A Love Lost to Position
A Love Unheard
“No one is related to anyone in this world", my chest was heaving, it seemed like a strong earthquake had hit the ground of my heart, my body sweated, darkness spread everywhere, and the walls of the office started laughing at my love, Najma became the deputy manager of our office. And I was a mere Peon in the office, my love could not be fulfilled due to social status.
Once shared laughter and whispered confidences turned into a conversation, safe from the burden of professional responsibilities, Najma embraced her new power as she did so.
After being promoted to the post of Deputy Manager, Najma felt a big change in herself. The promotion, the power in her hands eliminated a mere peon and changed the nature of our relationship, and brought about a subtle but real change in the way we love.
"I never wanted that distance," she said, regretting her decision and feeling the burden of her newfound importance.
The walls of the office, where secret visions and dreams were sometimes shared, echoed with the steps of the deputy manager walking through the halls of power.
Once sober, Najma’s movements took on a calculated, measured quality in keeping with her superior status. "I am forced by that title, and our love, which was once an oasis, is now dying in a desert of hope," Najma said, her voice saddened by her heart torn between duty and her career ambitions.
As the shadow of conventional expectations drew closer, Najma and I discovered that we were separated by an unimaginable barrier. Laughter from the darkness, mocking not only our love but also the cruel irony that Najma’s rise to power became a hindrance to our loving relationship.
We make our way through the cycle of unspoken instructions and repressed desires in the shadow of our secret feelings. The light of day was hidden, veiled in the darkness of a system that could not see the sincerity of our love.
The story of me, Pawan, a pedantic, and Najma, the deputy manager, takes place in the quiet corners of an office where love dares to break out of the abyss of social indifference.
Najma and I were on the verge of breaking up, as a result of her new role, the sour taste of unrequited love still lingering. Once a story of shared goals, our work now takes place in the context of workplace power dynamics and social inequality.
Nasrullah Jalbani 2024
