You Need Me, I Don't Need You...

About two weeks back our house was broken into. Preethy and I were at our home towns for the weekend. She was the first to come home. The main door was smashed, the whole house was a mess. Clothes from our cupboard were strewn everywhere. Poor girl had to sit in the house alone for 3 hours before anyone else came. My train also decided to be 2 hours late. She called me to ask when I'll be reaching. She was pissed and had been crying, her personal laptop was stolen. We all know how we feel about our own laptops. Most of us buy it during our MBAs. From notes to movies to all our memories in photos and videos and endless songs... Sure you may have created backups, but unfortunately you can't make backups to your relationship with your first laptop, it knows all your secrets.

There are a lot of times where I can use the word 'nightmare' to describe that day. But the biggest was entering our room to see Preethy sitting at the edge of the bed looking at the all the clothes piled at the floor. She looked helpless, angry and scared all at the same time. All our drawers had been opened. It felt like a form of violation. I could only remember this strip from Calvin and Hobbes.

Anyways, it has been two weeks since that incident. We went to the police station to file an FIR, but there has been no leads. They were sympathetic, but not too hopeful. Preethy has gone home again this weekend and I'm alone for the first time since that incident. Its not like I haven't lived alone before. I pride myself to be independent and love the times when I can just kick back with a book and not have to feel obligated to entertain anyone. But in times like these you come to realise how much you reach out to people around you. When you feel scared of opening the door at night after office, or take a sigh of relief just to see everything locked as I had left it. Even during a coffee break in the evening, my mind was constantly trying to remember whether I had locked everything proper or not.

In these times you sometimes lose the independent streak and want to hold on to someone. Doesn't matter if they are family, a friend or a boyfriend/girlfriend. Doesn't even matter whether they are physically strong or braver than you or not. Just somebody who you could wait outside their office to go home together. Someone who agrees to keep watch with you at night and ends up falling asleep holding you so you know you are not alone. Even though, at a sound of anything creepy at night, would scream the shrillest.

Its funny when you pursue your adult life trying to stand on your feet, only to fall towards someone at the first glance of trouble.