The Missing Storyteller – Drama Short Story (Part 2)
Read the first part here: Part 1
‘Zentroy Advertising Limited? I have never heard of it,’ said Hayaathi quizzically.
‘Ma’am, do you think we should accept this offer?’ asked Swetlana, waving the call letter in front of the Head of the Literature Department.
‘This is strange. No other student has received the letter. I am rather suspicious of its authenticity. However, the company is the best in India. They come up with advertisements that no one can ever think of. Their concepts are way beyond imagination,’ replied the HOD.
‘I can’t believe that only we both were selected.’
‘Intrigues me, too. I think they might have watched the short films which were based on your stories.’
‘Might be. Should we accept this?’
‘If you join this company, your life will change altogether. You’ll go places with your penchant for storytelling. Their pay is also good and they are also situated in the heart of Coimbatore. Let me verify the letter’s authenticity and get back to you.’
The girls nodded vigorously.
*****
Wherever they looked, there was enthusiasm in the air. It seemed like happiness had replaced workload, stress, pressure, and deadlines. Zentroy Advertising Limited created a winsome impression in the girls’ minds. They could not stop gaping at the buoyant employees, the charming receptionist, the aesthetic interiors, and the colourfully decorated cabins.
‘Swetlana and Hayaathi, please come with me. I will introduce you to your boss.’ A sweet voice beckoned them. They looked up and met a dreamy-looking girl with protuberant eyes. She led them through many levels before they reached the ‘Creative Ideas’ department. The nameplate on the door was designed using classical fonts, which rendered it a literary look.
‘Excuse me, Sinish, shall I come in?’ asked the girl.
‘You very well know that I don’t like a formality, Vrushika,’ boomed a sonorous voice from the other end of the pristine white, artistic, air-conditioned room. He had his back to them, admiring a painting on the wall, which wasn’t visible to the women from their position.
‘Ah! I am so forgetful,’ Vrushika replied cheerfully. Swetlana moved a little aside to have a good look at the painting; it was a charcoal painting of a girl sitting on a chair by the fireplace, deeply engrossed in a book. The man called Sinish slowly turned around to meet the girls. He was lanky, broad-shouldered, with an olive skin tone that accentuated his facial features beautifully and had a heart-shaped face. An air of importance surrounded him; his expressive eyes gazed from Hayaathi to Swetlana and stopped on Vrushika eventually. The stubble on his chin and the barely visible moustache completed his personable look. He walked towards them, taking small steps as if his path was filled with punctuations that weren’t discernible to normal eyes. He stopped in front of Swetlana, inhaled a deep breath, and looked at her, hard into her deep-set eyes.
‘Hello, Swetlana.’ Tiny goosebumps erupted on her skin as she heard his rotund tone. Strangely, she could not meet his honey-coloured eyes.
‘Hello, Sinish,’ she replied meekly.
Sinish turned around and said, ‘Hello, Hayaathi.’
‘Hello, Sinish, how do you know our names? I don’t remember Vrushika telling them to you.’ Hayaathi asked suspiciously.
‘I know them beforehand.’
That was it. He didn’t provide any more explanations. After a few minutes, Vrushika took leave.
‘Do take your seat. There are lots to discuss.’ He gestured to the duo.
For the next hour, Sinish’s room echoed the company’s success stories. He even hinted at his work methods, the kind of story ideas which he approves for the social cause advertisements and the recreational activities that they conduct. After he finished, he took a sip from his water bottle and waited for the girls to ask questions.
‘Why were we recruited? How do you know about us?’ It was Swetlana.
There was a moment of silence before Sinish calmly replied, ‘God favours the kind.’
*****
Days passed by as Hayaathi and Swetlana worked along with Sinish on exciting advertisements. Their story ideas were instantly approved by him, while he found flaws with the ideas submitted by others. Though the girls felt strange, they couldn’t pose their questions to him, since he maintained a mysterious aura around him. During lunch breaks, he would lunch along with them, narrating them funny stories from his college life, while the other employees began spreading rumours that he fancied the girls and was partial to them, but in reality, he was enchanted with the stories narrated by the girls, that his heart wanted to listen to more. But, whenever the girls asked about their recruitment, he repeated the same words, ‘God favours the kind.’
‘I think I am falling for him,’ stated Swetlana, as bluntly as she could, keeping the ecstasy out of her voice. It was a cool January evening and the girls were in the cafeteria for their break.
Hayaathi choked on her coffee and replied, ‘Have you turned mad? Sinish will banish you from the office if he gets to know that you have developed feelings for him. Just because he’s close to you and discusses his personal life with you doesn’t mean that he’d end up as your husband.’
‘Oh, stop being such a dork! He will love me, too,’ she replied dreamily.
‘Do you know what the others speak about him? He goes off on a month-long vacation a year, to places unknown. Nobody would know where he would be.’
‘That is of least concern to me.’
‘Well, if you want to invite troubles in your otherwise tranquil life, I cannot help it.’ Hayaathi threw the Styrofoam cup in the dustbin and moved away.
*****
‘Love is a peculiar emotion, Swetlana. The intensity of love in this story should be expressed in such a way that the message strikes the audience right at their heart. Understood?’ Sinish asked in a matter-of-fact tone.
Swetlana looked deep into his eyes and replied slowly, ‘Have you ever fallen in love, Sinish?’ Her voice was rather passionate.
‘Yes. I fell in love with books. Stories, in general. And I still love them.’
For a moment, Swetlana had visions of the missing storyteller. A sudden gush of affection flowed through her veins.
‘You remind me of the missing storyteller, who changed our lives.’
‘The missing storyteller?’
‘Long story. Will tell you later.’
Sinish’s words kept echoing the entire day in Swetlana’s mind. She could not share it with Hayaathi, as she was busy working on another project.
*****
The resignation letter was a definite blow to them; it was unexpected and unwanted. Every soul in the office was murmuring and discussing the sudden turn of events. Some even spun theories involving the girls – that they had a hand in the whole drama. But, the girls were the most affected, especially Swetlana. She couldn’t bring herself to believe that her true love was no longer working in the office. Since he was a mysterious man, he never left any contact number, or a friendly note to his subordinates, stating the real reason for his resignation. The only phone he used was a company-provided mobile phone. He was not on any social networking sites, which would have tracked him down easily, even before any police personnel can track down a criminal.
‘I – I just want to disappear, Hayaathi,’ sobbed Swetlana. Hayaathi laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder and then pulled her into an embrace. Though she was initially reluctant to accept Swetlana’s obsession with Sinish, she warmed up to the idea of a relationship between them.
‘We have lost the two precious people of our life – the storyteller and Sinish. Both were mysterious. And both disappeared without a trace.’ Swetlana continued in her teary voice.
‘That makes me wonder, too. I can accept the disappearance of the storyteller. He was just an old man, so he wouldn’t have any connections with the virtual world, but Sinish was our boss. He was a well-paid working professional, who teemed with ideas and exhibited exceptional talent; he just cannot disappear without a trace.’
‘I know, right? I have searched every nook and cranny of the virtual world, but he doesn’t seem to exist. I think he is a paranormal entity.’
‘Jeez! Can’t you think of any better explanation? You know, both the storyteller and Sinish have taught us something – the ability to believe in stories, find inspiration everywhere, and bring a change in the world.’
‘Can’t agree more!’ A faint smile appeared on Swetlana’s lips.
*****
‘What’s that?’ Hayaathi pointed to a gift box and a letter that lay on the stone slab. The girls felt that a visit to Lovedale to reminisce the storyteller’s memories would rejuvenate them, but they were surprised to see something waiting for them on the stone slab.
‘The storyteller has left something for us! So he was here!’ Hayaathi bellowed.
She unfolded the letter and began to read, her eyes widening with every word that was written. In a dazed state, she passed it on to Swetlana, who was unwrapping the gift box. She stopped, received the letter, and began to read.
‘To Hayaathi and Swetlana,
I don’t have to explain this to the other employees of our department. But, you both were special to me. Not only as employees, but as friends on the office premises, and as the kind strangers who spent time with me in the very same stone slab in September. Am I being mysterious, again? Yes, I was and I am the storyteller. I know people told you that I take a month-long vacation a year. During that one month, I travel to places and live in disguise. The storyteller was one of my disguises. I aimed to teach the art of storytelling to whoever stopped to listen to me, but I took something with me that was greater than those stories. I learnt kindness. Yes, I learnt it from you both. It was I who personally recruited you to Zentroy.
Okay, let me come straight to the point. Hayaathi, you have been promoted to my position in our department. You’ll find the promotion letter in your cabin. And, Swetlana, will you marry me?’
Swetlana’s heart did a double take as she read that line.
‘There will be a ring in the gift box. Take it, turn around, and find me waiting in the red car. You can join me as my secretary in the advertising company which I own. Yeah, only if you accept my proposal. Otherwise, you can refuse and continue with Zentroy. It’s up to you.
And, girls, you’ll never find me in the virtual world. That’s because my name is Sineesh, not Sinish.
Always remember, God favours the kind.’
The girls turned around and found the red car parked at a distance. The lanky figure, the missing storyteller, and the man who changed their life waved to them, flashing his million-dollar smile.
While Swetlana moved towards him, Hayaathi set off to Zentroy, each welcoming a new life.
If you loved this short story, you can read my other short stories here.
