Text exchange

I was working with a multinational company. For office work I had to travel abroad with a colleague. Since this was an official visit, our office was going to arrange a phone with international calling facility. This instrument was office owned and we were required to return it after the visit. My and my colleague received our respective instruments on the same day. Since both of us were women, we were going to share a room as per the office arrangements.

Me and my colleague left India and went to the location. We stayed at the hotel that was assigned to us. Both of us were jet lagged and we were unable to sleep. We decided to chat for sometime. Somehow while chatting I checked the phone. I was going through the text messages. I found one thread extremely fascinating.

Sent: what are you doing?

Received: nothing just waiting for you.

Sent: how sweet. Wait for some more time. I am preparing presentation for tomorrow. Once that is done we will see.

I was intrigued with what I had read. This message was sent a month ago. It was sent to the number that was assigned to my colleague who was with me in that room. Both of us decided to investigate. At first it felt little intrusive to read through the message exchange between two unknown people. But then I thought if those people did not feel awkward to exchange messages on a phone that was assigned to them by the office then why should we feel awkward about reading them? So I continued to read further.

Sent: 10 more minutes then we will decide.

Received: these 10 minutes would feel like a lifetime for me. Please finish your work quickly. I am waiting for you.

Sent: have some patience. I am sure that this patience will pay off. Now don't talk to me and let me finish my work.

Based on the timelines we could figure out who those colleagues were. The tension was built in those messages. Me and my colleague were reading through those messages and laughing. We could not believe how could someone be so careless to share personal messages on an official number. Not just that they also forgot to delete these messages before handing over the phones to the travel logistic team.

Sent: okay done with the work. Time for some fun. So where should we meet?

Received: my room. It has amazing view.

Sent: great suggestion. Be there in 5 minutes.

At that moment I felt guilty to read through someone's personal messages. I decided to stop. Because that moment I felt that I was peering into someone's personal life that was kept hidden from everyone. It did not give me the thrill but it was giving me the guilt. The ones who sent these messages made a mistake. I did not want to make another mistake by looking through them.

I placed the phone away and decided that I would not look through it. I felt that it was a private matter and I should have left it to be private.