The Lift
The Lift
Shashank Purandare
“Okay. Five minutes,” I said as I switched off my iPhone, slung my laptop bag over my shoulder, turned off the office lights, and stepped out into the lobby. As usual, only one elevator was functioning. In that twenty-story building at Nariman Point, there’s rarely anyone besides someone like me working past 9:00 PM on a Saturday. The lift chimed, the doors slid open, and I stepped inside. Just as the doors were closing, someone pressed the button from the outside. They reopened, and Ragini walked in.
“Hi Ajay!” she exclaimed upon seeing me.
“Hello. What are you doing in the office this late?” I asked.
Ragini worked as a Risk Analyst in the investment firm right across from ours. Since I worked at a share broking firm, we had a "hi-bye" level of acquaintance. Ragini was the kind of person who effortlessly drew attention. Today, even in a typical pantsuit, she looked lovely. She had a fair complexion, stood about five-and-a-half feet tall, and wore no makeup except for a light touch of pink lipstick. Her ponytail, tied with a pink rubber band, swayed against her back. Managing a laptop bag in one hand and a high-design purse over her shoulder, she pressed the button and closed the door. The feminine elegance she displayed while doing all this was enough to charm anyone. The lift descended two floors and suddenly ground to a halt.
“Oh my god! What just happened to this lift?” Ragini said, irritated.
“The power must have gone out. Anyway, there’s a backup, so it should start shortly,” I replied.
“I hope so, otherwise we’re in trouble,” she said with a sigh.
Because all the lights had failed, the lift was plunged into pitch darkness. Nothing was visible. I reached into my pocket, pulled out my iPhone, and switched on the torch. Two or three minutes passed, but there was no sign of the lift starting. Both of us remained absorbed in our own thoughts.
“I’ll try calling security,” Ragini said.
But the emergency phone in the lift was dead. I tried to make a call from my iPhone, but there was no signal inside the lift.
“Wait a bit, the power will be back soon. It usually doesn't take long,” I said.
“I know, but I’m already late, and now this drama! My eyes and fingers are aching after working all day, that’s all. From here, it takes at least an hour and a half to reach Andheri,” Ragini said, sounding quite annoyed. But there wasn't much we could do except wait.
Half an hour passed. I turned off the torch to save the battery. The darkness now felt like it was closing in on us. Tired of standing, Ragini sat down on the floor. I sat down beside her. We couldn't see a thing, but we could feel each other’s presence.
“I’m hungry. I have biscuits in my purse. Can you turn on the torch for a second?” Ragini asked.
I switched it on. In that light, our faces looked like ghosts. Ragini pulled out a packet of biscuits. We ate in silence. A few sips from my water bottle settled our hunger. Then, the kingdom of darkness returned. At least we didn't have to look at our ghostly faces anymore.
After ten or fifteen minutes of silence, Ragini spoke, her voice a bit soft. “The power doesn't seem to be coming back. What should we do?”
“What can we do? There’s nothing we can do,” I said. “But don’t worry, someone will get us out.”
“That’s fine, but when?”
“Let’s see. We have no choice but to wait.”
Another ten minutes of silence passed.
“Turn on the torch for a bit. It feels weird in the dark.” I turned it on.
“We’ve been in the same building for so many years, but we know nothing about each other,” I remarked.
“True, but the opportunity never arose,” Ragini said.
“Well, now we have all the time in the world.”
“Oh boy, don't start that. I just want to get home.”
“Let’s do this: I’ll tell you about myself, and you tell me about yourself.”
“No thanks, I’m not in the mood.”
“Fine. You don’t have to talk, just listen to me. Did you know my family is pestering me to get married? I’m the one holding them back.”
“Why? You’re well-settled now.”
“I am. And the pressure from home is immense.”
“So?”
“So, I’ve registered on Bharat Matrimony.”
“Really? I thought you’d have a girlfriend by now.”
“I get home at midnight and leave at eight in the morning. Where’s the time to chase girls?”
“So, if you had the time, you would?”
“Do I look like that kind of guy to you?”
“How is one to know what someone is really like?”
“Fair point.”
“Let’s play a game,” Ragini said, suddenly in a better mood, seemingly forgetting we were trapped. “Let's pretend we met through Bharat Matrimony. I’ll start. What are your expectations for a girl?”
“Someone like you would do.”
“What? That’s a bit too much, isn’t it?”
“No, I mean, look—I want a professional girl like you. And you look... alright.”
“Just 'alright'?” I couldn't see her, but I could tell from her voice she had raised her eyebrows.
“No, I mean, you’re beautiful, smart, you have a good job. What more could one want?”
“I am beautiful. Do you have a problem calling a beautiful girl beautiful?”
“No, but how can I just say it like that? I’ve never said that to anyone before.”
“So what? I’m saying you’re handsome.”
“Thanks.” It was a good thing it was dark; this girl was bolder than I expected.
After that, we exchanged all the typical questions and answers people ask when fixing a marriage. Finally, Ragini said, “I like you. I don’t mind moving forward with this.”
I thanked the darkness once again in my mind. “I like you too. Shall we get married then?”
I cannot describe how the next hour and a half passed. When the lift finally started four hours later, we were asleep in each other's arms. As the lights flickered on, we snapped back to our senses. By the time we composed ourselves, the lift had reached the ground floor. It was past 1:00 AM. The doors opened, and Ramsharan, our watchman, was standing there.
“Sir, you were inside all this time? I had no idea.”
“But what happened?” I asked.
“What can I say, sir? The lift power failed suddenly. The backup was sent for repairs. That’s why it took so long to start. Sorry, sir.”
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”
“Goodnight, sir.”
An Uber arrived in five minutes. I dropped Ragini at her home in Andheri and went to mine. During that hour-long journey from Nariman Point to Andheri, we didn't say a single word. There was nothing left to say. For the entire ride, Ragini slept peacefully with her head on my shoulder.
The next morning, as soon as I reached the office, I pulled Ramsharan aside and gave him the thousand rupees we had agreed upon.
“Is the job done, sir?”
“Absolutely. But I told you to keep the lift shut for two hours. Why did you take four?”
“Sir, Madam is even smarter than you think you are.”
“What do you mean?” I was bewildered.
“Sir, Madam heard our entire conversation earlier. She was the one who told me to keep the lift shut for four hours... and she gave me another thousand rupees too.”
“You rascal, you’re the one who gained the most out of this!”
“Well, you didn't exactly lose out either, did you? Don't worry, sir, I’ll give you a great gift at the wedding.”
I had called Ramsharan when I was leaving the office, telling him to cut the lift power in five minutes. I knew Ragini would be entering the lift at that exact time. I had seen her biodata on a matrimony site and liked her, and after seeing her in person, I had fallen in love. I had staged this whole drama just to propose to her. But I didn't know that the fire was burning just as bright on the other side.
Well, as they say—all is fair in love and war!
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