of you near it again."
I looked at Alex—he was laughing. And now he was laughing even more.
We quietly replied, "Okay, sir."
Then I looked at Toro and smiled, saying, "Neighbor, don't you think a hug is necessary right now?"
As I walked up to hug him, Toro said, "My stylish outfit will be ruined with black stains. You clean up first."
Hearing that, everyone burst out laughing together.
Is my condition really that bad?
I looked at myself again — honestly, yes, my situation is quite terrible.😐
And then Toro and Sir both left the room.
At some point, Juli also slipped out behind them—I didn't even notice.
I was standing there thinking, how am I going to remove these black stains?
Alex came to me with a smile on his face. and said, "Banned cafeteria, for black cats."😄
god, I died seeing that smile.
Wait—did he just call me a black cat??
Now I'm mad too.
I didn't know what to do. This man was one way in the morning and now he's a whole different person.
I stared at him and pulled a face, then turned to leave the room.
Thasshhh!!—without realizing, I banged straight into the door.
Ohhh the pain—it really hit hard.
Alex rushed over immediately.
He touched my forehead to check if I was hurt.
His hand was covered in black from my face.
My entire face was pitch black. Oh god, I wanted to disappear.
This guy is so caring.
Inner voice: u can't even remember what happened this morning and yesterday.
And this inner voice of mine just blurts out stuff anytime.
My heart was pounding like crazy.
Please, heart, calm down a bit.
Alex was looking at his blackened hand, and I was staring at him.
How am I supposed to leave here normally now?
What do I even do?
I pulled a face again and walked out of the room, hand on my chest, whispering—
"Please, heart, calm down now."
My chest hurts.
He touched my forehead. That scene keeps playing in my head.
I feel like… if this continues, I won't survive. Tears welled up in my eyes.
Yes, the moon I used to admire from afar — now I see it up close.
But now it feels like… I can't reach that moon.
Maybe it was better before. At least back then, things didn't get this bad for me.
Every night, I used to just stare at the moon and cry.
Everywhere I went, I kept seeing him.
Even in sleep, he was always in my dreams.
And when I opened my eyes again, I'd scream and cry, thinking I'd never see him with these eyes again.
I used to stare at his picture for hours, unable to look away.
But I didn't even realize... I was already suffering deeply back then.
People are so selfish, aren't they?
No matter how much they have — they always want more.