I still remember the day I heard Jennifer cry in a bathroom stall on the second floor of our office. It was four in the evening, our colleagues were leaving home from work, but she always sat late. She used to be a cheerful person around others. But alone, there was something different about her. She looked pale and lost. I wasn’t sure if I should wait to ask her if she was okay, that day, or if I should just let it be. We were just colleagues, why would she open up to me? It felt awkward asking.
The next day she didn’t turn up to work. I didn’t have her personal phone number. A part of me was concerned, but we were just acquaintances, from work. I wasn’t even sure about her last name then. I let it go. She returned to work after the weekend, different, she seemed to avoid people and kept to herself. It took me two days to convince myself to walk up to her. I am an introvert, I keep my social communication limited. During lunch break, I finally asked her the question that had been bothering me: “Are you okay?”
She looked at me surprised. “Yes, why do you ask?” she replied. “Because I heard you cry the other day, and ever since then, I have been meaning to ask you”, I said. We spoke for the next one hour, I learnt she was a victim of domestic violence. I tried to cheer her up, together we found her legal and medical help. This was three years ago, today, we are best friends. She finally found happiness in getting out of the relationship and I learnt a valuable lesson. When you feel someone is not okay, ask them, they probably need your help.
- The reader is based in the UAE
