"OK, wait—I'm sorry. I'll explain everything later, but I need to change into my work uniform fast. I'm really late for work and need to—" He looked at the wall clock hanging opposite him and gulped at the sight: "7:58 PM."

"Oh no…" Abhi's anxiety suddenly calmed, as if time had stopped for him, he froze, like the calm before a storm. Instead of panicking about what would happen if he arrived late, he chose to close his eyes and take a deep breath, calming himself in the process.

"Abhi, is everything alright?" Archana asked with concern, as any mother would.

"I'm just scared about being late on the first day of the new shift, that's all," Abhi replied in an emotionless voice.

"I understand. I've heard the bosses here can be quite strict. But it should be fine; this is your first time changing shifts, and it's the first day at school. It's completely understandable for you to be late. Go get ready quickly now; try not to be late," Archana said reassuringly.

Abhi instantly felt a surge of motivation and ran to change into his uniform. He was happy to see his uniform already laid out and ironed for him. He looked back and smiled at his mom before getting back to work.

"But even if you can't make it on time, just try to explain your circumstances. I'm sure they'll understand," Archana tried to reassure him.

While putting on his uniform, Abhi said, "I'll try, but it might not work because I confidently promised the senior boss that I wouldn't be even a minute late in order to be allowed to change shifts."

Archana fell silent, so after a moment, Abhi continued, "I shouldn't have been late today. I considered as many obstacles as possible on my way home from school. But what happened today was beyond my expectations."

"Hehe, then what really happened today? Were you too busy talking to all your new girlfriends?" Archana teased Abhi with a grin.

"Ayy, shut up! You wouldn't believe who I met while walking to the east-end bus station," Abhi replied as he was buttoning his shirt.

"Let me guess—you met Mohammed Cristiano Singh Uzumaki, right?" said Archana.

"No, silly! I met the principal of the school. Not only that, but he even took me to something called a gaming café, where we played games on a really advanced computer-like device. It was loads of fun, but I unfortunately lost track of time and ended up late," Abhi said as he got his work bag ready.

Archana tilted her head, raised her eyebrows, and smiled with motherly pride. "Wow! That's actually a really good thing. Getting acquainted with the principal on your very first day is like winning the lottery. But don't get too close to the teachers, or your peers might think you're a 'teacher's pet.'"

"Haha, don't worry, Mom! I believe I've already made three good friends today," Abhi replied while tying his shoes.

Archana's smile widened, but then it turned into a frown—a delightful frown. Tears of joy formed in her eyes, but she held back her emotions and kept them in check in front of her son.

"I'm so happy. It's as if all my prayers have been answered! Not only did you get to know the principal and played video games with him, but you also made some friends. My little boy has finally grown into a mature young man. I… I’m so happy." Archana hugged Abhi tightly from behind just before he crossed through the door.

"It's not that deep, Mom! Let me go now. I might already be late for work. Love ya." After saying that, Abhi ran out of the house like a speeding bullet.

"Love ya back more," Archana replied loudly.

As Abhi ran past her line of sight, slowly disappearing into a blur, she softly prayed for him by joining her hands…

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Abhi ran across the dusty and battered road, filled with obstacles and mottled with the orangish-brown colour stains of tobacco. He skillfully dodged various impediments, including cattle, jobless gangsters, potholes, street dogs, and various excrement from unknown sources.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

As Abhi sprinted in his polished boots and neatly ironed clothes, bystanders watched as if they were spectators. Their eyes reflected two emotions: curiosity and envy. In the degraded lands of Western Low City, Nixtom, assaults and even murders born from jealousy were not uncommon. People were happy to see their peers doing well but hated it when someone did better than them.

Adults and children alike felt a sting in their hearts when they saw someone achieve what they could not. While some cheered Abhi on for making better choices, most of the downtrodden residents of Western Low City wanted to sabotage anyone who showed signs of success, unwilling to see others succeed while they continued to fail.

Western Low City was like a pot of crabs; whenever one attempted to pull themselves out of their dire situation, others dragged them back down. Abhi ignored the unsupportive stares and continued his journey.

To save time, Abhi took certain 'shortcuts' through the lower areas of the city. No sane person liked walking on the most degenerated streets of Nixtom, but it was a worthwhile trade-off for Abhi—every single moment mattered while he ran without pause. The stares he received in these neighbourhoods were far worse than those in the "better off" areas he usually passed through.

A few people even tried to obstruct his path, including an especially unsettling encounter with a ‘red-light district worker’ attempting to woo him, hoping to spread the corruption of which she was a victim of herself. However, Abhi's agility allowed him to overcome every obstacle in his path.

Despite his swift movements, Abhi felt the crushing weight of time's passage. With every tick of the clock, he felt increasingly burdened. Sweat poured down his temples, his shirt drenched, and his lungs gasping for air—yet somehow, he managed to reach his destination: The Shivantar Metal Processing Factory, the place where he worked.

Once inside, he ran toward his supervisor, who was taking attendance for the employees. As Abhi approached, the supervisor counted heads and noticed him entering from the corner of his eye. Abhi stood at the end of the line, placed his hand on his chest, and let out a deep sigh. He had made it just in the nick of time!

"Six,

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two..." As the supervisor continued counting, he pointed to the second-to-last person in line and marked him 'P' for 'present' on the report card in his hand. However, as he looked deep into Abhi's tired, sweat-drenched eyes, he stated, "Seems like we are missing a person. I'll just mark him absent and cut his pay for the day. Ha! Wait, I meant I’ll cut his pay for the week. How could I forget the new company policy that I pushed for myself?"

… Abhi stared at the supervisor with an uncanny expression.

"Wait, sir, I think there's been some misunderstanding. I was just transferred to this shift today; I'm the last employee," Abhi interjected.

A heavy silence filled the room after Abhi's words. The supervisor, still looking at him, slowly turned his gaze to the other employees in line. Sensing his stare, they all quickly bowed their heads and looked down, avoiding eye contact.

He suddenly turned back to Abhi. "Well, nice to meet you..." The supervisor said in a jovial tone, an unnerving smile stretching across his face. Despite the smile, his mouth was tightly shut when he wasn't speaking, the room remained silent except for the background noises of the factory for a moment.

Abhi wiped the sweat from his eyes and replied, "It's Abhi, sir. Abhi Archana." Noticing the badge on the supervisor's chest pocket, he added, "Good to meet you, Sir Anand."

"So, you can read as well, huh?" the supervisor replied, maintaining his abnormal smile and eye contact with Abhi.

Even though they had shared a few glances, Abhi hadn't processed the supervisor’s appearance until now. Upon finally examining him closely, he was momentarily stunned: the middle-aged man, perhaps in his late thirties or early forties, had extremely pale skin that somehow appeared tanned due to the texture and folds on his face, giving him an odd, almost unreal look. His strong eyebrows and sharp, brownish… almost reddish eyes made him seem intimidating, and the inhuman smile only added to his unsettling aura. He wore a khaki uniform and a police hat adorned with an eagle emblem that was more ornate than Abhi’s own uniform.

The supervisor placed his pen on the cardboard pad under the report card and freed his right hand. After slightly pinching his forehead and pressing on it for a moment, he said, "Ah, yes, Archana. I heard from the supervisor of the morning shift that someone by that name would be coming."

Taking down his hand from his forehead, the supervisor decided to scratch his crotch while standing in front of Abhi and continued. "I was kinda hoping it was a young school girl from the name Archana ha! This place stinks too much of balls just look at these retards standing in the line." After the supervisor finished his 'joke', the rest of the employees waited a second to see if the supervisor actually intended his words as a joke, and upon confirmation, they loudly laughed for 3 seconds before completely shutting up.

Abhi looked mostly perplexed in this ordeal, even awkwardly laughing along with the other employee, but looking deep into his eyes, one could see the hints of two emotions starting to boil… Rage, and Fear.

……….