I am searching for my stapler from last two hours but I can’t find it anywhere. My head is aching. There is nothing in this house that is at it’s right place. I am forever searching for one thing or the other. It’s too much. No matter how much I keep on arranging things, someone always moves them from there.

I don’t know whether I should shout or scream. My family is completely indifferent to any kind of order in the house. They go about throwing their stuff anywhere. My house looks more like a fish market. I am sick and tired. I have to staple some important papers and I am not able to get hold of the stapler. I don’t know why these people touch my things. I have told them a zillion times to stay away but to no avail.

I always keep my stapler in my brief case. It’s my personal stapler and I have been using it from last five years. Only six months before, I got a separate stapler for my kids so that they don’t go about hunting for my personal one. But it is of no use at all. I have asked my kids and my wife separately but they have no idea where are the two staplers.

My son told me that he could not find the new stapler so he took my personal one because he had to use it for some school project. He clarified that he handed over the stapler to my daughter. My daughter says that her friend wanted it so she lent it to her for one day. I don’t know what to say. How can she give MY stapler to her friend? On further investigation I came to know that the stapler was returned back. My daughter clarified that she handed over the stapler to my wife. My wife told me that she kept the stapler on the table and went to office. Noone has the slightest idea that where did the stapler go from the table. It is absolutely foolish to ask my wife that why she placed the stapler on the table. It means starting a battle at home.

So here I am feeling very, very angry. My son is asking me to chill. Just imagine. It’s not about the stapler. It’s about the way we are leading our lives. We all must respect our belongings and respective space in a family. Frankly, I am tired of explaining this to my kids and wife. I guess there is no solution to my problems.

I must take your leave now. Let me check some more. Please take care. Bye.

The hunting expedition went on for some time. The ‘common man’ bent down and looked for stapler near the table. To his great surprise and relief- his precious stapler was lying under the sofa, playing hide and seek with him.