Undoing

Ashwin Goyal

Feb 1, 2024 — 1 min read

"It’s over." The text broke his heart and yanked him back through time, undoing the ring in his pocket along with their bright, shared future.

"You're fired." His boss's words made him slump, undoing the pride of his recent promotion and the prestige of his corner office.

"You're unadmitted." The dean's cold pronouncement erased his academic achievements, undoing his proud stride on graduation day.

"You're unpicked." The coach's blunt words robbed him of his athletic identity, undoing the camaraderie he once felt on the field.

Little was left of him after undoing the thrill of his first car, the awe of his first flight, the tenderness of his first kiss, the adventure of his first step, and the joy of his first laugh.

And in the end, the decision to birth him, reversed by his father’s harsh words, undid his very existence in a world that chose to move on without him.

Chasing perfection

He strides into the office, black turtleneck and all, a self-proclaimed embodiment of Steve Jobs. His latest project is his magnum opus, a product that'll redefine the industry. He places the laptop on the table and, without a word, brings out a hammer. "It needs to be

Communicating

He opened his laptop. "We really need to tackle the declining sales," he said, pointing to a graph. She was looking at an interior design website. "I'm thinking the office needs a redesign for better workflow." "We’re losing market share fast,"