In Search of The Incognito Window - Chapter 2

The wedding date was fixed for August, tentatively, the 20th. I still had some 6-7 months to prepare myself, emotionally. I decided to embrace what lay ahead with a smile, sadness wasn't going to help. Tears haven't got anyone anything so far! I usually woke up late, as I worked nights, something I had always preferred. While having my coffee, I realized I had an important e-mail to send. I drafted it carefully. I decided to read it one more time and finally send it. But before, I would have my bath.

At that very moment, I got a call. It was from my designer, Sam. Samantha was not only my designer for the longest time, but also one of my closest friends. Our families had lived in the same neighborhood while in Colorado. When we shifted to the warmth of California, she had decided to come along too. After staying with me for a year, she had finally bought a place of her own.

"What is it, Sam?", I asked half irritated. Sam always complained. I don't know how she managed to do that, but she had a natural ability for it. "I am not finding the precise color you want." She said. "I just gave you the order day before, search some more. I am sure you would find it." I said, already knowing the contradicting reply coming my way. "No I won't. I have already looked as much as I could." "Okay then, Sam. Go ahead with the colors you want." I always gave up earlier than what was necessary. "That's great! I'll call you when your stuff is ready. Ciao!" Someday, she would wait for me to say Bye as well.

Apart from complaining, Sam had a natural ability for designing as well. The colors she would choose would be great too. I decided to say Hi to mom and dad, and then go for my bath. Just before I could get up from my bed, I saw a small red something under my pillow. My Diary! I took it out and started reading it. This one was of 2 years back. I had read a little last night and thought I'd just finish the last few lines of the day I was on. This was the day when Jack had proposed to me for marriage. I read and kept reading, the entries of not only that day but those for an entire week.

I lay on my bed thinking about the days that had long gone by. Nothing had really changed. Jack was still his romantic self and somewhere I knew, he would always be. I really couldn't express myself the way he did, I never had. Jack had tried in vain to change the kind of person I was. It took him sometime to understand that 'not telling' isn't 'hiding', but eventually, he succeeded. He gave me the space I always required, and I appreciated all that he always had to say, by listening. Jack loved people who would just listen to what he had to say. Somewhere in these thoughts, I fell asleep.

The continuous ringing of the phone woke me up with a start. It was Sam again. I did not answer, nor was I going to call her back till I was done with my work. I thought about the e-mail and rushed for my bath. Mom and dad would have to wait for the Hi. When I came back, I rushed to my computer. I had two new e-mails. One was from Sam (she had her ways of reaching me!) and the other one... I read the name of the sender again and the subject. I read it 100 times. How could this be? I opened the email and confirmed my thought. This was a reply to the e-mail I had written in the morning, but when had I send it?

The e-mail was written to the owner of the company I partially worked with. His name was Arthur Parks, a fun loving and sweet man. I had to inform him regarding the time I could give his company this year, given the fact that I was soon to be married. My job with Arthur required me to travel most of the time. We worked for Post Disaster Management. People told him the time they could offer and he sent these details to the New York office, who in turn, would give out projects depending on the same details. I read through the e-mail I don't remember having sent again and again. In the time slot column, it said 1 year. I couldn't believe myself. How could this be? I had clearly written 3 months, which was a quarter.

I would do the thinking later. I called up Arthur to tell him what had happened. He would have to wait till I sent another e-mail.

"Hello Amy. Can you get me through to Arthur? This is Jenny here." I said in a hurry. Amelia Bench was Arth's niece and secretary.

"Oh Jenny! It's you again! Wait a minute." She said.

Again? ...what did she mean by again? ...Everyone seemed to have lost it today.

"Hello beautiful! What can I do for you?" Arthur said. I could actually imagine him smiling from ear to ear.

"Arthur, I sent you an e-mail sometime back. There was a mistake. Instead of 3 months, I wrote 1 year in the time slot. I hope you haven't sent the e-mail to the head office. I would like to make changes." I said this as fast as I could.

"Jenny darling, the e-mail has been sent to the head office an hour back. What would make you change your mind so fast?"

"I haven't changed my mind Arth. It just happened, a typo and nothing else. I never wanted to write 1 year." I pleaded. I knew how things worked. I knew nothing was going to change.

"Jenny darling, now really. You don't have to lie to me. You know I would change things if I could change them." He said, still smiling, I was sure.

"Arth, you seriously think I'm lying? Have you ever seen me lying before?" I couldn't believe he'd said those words.

"I don't understand sweety. You didn't only send me the e-mail but also called me and said how happy you would be to continue doing what you did. You said that you would be happy to postpone your wedding date if it was required. It was YOU who said, working on the Alaska project was all you ever wanted. I don't understand Jenny, is something wrong?" He sounded confused and I was more than just that.

"I called you? Are you serious? How can that be Arthur? It's just not possible." My talking had suddenly acquired the tone of blame. Had he lost it?

"Sugar, another call is waiting for me. I don't want to disappoint whoever it is, specially if it is a beautiful woman like you. I shall call you in some time hun. Why don't you check your call log till then?" This ended the conversation but not the scary confusion.

I said bye and looked blankly at my cell phone for a while. What was happening to me? I see an e-mail that I hadn't sent and now this call Arthur was talking about. I went to the call log. A small blue arrow showed the call I had received from Sam at 11.25 A.M. A red arrow showed the call I had missed from her at 1.30 P.M. Between these, was a small green arrow that said 'Arth' at 12.27 P.M. I was stunned. The call duration said 10 minutes.

I checked my wall clock. When I had started work at my computer in the morning, it had shown 11 A.M. Right now, it was showing 2.15 P.M. I remember what had happened till say 11.45 PM. I had spoken to Sam and had just read a few pages of the diary and fell asleep. I had woken up at 1.30 P.M, again to Sam's call and all these ghostly events. The e-mail and the call had happened between 12-1.30 P.M, while I was sleeping.

Who had come to my room while I was asleep? Even if someone did, no one had any reason for sending that e-mail. But someone had. Someone had come and someone had sent it because it certainly wasn't me. I got ready very quickly. I would ask Mom and then head to Jack's office to ask him whether he had done this. Maybe it was a typo and Jack had thought of completing some work for me. I stepped out of the room and as I was closing the door, I gasped.

Jack might have sent the e-mail, but who had made the call?

Arth said it was me, he couldn't be wrong.
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Author's Note:

The first chapter of 'in search of the incognito window' and this one tells us how stories can change overnight. The contrast also tells us how we always think everything is all right, at any given point. On this note, I would want to ask you what you think the next chapter would bring. More such incidences? The protagonist finally married? More characters? More insight on the unknown events? Also, all comments pertaining to the story up till now are welcome. :) It's always good to know what the readers feel.