When Mobiles Beep and News is Outdated

He did not want to be there. He should not be there. He got up to leave, caught sight of himself in the mirror and sat back down. Odd place to have a mirror, and such a big one at that. Were people who waited supposed to watch themselves reading magazines? He contemplated his own reflection. Was his nervousness really showing that much? He tried to straighten his face, look more authoritative. It wouldn't do, to show nerves. He had to be the boss of this meeting, oh yes.

What meeting, though? Hadn't he decided to leave? He couldn't remember why he had sat back down. Ah, yes, he had seen his own face in the mirror, and decided to prove to himself that it wasn't fear that was making him leave, oh no. He was going to stay, and take this meeting by storm. I mean, how hard could it be, a meeting like this? For him, who had handled so many tough meetings in his career? His face relaxed, and he managed a smile. The reflection smiled back. That was better. No nerves, just a casual grin. Um -- not that casual, either. Nope, that looked put on.

Was his shirt crumpled? He stood up and straightened it out, and smoothed his tie. He flicked some dust off his sleeve. He sat down again. How long was he supposed to wait, anyway? His mobile phone vibrated in his back pocket. When had he put it there? He stood up to take it out, and sat down again. A message from his mother, asking why he hadn't updated her on how the meeting had gone.

"Meeting not happened yet," he texted back. "Still in waiting room." He put the mobile in his front pocket. It didn't fit properly. Now he remembered. He stood up to put it in his back pocket, and sat down. It vibrated again. He stood up, pulled it out -- his mother, asking why the meeting hadn't happened yet, had he messed up? No, he hadn't, he replied. He'd got here on time and was waiting. But why was it taking so long, then? How was he to know? Shouldn't he find out? From whom, there was nobody around.

Tiring of leaping up and down every time she pinged, he finally balanced the mobile on the magazine rack, taking out a magazine to read as he did so. A film magazine, three months old. The kissing couple on the cover were already separated, as far as he knew. The mobile vibrated and he just caught it in time to stop it falling off its precarious perch.

Wasn't he in the meeting yet, she was asking. No, he wasn't, he was sitting playing 'balance my phone' on the magazine rack. Was he reading a magazine? Yes. Which one? Three month old Film Today, with Mr. A and Miss B kissing on the cover. Waste of time, they were separated. He knew. Would she mind not messaging any more, his battery was running low. Wasn't there a plug point around, to re-charge it? He couldn't see one. Well, he should look for one, surely a 34 year old boy could find himself a plug point! He didn't have his charger. Why not? He had forgotten. That's why he needed a wife.

Shekhar sighed and, with great resolution, pressed the OFF switch. His mother would think the battery had gone. He sank down on the seat and wiped his forehead with his palm. He closed his eyes.

"I know," a voice said, making him jump. "These mothers, they don't stop texting, do they?"

A door had opened, just to the right of the big mirror, and she was smiling at him. "Sorry I made you wait this long, but Mummy fixed the meeting without asking me what time, and I had a conference call on with Denmark. I tried emailing, but it bounced, I think she copied your email id wrong or something. Anyway, come in."

He got up, walked over to her, and followed her into her office. She sat behind her desk and motioned him to a seat opposite. He sat, and then stood again.

"What?" she asked.

"I left my mobile phone ..."

"Oh, you'd switched it off, so you won't need it for the next few minutes. And we can keep an eye on it from right here, see, it's right next to the magazine, were you were sitting."

He blushed. The phone was indeed there, clearly visible. So that's why the mirror was so big, and in that place. He looked at her. She was laughing. "It helps," she said, "when business associates, clients, vendors ... and so on are waiting outside, to be able to gauge their frame of mind when they don't know they're being watched. I meet them out there of course, so they don't find out."

"And you met me in here so I'd know and get embarrassed?"

"No, I met you in here because this is the first time I've agreed to meet someone Mom wanted me to meet via the community matchmaker."

"And?"

"And I was watching you. I was so distracted during my conference call. But on the whole, I think I have a sense of you. You're anxious to please, yet anxious ot be your own man. And your Mom dominates you. So you'll be used to a dominating woman in your life, should you choose to let me enter it."

He smiled. "That mobile phone looks lonely out there. I think I'll bring it in and tell Mom."