Fate?

Just a random thought.

I am listening to Beethoven playing his ninth symphony, after two minutes I realize it's my alarm, I rummage under the pillow for my phone, I stare at it's screen with sleepy eyes, "Wakey wakey sleepy head." it reads. Sleepy head does not agree with that. I have comfortably wrapped myself up in a warm blanket and I am in no mood to give up that comfort just now. I snooze the alarm and close my eyes to get another five minutes of my sweet velvety sleep but just after two minutes my phone chimes up again. I wonder who'll call me so early in the morning I pull it out from under the pillow again and stare at it irritatingly, that's my cab driver and it’s nine o'clock already. I get up with a start and answer the phone. The driver announces he will be here to pick me up in fifteen minutes. I get ready for office in a hurry, I just finish tying my shoe laces when the cab pulls up in front of my apartment building. 

I make it to office on time, thanks to my driver. My office is located in one of the fastest growing IT hubs and is part of a huge IT park. There are seven other buildings scattered around our office. My desk is on first floor in the fifth building. By the time I reach office I am already feeling hungry, so I decide to skip the elevator and I run up the stairs. When I reach my desk I realize rest of my team is yet to show up. I quickly login to my email and check if there are any urgent matters that I need to look into, there is nothing in my inbox but there are hungry dogs in my belly, so I decide to go and get something to eat.

Our canteen is located at the sixth floor so I call the elevator I have to wait as it's on the ground floor. The elevator announces it arrival with a typical "Ding", it opens it's door slowly. I see my crush standing there alone in the lift I feel delighted, I get into the elevator.  I look at her from corner of my eye, she is looking extra beautiful today, like she does everyday. She has long thick black hair that go all the way to her waist, she  has a red butterfly shaped barrette in her hair. She has big black eyes, and unblemished fair complexion and thin pink lips. Her cheeks are chubby and pink like a baby her perfect figure highlighted by her plain white button down full sleeve shirt and a plain black knee length skirt. She is staring at the floor as if it is holding something interesting. I wonder if I will ever find a reason to talk to her.

I get off at the sixth floor, entire sixth floor is dedicated to the canteen, there are three counters on one side and rest of the floor is filled with tables and chairs arranged in neat rows and columns. On one side there is no concrete wall just tinted glass panes. I approach my favorite counter and order my usual sandwich and latte. The guy at the counter gets started with his business. I take up a seat near the glass pane wall and look outside, from where I am sitting I can see the front portion of third building and it's entry, beyond the third building there is a small hill covered with thick forest. Although it looked like a forest there were no animals in there. I looked at my crush, she was sitting a few tables away with her back towards me. I wondered when our fates would make our paths cross.

The guy at the counter waves at me, my sandwich is ready, I get the sandwich and the latte and return to my seat. I immediately start gobbling my sandwich and finish it in a couple of bites. I glance at my crush she is eating salad. I look outside again I spot a black BMW pulling up at entrance of the third building. The chauffeur gets out at once and opens the passenger door. A man in black suit steps out, just then passenger door to his opposite opens and another man in navy blue suit steps out. It looks like the guy in black suit is a client and the one in navy blue suit is someone from one of the offices housed in that building. All three got out of the same car but their lives must be so different from each others. I wondered who decided what type of life they had? Did their parents decide it, or grand parents, their financial condition or was it just their fate or did they decide it themselves. I wondered who decided how my life would be, was it me or my fate? 

I realized I had made my life what it is now. I am the one who decided to study engineering, I am the one who decided to work here. If I had wised, I could have chosen a totally different life for me. I could have decided to medicine instead then I  would be a doctor or I could have been a carpenter if I decided to be. I am the one who has shaped my own life. 

I realize we all take decisions that change our lives, for better or for worse. The decisions that we take is what drives our life. It's our decision that shapes our life and fate actually has a very little role to play. We can take one decision and have a totally different life for us.

I look at my crush, she is still eating her salad, I realize the fate had already played her part and now it's my time. I finish my coffee and approach the waste collection bin to dispose off my plate and cup. I turn around and approach the exit, one my way I have to cross the table she is sitting on, she has finished her salad, she casually looks at me oblivious of a volley of thoughts going on in my head. I flash a smile, she smiles back.

I am at a hospital I have my new born daughter in my hands, I look into her big black eyes that she has inherited from her mother and I wonder what would I be doing if I had not seen those three guys step out of the BMW five years ago.

Author's Note

Please review, heartily point out mistakes.
Thank you.

Reviews

[Nigel Newman]

Hi Arvad - There's an important 'life lesson' in your story. Fate or some mystical power may open doors for us, but we have to take positive action to make the most of that opportunity. I'm sure woe all look back on missed opportunities where we 'bottled it'.

It reminds me of a joke where a devout believer (doesn't matter which religion) has been assured by his 'God' that he will be saved in times of utmost crisis. Well it so happens that he's in a single floor house in a low-lying area when the nearby river starts to rise in response to all the heavy rain. The streets are beginning to flood and lots of people are evacuating to higher ground. He tries to call someone but there's no response, and the phone soon has no signal at all. Then he looks out of the window and sees cars and houses being washed away and the water level is almost up to the window sill of his building. Who can rescue him? Ah yes - I will be saved. Anyway, another few minutes passes and the water starts to spill over into the room and he still hasn't been rescued. He manages to clamber out of the window and climb onto the roof. It's slippery but he manages to grab the chimney and hang on. He sees an inflatable boat coming along the street and they look up at him. 'Need help?' they ask. 'No thanks' he replies, 'I'm being saved already - my rescue is on its way'. The waters rise further and start coming up the slope of the roof. More buildings and even trucks are floating past in the dirty torrent. Suddenly a helicopter appears, and one of the crew leans out with a loud-hailer and shouts 'Do you need help?'. Again he replies 'no thanks - my God will save me' because he's sure that salvation is on its way and will soon be here. Well, about an hour later he's clinging to the chimney while the waters surge around his body. Eventually, too tired to hold on any longer, he loses his grip and is swept away, never to be seen again. Some time later he meets his God and thinks he has a perfect right to complain. 'How come you didn't save me?!' His God replies 'What d'you mean? I sent a boat AND a helicopter!'

Anyway, as regards your writing style I'm afraid I can't agree with Mr Writer. There are a LOT of errors but, to summarise, I think they fall into 3 types
- Several commas where you should use a full stop and then start a new sentence with a Capital letter
- Several missing 'connection' words where I'm sure in your head you 'hear' the word ... but it's not there!
- Excessive unnecessary description, where you tell us a lot of things we don't need to know. Of course we need context, i.e. some description, but please don't forget the adage 'less is more'

I hope this helps. You have good stories to tell. But I genuinely think that paying attention to these things will improve their readability whilst still retaining the fast-flowing essence of your style.

BRs
Nigel

[Arvad Lazar]

Thanks for the review.
Points noted.
:)

[Mr.Writer]

Once again, well done! I got totally hooked by the style of your writing! You write in a way which is not confusing for the readers, but really easy to understand and enjoy all the emotions and plot at the same time! You're right, fate does a little role to play in our lives and more of how we decide to handle it. Just a think to point out, some people might believe that fate decides what they are or who they are, and some might not, so maybe you should say "in my opinion" or something like that, before stating that fate may have a little role, :)
Great job!!! :)

[Mr.Writer]

Great read once again! I like how you mix a lot of emotions in the book

[Arvad Lazar]

Thank you.