The Apology Draft

Harsh sunlight cuts through glass walls. A cramped conference room. A table cluttered with printouts, coffee cups, sticky notes, a laptop, and a whiteboard marker.

NAVEEN (28), office formals, phone in hand, stands like he’s awaiting sentencing. Face full of regret.

HARIISH (50), grumpy HR manager, tie slightly crooked, reading glasses on, a coffee stain on his shirt, sits with a printout of an apology draft.

Sir, bas ek baar approve kar dijiye.

Approve? Yeh apology hai ya IPO pitch?

Main ne socha tha... professional lagega.

Professional? “I regret any unintended offense caused”

—yeh line sunke lag raha hai tumne kisi lawyer ko

kidnap karke likhwaya hai.

Harish circles a line with his pen.

Sir, thoda soft kar dijiye.

Harish picks up the whiteboard marker, stands, and writes:

ON WHITEBOARD:

“SOFT NAHI. SACH BOL.”

Apology mein perfume mat daalo.

Seedha bolo.

Seedha bol diya toh HR case ho jayega.

Abhi bhi ho sakta hai. Honest ho ke.

Naveen drops into a chair, defeated.

Main bas team ko offend nahi karna chahta tha.

Par kar diya.

Galti se.

Tumhari “galti se” ka record kaafi lamba hai.

Harish flips the page.

HARIISH (CONT’D)

“Dear team”?

Haan.

Nahin. “Hi people I annoyed.”

Sir!

Kya? At least attention milega.

Naveen snatches the printout back.

Main serious hoon.

Main bhi. Dekho.

Harish leans in, reads aloud with brutal enthusiasm.

HARIISH (CONT’D)

“I value collaboration and respect.”

He underlines it.

HARIISH (CONT’D)

Yeh line tumhari nahi lag rahi.

Matlab?

Matlab tumhari actual line honi chahiye,

“I value not being hated.”

Naveen groans.

Aap HR mein ho ya stand-up mein?

Dono. Budget mein.

A beat. Naveen’s phone VIBRATES. He looks down.

ON PHONE SCREEN: BOSS CALLING.

Naveen freezes.

Oh no.

Harish notices the name.

Boss?

Naveen nods, tense.

HARIISH (CONT’D)

Tumne usko bhi offend kiya?

...Maybe.

Harish removes his glasses slowly.

“Maybe”?

Sir, woh meeting mein tha.

Aur?

Aur... woh mera ex-best friend hai.

Harish stares. Then a tiny, knowing smile.

Aha.

Aap aise “aha” mat kijiye. Mujhe aur bura lag raha hai.

Isliye toh main yeh draft rewrite karwa raha hoon.

Team ke liye?

Team ke liye bhi. Boss ke liye mostly.

Naveen blinks.

Matlab?

Harish taps the printout.

Tum apology team ko bhejoge, phir boss ko alag version.

Kyunki usko tumhari joke se zyada tumhari attitude ne maara.

Aapko kaise pata?

Main HR hoon, detective nahi. Par experience hai.

He hands Naveen a pen.

HARIISH (CONT’D)

Likho.

Naveen hesitates, then dictates as Harish writes on the whiteboard.

“Mujhe lagta tha main funny ho raha hoon...”

“...par main bas rude tha.”

“I’m sorry...”

“...and I’ll do better.”

Naveen reads the line, swallowing his pride.

Yeh likhne mein saans phool rahi hai.

Good. Apology thodi mehengi honi chahiye.

Naveen finally signs the printout and opens his laptop.

Bas? Send?

Send.

Naveen hovers over the trackpad.

Agar reply mein “seen” aaya toh?

Harish picks up his coffee cup.

Toh usko apology mat samajhna.

Usko punishment samajh ke zinda rehna.

Naveen hits SEND.

A beat.

He exhales like a man surviving surgery.

Ho gaya.

Haan.

Sir... aap actually help kar rahe the?

Harish adjusts his tie, deadpan.

Nahi. Main tumhara public humiliation test kar raha tha.

Pass ho gaye.

Naveen laughs despite himself.

Harish hides a smile.

HARIISH (CONT’D)

Ab jao.

Aur next time office mein comedian mat banna.

Ji, Sir.

Naveen gathers the papers and heads to the door.

Before exiting, he turns back.

NAVEEN (CONT’D)

Sir... thanks.

Harish waves him off, already back to his coffee-stained kingdom.

Welcome.

Aur haan—apology mein “LOL” mat daalna.

Naveen smiles, shakes his head, and exits.

Harish looks at the whiteboard, then adds one more line beneath the others:

“TRUTH HURTS. TRUTH WITH SPELLING MISTAKES HURTS MORE.”

He smirks.

THE END.