‘I leave at seven every morning and reach either on or before time even if there’s traffic. The problem with your generation is that you follow Google Maps blindly. You see the estimated time and then decide when to leave.’ He laughed unexpectedly.

‘Yes, sir,’ Madhav said, shamefacedly.

‘Oh! So you are one of them. Well, I don’t have much time to spend on you. Go to the analytics wing and talk to your project manager.’

Madhav was surprised to be let off so easily and said a profuse ‘Thank you.’

His project manager was an amiable guy who seemed to be around the same age as him.

Madhav shook hands with the guy, sizing him up. Maybe this was Mr Rao’s model employee—well-dressed and polite, he looked like he was always early to arrive for everything.

‘Hi! I’m Vipin, your project manager.’

‘Nice to meet you, sir.’

‘Same here but tough luck, man!’ he said.

‘Why is that, sir?’

‘Vinesh has marked you absent on your first day!’

‘Oh fuck!’ Madhav muttered.

‘He has also assigned you three modules,’ Vipin added.

‘When does he need them?’ he asked.

‘Today,’ Vipin said apologetically as he handed him a stack of papers. Madhav took the heavy binders, already feeling suffocated. His first day at office had started off as a disaster. He was given a cubicle in a corner and assigned a shared computer.

‘You may start now,’ Vipin told him. ‘There’s a tea break at eleven, lunch at two, another break at five and you can leave once you’ve completed your tasks for the day.’

Madhav could foresee the robotic life he was going to lead. Each minute in the office choked him, smothered his dreams and stifled his happiness. He sighed and looked at the modules. He didn’t know what he was doing there or why he had studied so hard only to achieve this. Maybe he didn’t want to admit it to himself or tell anyone. It was a deep secret that had led him there.

The entire day passed in a blur. He didn’t even have time for lunch or to reply to Radhika’s texts because he was so burdened with work.

He opened his lunch box only at seven in the evening. He looked around the almost empty office. Lights were being switched off one by one and he was yet to start on the last module. But he had promised to meet Radhika. He peeked in Vinesh’s cabin. He was intently working.

‘Sir, I need to visit my doctor. I have finished two modules,’ he said as politely as he could as he placed the completed modules on his table.

‘Which doctor?’ Vinesh asked, flipping through the files.

‘My dentist,’ Madhav lied.

‘Cancel your appointment. The client needs all three modules today.’ Vinesh pointed him to the door. Madhav was furious but he bit his tongue. And to think he’d been marked absent while he’d slaved away all day! He felt like yelling as he saw the office emptying out.