Agree to Disagree

A Story by Srivatsan

Two friends have a conflict of interest on how they want to spend their free weekend.

'Thank god it's Friday,' said Roshni irritably. She was sitting in her office cabinet with one hand signing on papers and the other one holding a mobile phone to her ear. She was talking to her roommate, Maria, who was facing a similar situation in her office. She too was holding a mobile phone in one hand was busy typing a complicated Java code on her laptop with the other one.

'Ugh, if I see one more file after this,...' said Roshni irritably after signing the final paper and closing the file.

'Tell me about it,' said Maria, who was feeling all worked up too. 'This is the third code I've been typing today.'

'Let me ask you something - is all of this really worth it?' said Roshni, now trying to get rid of an ink blot that she had accidentally spilled on an important document. 'For the salary that we get, and for all the gratitude that we get from our respective bosses, you'd think we would have fewer things to do.'

'Yeah,' said Maria, saving the code as "Prototype3.java". 'Well, cheer up - it's weekend tomorrow! You can find something exciting to do tomorrow!'

'Maria!'

Maria turned back and found her boss eyeing her angrily. She smiled weakly at him, dropped the phone on her table and started typing the fourth code. Once the boss had his back to her, she took up the phone again.

'Sorry about that, Roshni, that complete idiot...'

'You don't have to apologize for that darling,' said Roshni, finally getting rid of the ink blot with the help of a handkerchief. 'We've all been in that situation.'

'Yeah, well I'll see you later then. This guy has his eye on me right now.'

'Ok then,' said Roshni as she kept her phone on the table and while doing so, she accidentally dropped the ink pen right on the file she had just cleaned.

'This job hates me.'

The next day, the two friends were a lot more relaxed than what they were the previous day. They were starting to vent out their steam that they had gotten the previous week.

'It took me almost two hours to get rid of the ink blot,' said Roshni irritably to Maria, as she was making herself a cup of coffee. Roshni was sitting down on the couch, reading a newspaper.

'Then the boss finds a trace of it on the paper and gives me a menacing stare. I then thought that that moment was my last one at that office. Then he tells me that it was irresponsible for me to spill ink on the paper, and then tears up the paper and asks me to make a new one! You have no idea how angry I was...'

'Hmm,' said Maria boringly.

'It seems like you're really into my story, huh?' said Roshni sarcastically.

'Alright,' said Maria, putting the paper down. 'I'll be honest with you - it's the weekend, alright, and I don't want to hear you venting out your anger on your boss, alright? I mean, I thought you were going to have plans to make this an exciting weekend!'

'You're right,' said Roshni. 'Alright, pack your bags.'

'What do you mean pack your bags?' said Maria. 'Where are we going?'

'I don't know, I thought that we would discuss that while we're packing.'

'You can't just pack your bags and go somewhere! Maybe we can do something else. Let's just go to the mall. For some sight-seeing.'

'Yeah, right,' snorted Roshni. 'Sight-seeing. Last time I went sight-seeing with you, I had just gotten my salary from my job, and you had spotted a diamond necklace. The next thing that I know that happened was that you had a brand new necklace, and I'm borrowing money from you for buying bread and peanut butter!'

'Well, I thought that you were giving me it as a gift!' said Maria, slowly looking away from her.

'Well, that's not going to happen,' said Roshni. 'Maybe we can just go and watch a movie.'

'Ok that's great,' said Maria. 'What do you want to watch?'

'I don't know, I don't care.'

'Well, how about we watch - "Shield from Darkness", the brand new horror film which involves a witch and a subplot that involves a man masquerading as a witch...'

'No way am I watching that,' said Roshni, shaking her head.

'Alright, that's it. Let's just get a bite outside and that's it.'

'That seems like a good idea,' said Roshni. 'Where do you want to go?'

'We can always go to "The Royal Pearl", the brand new all cuisine restaurant.'

'Why can't we just go to the coffee shop?' said Roshni.

'Coffee shop? You want to go to a coffee shop instead of a swanky, brand new restaurant? Why use a telephone when there's always a smartphone?'

'Well, what are you going to have there?' asked Roshni.

'Coffee,' said Maria slowly. 'And a free biscuit, to go.'

'I'm not going to a restaurant just to have coffee!'

'I'm not going to the coffee shop! It reminds me of wood and apple pie, and sarcastic waiters, and what not...'

'Alright, that's it,' said Roshni. 'We're not able to amicably agree on anything to do this weekend. There's nothing.'

'You're right,' said Maria. 'I guess I'll just tell you what happened at work then...'