The Curious Case Of The Guy In The Other Room

A month ago. He would wake up at 1010. Not for the call of duty. It was for the call of an empty stomach. Get ready by 11. Get to office in 10 mins. Go and sit in the comfort zone. Mobilize people to watch a movie. Kill time till its time to take out the expensive racquet. Sweat it out on the wooden court and zoom home back in time to eat the 3 chapatis and watch that hideous guy on the 'color'ful channel. And follow it up with watching that fat english guy who is going around the country witnessing guys being hit repeatedly in the crotch or something weird like that. Amidst all this he is texting at a breakneck speed. He can put a 300wpm steno to shame. His day would fold at 2AM.

Now. He wakes up early enough to give me a run to the bathroom. This time it’s the call of duty. His ride to office isn't the do paiyyan anymore. Nor is it 10 mins. There is no comfort zone, except for the "beach" or something, besides which, he'll never have the pleasure of sitting. The racquet adorns his room's wall. Permanently. So I guess the only sweat he breaks now is in the sprint for the bus. He comes home at almost the turn of the new day. The eyes are bloodshot. All that he is interested now, is his sleep.

His life seems to have gone topsy-turvy. He didn't see this coming. Nor did he see some thing in his personal life, (has always been so very discreet about this) which seems to have reached the crux. He had got a beard going for a while. Maybe he doesn't want to be all that discreet. Yesterday he comes home around midnight, goes straight to the sink, foams his beard and gets rid of it. But there are more important things that he doesn't seem to be able to get rid off. There are a lot of things buried under the jovial carefree attitude. He seems to be disappointed with a lot of people in his life. But he doesn't seem to be blaming them. He looks helpless. His heart is in the right place. But there seem to be many external forces that are trying to displace it. He seems to be heeding to them.
I just hope he makes it out of all this unscathed.