He turned his head for a quick second in the direction of the digital clock on his table, which announced 11.15 PM. The last time he checked, it had said 9.10 PM. He checked the screen of his laptop. He was nearly done with his work, except for a few final corrections in his speech. The sudden realization of the lateness of the hour seemed to have drained him of his energy, and he thought it best to pack up for the day and complete the remaining parts at home the next morning. After giving it a bit of thought, he shut down his laptop, put it in his bag and walked out of his office. He locked the door and shuffled the few yards to the elevator along the deserted corridor. He was still cursing himself for the delay in the preparation for the speech as he got into…
