[slave2100]

You need to look at your struggles right into its face. You need to understand, and constantly remain aware of how difficult things are going to be. And you will have to accept the fact that you will struggle. Once you’ve done that, everything will become possible, because you will no longer complain. Then you will become unstoppable.

Miracles happen just the way like this. Somebody had the willpower and strength to keep pushing forward, until they turned something seemingly impossible, into reality.


Well, these lines are not written by me, neither I have belief in struggle, because that’s what I am doing right from the start of my career and believe me, till date I have never seen success, not even a tiny bit. I am a failure, my life is a failure and my story is sad.

The problem isn’t in me but it lies in the system of the world where people aren’t judged by their honesty or hard work, but by their success.

‘Still editing?’ Emily asks as my eyes are stuck on the computer’s screen.

I giggle, nod at my situation.

She is my colleague and we work together for a local newspaper ‘The Daily Bugle’. Initially, I was hired as an assistant news reporter. My job was to search for attractive stories around the town, but after I failed to get attention, failed to cover interesting stories, I was shifted to the editing department where my job is to edit stories of other reporters before it could be published.

‘Whose story is this?’ Emily asks, rolling his chair towards my cubical.

‘It’s Siri’s’ I tell.

‘That bitch!’ she comments, seeing what I am editing.

‘Can you believe she used to sit here, with us, just a couple of months ago?’ Emily says in frustration.

I nod, take a deep breath. Her frustration is obvious because Siri is now a senior editor, and earns much more than us. She has got a personal cabin unlike us, and also an assistant. It’s too frustrating to see her in that position, to see her becoming our senior.

‘I guess Jason is making good use of her ass’ Emily comments, seeing her working behind the glass door, her cabin.

Jason Smith is our boss, the editor in chief, and he ages similar to my father, but still dates Siri, who is the same like of me, 25 years old. Everyone knows about their unnamed relationship and that’s the very reason why she has been promoted to such high post, even though her annual ratings are low like of us. I guess sex with the boss is also an important aspect for career building.

‘Yeah, I guess’ I say, looking at Siri who looks so happy.

Her buttocks are resting in her luxurious office chair and her legs are up in the table. She isn’t working, she hardly does, but is busy over the internet. I can’t see her screen but the way she looks lost in the computer’s screen, I am sure she’s watching porn.

‘And she says she is in love with Jason’ I say.

Emily chuckles.

‘Oh please! Love! With a man of her father’s age?’ she comments, laughs.

‘It’s weird, even to think about it. I mean yes, if the boss is somewhat your age, even 6-7 years older, it’s ok but him? Can he even bend for her?’ Emily comments on old Jason, laugh.

I support, laugh at the weird relationship.

‘Bending isn’t necessarily required’ I say and we both laugh at our naughty fantasies.

‘Love is such a misunderstood term these days’ I say.

Emily chuckles at my words.

‘Love, my friend, is a hoax. It exists either in books, or in one’s fantasies’ she says.

I nod, giggle.

‘I am telling you. The moment you have sex with someone you think you’re in love with, everything changes. It’s just the hormones. Hormones of love which changes to lust in no time’ she elaborates and I laugh.

‘Oh God! Emily! You’re so dark, so dirty’ I say.

She laughs.

‘Dark and dirty, yes I am, we all are’ she admits proudly.

I might not agree with each of her thesis, but I love the way she looks at life. She’s practical and open-minded, different than normal people. She has no belief in love or relationship, and that’s the reason she is unable to stick with just a guy for any long. As per my memories, the longest relationship she had even had was of two months.

‘Ok. Let’s end the day, shall we?’ she says, stretching herself in her chair, yawning for the long day we had.

It’s already 6 at evening, and it’s also the weekend. We’re supposed to be in a bar by this time, but this week was extra busy for me as one of the assistant editors quit. Actually she didn’t quit herself, but was compelled to quit. She was fired.

‘I will need another 10-15 minutes’ I say, as I am not finished with Siri’s story.

Although she’s a senior editor now, she writes horribly bad. There are way too many grammatical and spelling mistakes and it’s obvious, considering her skill and position in the company.

‘Ok, I’ll have something from canteen, will wait in the parking’ Emily says, picking her bag.

I nod.

‘You’re up for a beer, are you?’ she asks.

I nod again while she leaves her cubical. As Sunday is off, a holiday, we drink at weekends, we party with friends. It’s the only night when we can sleep late, without worrying about the next morning. As its 6, I can see people getting off their cubicles. It’s so frustrating to see people leave while I am still stuck.

‘Hazel’ Siri says, entering my cubical, looking at my screen.

I smile while she focuses on her story on my computer.

‘It’s almost done, a few more lines’ I say.

She nods.

‘Mail me once you’re done, thanks darling’ she says.

I nod.

‘And yes, Jason was asking for you’ she tells.

‘Me? What does he want?’ I ask back.

She shakes head, like unaware of the reason why I was being called. Now I am worried because the editor in chief calling for me after 6 isn’t a good sign. While Siri leaves, I go towards Jason’s cabin and knock twice.

‘Yes Miss Green, please come in’ he says.

With a loose tie nod and shirt coming out of his pant, he looks terrible after the long day, just like me.

As I acknowledge him, ‘Have a seat, dear’ he says.

‘Miss Green, you do know what trouble the company is going through and how many meetings we’re having with the board of directors’ he tells.

I nod. It’s a time of recession and I know the company isn’t in its best place.

‘Apparently, due to less profit, I am regularly pressurized to cut staff’ he tells.

I could feel my heart pounding. I am scared now.

Cut staff? I know what it means. It means he will have to fire someone again and I fear it will be me.

Is that why he called me when everyone is gone?

‘But don’t worry. I am in no mood to let go any more of my people’ he says, chuckles, at my white face.

I too smile at the tensed situation.

‘But your ratings, Miss Green, are low, and I suggest you to work on it. The people above me doesn’t know you, doesn’t know how talented you are, so if they have to fire someone, they may opt you’ he tells.

I gasp a mouthful of air. As I was hired as a story writer, I am rated on the same basis and not as assistant editor, so it doesn’t matter how beautiful I edit or how hard I work. The only thing that’s responsible for my ratings is the story I cover.

‘I am working in it, Mr. Smith’ I say.

He nods, smiles.

‘Ok. I have high expectations, Miss Green’ he says.

I smile and get off his cabin. I may have said that I am working in a story, but I have nothing. The world is a big place but I fail to find even a single thing that could be actually interesting for people to read.

Am I so dumb or I am just too lazy?