Short Story: Inconveniences by Ritu Sinha

Ritu Sinha’s short story is a lighter take on one of the most commonly faced problems by women in India.

She couldn’t hold it any longer. The meeting seemed like a game of musical chairs. People were running around the same point again and again. One by one the participants were dropping out. Few of them were persistently going on. She excused herself, not that anyone noticed. And rushed to the lady’s room. What was this crowd in front of the loo? Has someone fainted while peeing? As she walked to the door an attendant blocked her way. 

Ma’am, the washroom is being cleaned.

Cleaned? At this time? Washrooms should be cleaned early in the morning when the staff is yet to come. Not at this hour. 

With an uncooperative bladder, she went back to the conference room. Somebody was wrapping up the meeting, basically telling everyone that we are as indecisive as we were 2 hours back. Everyone knows that, moron. 

They all walked out of the office and got into cars. Two car-full of people going to make a mundane, boring, inconclusive presentation to the client, in a hotel. But the picture it painted was of an army charging towards their mission. Guess everyone was excited about the food and drinks that would follow.