"I'm getting by backside kicked at the office and at home. I guess I was so busy getting to where I am now that I did not bother to have even a semblance of a personal life. I really hope this lonleness just goes away", he said. All of 5 feet 11 inches he settled himself into one of those fancy chairs at a nearby Cafe Coffee Day (CCD).

Siddharth was the only son to his parents. His father , an IIT alumni and his mum a homemaker.Needless to say his dad was driving him to do that much more professionally and he was not happy with his job. His mother would blow up at the slightest hint of her only "child" going through any kind of stress. So Sid would hardly confide in anyone at home. He was a private person and so his colleagues were certainly off bounds for such talk.

He was a friend of almost eleven years and I had never known Sid to get emotional in all those years. So as I sat listening to Sid, I thought maybe I could be of some help.

Three days later: "Sorry bro I knew few really nice girls and all of them are either hooked or booked", she said with a pathetic look on her face. She then continued "Come to think of it I think you can do with some 'company' too. What say?" I vaguely said "hmmm...." and changed the topic.I was not about to go down that lane and get ribbed all over again. That devilish sister of mine never missed an opportunity to pull my legs!!

Amidst all that my bubbly sister had to say... it certainly did dawn on me. A group of young men were so focussed on doing things and going places professionally that now any "company" that was around was either "hooked or booked"!

Some wise man did say (and i do not know in what context)

"Water, water everywhere,
Yet, not a drop to drink!"

That quote did make sense, in a twisted way, today.