alternative ending...

"hello!"

"hey, its me. so where are you?"

"i just got out of the car and right now i am headed towards the elevator. but why are you calling me at this time?"

"well, i just wanted to let you know that i won't be able to make it to the lunch thing tomorrow. would you mind terribly if we rescheduled?"

"you got somewhere else to be? and why couldn't you just tell this to me once i got back?"

"well, cause i'm not at the apartment, and i won't be back until tomorrow evening. did you forget that K's getting married tomorrow and we girls are planning to throw her a bachelorette party tonight. then she wanted me to stay over after and help her get ready for the big event. so i'm staying over."

"isn't that going to be a bit difficult to manage since you too need to get ready for the wedding and all?"

"well i already got all my stuff with me so it shouldn't be a problem. and don't forget, you have to be there as well. i already put a note on the fridge where you can see. it says, 'tomorrow evening K's wedding'. in any case, i'll call and remind you."

"all right, i will put a reminder in my planner as well."

"thanks. and yeah, your dad called, he wanted to know when you are going to get some time off so that you can go see him. he's got some stuff he needs you to know about and have sorted out."

"did he give you any specifics as to what the 'stuff' really is, or is it just more family drama?"

"yeah, your probably right. anyways, why don't you call him and find out. also i fed the cat. look, i got to go. take care."

"you too. have fun i'll see you tomorrow then. bye."


the small bell announced the arrival of the elevator and the doors slid open as he stepped into the dull silver coloured metal box, pressed 7 and waited for the elevator to begin to move.

the elevator was something that always made him a bit apprehensive. it never used to be a problem earlier. as a kid, he had in fact enjoyed riding the elevator up and down the building where he used to live, stopping at each floor. it made the watchman, who was also the janitor, pretty mad. but it used to be so much fun. but he grew up and then he went to college. the next 3 years of his life simply had no elevators in them. he lived on the first floor. his classes were always in the lecture halls. even otherwise, he had never found reason to make use of the elevator in college. he had learnt to prefer the stairs. they were healthy since they offered some exercise and were less crowded. in fact, if he remembered correctly, he could count the number of times he had used the elevator in college on his two fingers. and ever since, he had developed a mild claustrophobia of elevators. even now, 8 years after he had graduated out of college, he felt his pulse quicken and the stress levels rise as he stepped into the metal box at his work place. he could feel the sides closing in on him, like in the old Indiana Jones movies where the stone walls in the temple would close in to crush the haplessly trapped person. often he wondered, with beads of sweat forming on his forehead, what were the chances that the metal box wouldn't plummet to the ground ending his story right there.

but there were other times as well, like when he went to the mall or some hotel, when he could use the elevators without feeling so overly paranoid. maybe it was because the elevators there were not just a metal box. most of them at such places had a glass wall from which you could look out. that always soothed him. in any case, he had come to terms with the fact that elevators were there to stay in his life and that he had to make use of them every day. it's just a matter of a few minutes each day that he had to spend in the metal boxes. he could do that. plus he kind of liked the big mirror in the elevator at his apartment place. it complimented the narcissist in him.

he heard the small bell again as the elevator stopped and the doors slid open allowing him to step out.

(to be continued...)