The Interview

Hello madam, it's 8 am,’ Lavanya woke me with a start.
‘What? Is it already morning?’ I questioned them with
a puppy look on my face.
‘Yes, and you have an Interview to attend,’ Rach spoke,
staring at me with a toothbrush in one hand and the other
on her waist. My head hurts due to lack of sleep.
‘Is that for me?’ I pointed at the toothbrush in Rachita’s
hand which had red toothpaste on it.
‘No it’s for me, go get your own,’ groaned Rachita.
‘So, is it Friday today? and where am I going?’ I asked
as Lavanya pulled me out of bed.
‘Did you even look at the company profile or the
location?’ Rach had a furious look on her face. But the
toothbrush in her hand made her look like a barbie movie
character who usually tortured barbies. I smirked as I
pictured it in my head.
‘Stop imagining! Go and get shower immediately,’ they
said. As I walked in, the water felt as empty and cold as my
soul. “The truth is I have changed a lot in these few months,
there is nothing that I am interested in, there is nothing that I
want to do, there is nothing which makes me feel good. But
still, I pretend that I am fine. Because I don’t want them to be
the victims of my emptiness. And now I have to attend this
interview. Because sometimes I feel that I am a burden to my
friends… Fact is I don’t want to add to their problems
anymore…”
I walked out of the shower with a smile to cheer them
up and saw that everything was arranged for me. My dress
was ironed and my bag was ready. I feel blessed to have

them around me and sometimes really wonder what it
would be like if they weren’t there. But yet another truth
pops up that I am like this because of them. “Funny how
time controls us.”
‘Why are you even getting ready? anyhow you will go to
sleep now,’ I questioned Rach as she was very much keen
on puffing the foundation on her face.
‘Not today, I have a meeting with a client at 10.’
‘Aren’t you sick of working so much? I mean you were
working all night and now a meeting.’
‘Don’t worry, It was an important project. After the
meeting is done it’s 3 days off for me.’
‘Every Saturday and Sunday is a holiday for you,’ I
screamed, making a face at her as she laughed at her poor
joke.
As we walked down for breakfast Mr. Kai greeted us
with a broad smile.
‘So, are our Princesses ready?’ He asked.
Our landlord, Mr. Shankar Kai turned fifty-six a week
ago but looks a decade younger than his actual age. His
light reddish beard makes him look young. He has a
wheatish complexion with a round face, with which you
could actually draw a perfect circle. He is a happy-go-lucky
person married to a loving wife and blessed with a son and
a daughter.
‘Where is Lavanya?’ Rach asked.
‘She is out with her mother, they went to a temple,
hope they will be back before you leave,’ Mr. Kai got back to
his files. Lavanya is Mr. Kai’s daughter. She goes by
Lavanya Kai. I know it sounds very old-fashioned.
Lavanya’s grandma gave her the name in her best friend’s
memory.
‘We are here,’ Lavanya came in with Mrs. Kai. Mrs.
Ramya Kai was not as modern as her name sounds. She
came in with a “pooja thali” which she took to ‘Devi’ Temple
nearby. She looked just like her daughter, or we can say
Lavanya looked most like her Mom, except for her
complexion which was inherited from her father. Lavanya
and Mrs. Kai always visited the temple together on Fridays.
‘I think I will leave now,’ I said, as I finished my juice
and headed towards my room to get my bag.
‘Wait, Arjun will drop you,’ Mrs. Kai said. My heart
sank the moment I heard his name.

The only person who has the capacity to let me down
and open me to my fears was him. There are a few things
that would have been good if they never existed, just like
my love for Arjun. But that didn't happen, I was meant to
meet him. I was meant to fall for him and now I was meant
to be tormented by him.
Everyone around me fell silent trying to avoid the
situation. Obviously, that’s the only choice we are left with
for the past we carried with us. It would be a nightmare for
me to face him. And I knew why She took his name. The
guilt which she was bearing was huge than the pain of me
seeing him.
‘No,’ I replied to break the awkwardness which was
filling the room. ‘I’ll take a cab.’
‘I had informed him and he is willing to do so. No more
arguments,’ she said and walked towards the kitchen.
Mr. Kai followed her to make her understand. I
mentally scolded her for making me do this. Girls had their
eyes on me and I realised that I should have handled the
situation smoothly.
‘I didn’t see that coming,’ I said with an eyebrow raised
to convince them that I was completely alright with it and
nothing was bothering me, even though there were
thousands of emotions flooding inside of me.
‘But that is the only option you are left with. We
escaped the last time but this time she won’t let it slide,’
Rach replied looking outside the window. The
disappointment on their faces spoke more than what their
lips uttered.
‘Come on, you know I am strong, I’ll be alright. Now
wish me luck because I really want this job,’ I said and we
moved back to our room.
It is not difficult anymore to pretend in front of them, as I
have been doing this for months now. I have mastered it and
I don’t even remember when exactly I started doing It.
As I walked down the stairs I heard Arjun saying that
he has a conference to attend. A chill runs down my spine
every time I hear his voice and it never changes with time.
‘Have your breakfast Munna,’ Mrs. Kai said following
him.
‘I don’t want to,’ he replied in an angry tone and walked
towards the door. I don’t even remember when was the last
time I saw him so close. He walked past me so quickly that