WICKETS AND WIDGETS

Hey, Mr. Jobless

Suddenly, my drowsy eyes snapped open as I shouted into the speaker, "What is the meaning of this?" Disappointingly, there was no response; the call had ended.

I bolted upright, rushing out of the door and slamming it behind me. Hailing a cab to my company's location, I was visibly stressed about the recent incident.

The dichotomy of feeling joy during a day off to suddenly being fired, without any given reason, was overwhelming. Moments later, the cab halted at the imposing structure of concrete and glass that used to be my workplace. Hastily, I exited the cab, ensuring to settle the fare.

As I entered the building, I was met with gasps and judgmental stares from those lingering on the ground floor. Disregarding them, I hurriedly headed to the elevator and selected the sixth floor.

Thankfully, the elevator was empty. Moments later, it chimed, signaling my arrival at the necessary floor. I briskly stepped out as soon as the doors slid open, driven by the urgency to seek answers from a specific individual.

"Excuse me, there's a board meeting being held in the conference room. You do not have the access to go." Said a buff man in front of me.

Introduction time. Meet Charlie, the bodyguard responsible for safeguarding Mr. Oberoi, our director.

"Listen, Charlie, this is between me and the man whose body you protect. Step aside like a good dog; I'm not in the mood to play games." My stern look warned him.

I could discern a visible gulp on his part before he decided to assert himself. "I understand your sentiments, Mr. Singh, but this is part of my duty. I'm paid to do this job, and it's best served with true honesty."

"Oh, you're talking about work and responsibility with me, huh? I've put in countless overnights, worked tirelessly for what feels like decades. And yet, this is what I get? Humiliation? After all these years of dedication?" I practically yelled in his face.

He sighed exasperatedly, readying himself to respond. However, the conference room door swung open before he could, revealing Shrikant Oberoi himself.

"Well, well, if it isn't the former prince of Skytale." His eyes crinkled with a malicious smile.

As I approached him, he towered over me, his gaze fixated as if I were a bug to be squashed.

Gathering my composure, I questioned, "What is the meaning of all this, Mr. Oberoi?"

"What part of 'you are fired' did you not grasp, dear?" He questioned with a malevolent smirk on his wrinkled face. This jerk.

"It's confusing because taking a day off doesn't typically result in getting fired."

He stared at me for a solid 5 seconds before erupting into laughter, "Oh, how I'm going to miss all your jokes."

"This is not a joke."

"Isn't it, though? Did you really think you'd get away with something as significant as this?" He glared daggers at me, the once-mirthful shine in his eyes replaced with dullness.

I furrowed my brows at him, "What are you going on about?"

"Raghav Adani. You said we had a deal."

"Almost a deal, but yeah, what's the problem with that?" I still couldn't decipher exactly what had happened.

He shot me a disdainful look, "Look at you, lying through your teeth like a shameless con-man."

"What did you just say, Geezer?"

He sighed in frustration, "You claimed to have met Mr. Adani."

"And I did. What's the issue?"

His anger manifested in a jab at my chest, "That's the problem, fool. Raghav Adani is out of the country. So, who the hell did you meet?"