01 | The One With Shree Prasad

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06th May 2016

The candles in her hand flickered as a soft breeze blew past her. Shree Prasad smiled as she whispered her prayer, soon another strong breeze of wind blew as a form of blessing from the Virgin Mary herself. It was a cool breeze, a soothing one, and above all an assuring one, that guaranteed her that everything will be well.

Shree Prasad opened her eyes "I'd take it as a sign that You've heard my prayer," she said to the Virgin Mary statue as she made the candle stand on the metal stand. "Let's hope I pass today's job interview." Shree whispered a soft Amen.

"I really need this job!" Shree said "And if I don't get this job, I will stop talking to You. I don't want to meet Christian Grey or go on that Europe tour. Get me this job somehow and I swear on Raja's Chaat to visit this Church every week! You know way better than anyone else that my life is gradually turning out to be more of a typical TV soap day by day. See I'm even ranting out all my troubles like a frustrated daughter-in-law, who can't tolerate her mother-in-law! I need this job so badly!"

She thought for a moment about herself.

Shree has served as an English teacher in a Convent School, for almost four years after she completed her degree. As much as Shree loved to binge on her favorite TV soaps, she loved to teach. It was her passion. She believed it was her right as well, but she never imagined even in her wildest dreams that she would have to sacrifice her favourite job one day to make ends meet. She had no choice, especially after her widowed mother retired from her job. The meagre amount Shree earned from her teaching profession was insufficient for the family to survive. Above all, her sister Devi had got into Law College.

Secretary to the Deputy CEO of Ramakrishna Group of Companies. That is the post she had applied for and a wholesome salary would be paid with increments in the future. The salary she believes that will help eke out a living.

"Shree!" came a voice shaking her out of her reverie. Shree turned to find her mother walk towards her, draped in her rose pink sari. "You're getting late child. Come soon. The auto is waiting!"

Shree hurriedly collected her hand bag and her file from the wooden bench.

Shree followed her mother outside the church and past the courtyard.

Mrs. Prasad warned as she pulled Shree's hand as they crossed the road "Be careful! There are puddles everywhere," she said as she pushed Shree into the auto "And I know you don't want to show up to the interview with a muddy-"

Mrs. Prasad's words remained incomplete as a black car splashes mud over her sari. Shree's nostrils flared and she immediately got off the auto despite Mrs. Prasad's insistence.

"Wait for me," Shree replied, and made Mrs. Prasad sit inside the auto, thrusting her bag and file to her hands. "And don't step outside!"

Shree yelled and waved her hands, commanding the car to stop but it was of no use. She did a quick scan on the road and picked up the stone lying next to her feet, and sent it flying towards the black car. The stone hit the bumper of the car and the car screeched to a sudden halt.

A young man wearing a white shirt and black trousers stepped out of the car. He examined the dent on the bumper, and turned his gaze to Shree. He was a stern looking young man, muscular and tanned, as if dipped in gold and dried in the sun. His black hair was neatly combed back. A series of stubborn stubble graced the jutting jaw of his face, which were accentuated by his intense and dominating black eyes.

"Did you just throw something on my brand new car?" he shot as he walked towards her.

"Yes. I did," she answered as she hid her shaking voice underneath her audacious approach. "Do you have a problem?"

He let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Of course not. You see, the problem is not with me, nor you. It's the bloody Government that should be blamed for letting lunatics like you roam around in the streets!"

He glared angrily at her.

She studied his eyes. Deep black, angered and dominating with hints of pain and sorrow that remained after an unfortunate incident that happened long ago. 

His loud voice broke her off her reverie. "What the bloody fuck where you even thinking when you were throwing, whatever that was, on my car?"

"Excuse me!" Shree exclaimed, with a shaking voice, as she freed her arm from his vice-like grip and moved away from him. "Mind your language first of all. Don't forget that you are standing near a Church. I don't care if you behave like some uncontrollable human being, but for God's sake control yourself and that foul mouth of yours when you are near a Church, or a Mosque or a Mandir!" she said as she pointed at the Church opposite the road.

"Look! You're lucky because I got out of Church just now and that today is a Friday. Otherwise, I would have used all the cuss words I know onto you, to the point you would prefer to drive in to the flaming pits of Tartarus!"

"Stop creating a scene and do you know who you are talking to?" The young man warned as he noticed the pedestrians throw glances at them.

Shree smirked and mockingly added, "Oh My! Now don't tell me you don't know who you are!"

His face twisted into a convoluted confused look.

Shree continued her roasting spree. "And yes, what did you call me? A lunatic? From what angle do I look like a traumatized lunatic who fantasizes throwing stones at hi-fi cars? Forget calling me a lunatic, you splashed mud on the sari of--"

"What?" he fumed. "I can't believe you damaged my car just because I splashed mud on a sari! Do you know how much money I spent on that freaking car? That sari is not even one percent of what I spent to buy this car!"

"Look!" Shree exclaimed, looking hurt and infuriated. "That car might be more expensive than my mother's sari for you, but for me and my mother it's priceless! And for your kind information, that was the last sari my father brought for her before he died! Ma has been wearing white saris ever since! And it was only today I forced her into wearing something that's not white! And you apparate into the scene like some Death Eater driving a KITT and splash mud all over that one sari she valued the most!" Shree stopped to take a deep breath, and as she caught her breath she looked at the young man.

He stood there watching her with fixed eyes, the anger had vanished and his black eyes were clouded with concern.

"I'm sorry," the young man managed to say. "In that case is there anything I can do to compensate for this? A refund perhaps?"

"You rich people will never understand!" Shree said as she laughed sarcastically. "What do you rich people know about our sentiment and emotions when money is everything you'll can think of! Keep that money for yourself to get your car repaired! We don't need your money!"

She turned back and walked away flipping her hair.

The young man, stared at her as she walked away.

* * * * *

"I think we should hire Ms. Harper instead," suggested the bald Human Resource Manager of Ramakrishna Group of Companies. "She's formal and she's the perfect one for this post, Mr. RK!"

RK, the current CEO of the company, a tall and dark balding man dressed in a grey suit ran a scathed hand on his peppered beard as he studied the CV of a particular candidate.

"What do you suggest sir?" asked the bald HR manager. "Ms. Harper clearly stood one level higher than the rest."

"Shouldn't we let Mr. Madhav choose?" asked another man from the interviewing panel. "Where is he by the way?"

"His car got towed away this morning for illegal parking and he has to present himself in front of the Magistrate this afternoon to clear those charges. So he wants me to pick his secretary instead," RK said as he went through the CV again and thought for a while. "She'll be the perfect secretary, Mr. Oberoi." RK concluded as he passed the CV to the bald HR manager.

"Shree Venkat Prasad?" the bald HR Manager, Mr. Oberoi read out. "I don't think she'll be the perfect one, she's the exact opposite of Madhav's nature. I don't think he'll like her for her happy and talkative nature. "

"And that's exactly what is needed when you have to work with someone like Madhav. I've made up my mind Mr. Oberoi," RK said as he stood up. "We are recruiting Ms. Prasad. And that's final!"

He turned to his secretary, a fair woman as thin as a straw of hay, with brown hair rolled and twisted into a neat French bun. "Leila, tell Ms. Prasad that she has been recruited and I'd like to talk to her."

Shree walked inside the room as Mr. Oberoi and a few more from the panel walked out.

"May I come in Sir?" she asked and RK who was busy dictating a few instructions to Leila, gestured Shree to come inside.

"Congratulations, Ms. Prasad!" he said smiling as he stood up and noticed Shree's smiling face. "Unfortunately your boss won't be able to come today, and he has sent you some urgent work. Come with me!"

They walked out, and into the elevator.

"You will get your identification tag, your letter of Appointment by the end of the day. Do you like coffee?" he asked and Shree nodded. "Good for you then, because Starbucks has a small outlet in the lobby and they provide free coffee to all the Top Level Managers and their assistants and secretaries." RK said as he pressed the buttons of the lift to the fifteenth floor.

"Mr. Oberoi will sort out all the legal requirements and let you know everything you need to know. You will have to work for nine hours on weekdays and Saturdays are half-working-days. You can wear anything decent to work, but you need to show up in formal suit wear during Board Meetings and other important occasions, like a typical secretary."

The doors of the lift opened.

"Fifteenth floor. Don't forget. This is your workspace." RK said as he tapped onto the mahogany desk pressed to the wall, with a flat screened monitor. A comfortable swivel chair was standing near the desk.

"This is Madhav's office." RK said as he opened the giant wooden doors and stepped into a room so spacious, with bright and brilliant lighting. In front of the huge floor to ceiling windows, on the furthest end of the room is a dark wooden desk, with the latest flat screen monitor and a black leather-bound chair. There was a bookshelf with huge and voluminous books on Economics and International Trade Laws, while the rest were old Annual Reports. The walls were painted in a greyish blue that bore valuable and exquisite paintings by renowned modern artists. On the middle of the room was a blue sofa with a glass topped coffee table with the latest issue of The Business Times Magazine.

"It's beautiful." she crooned as her fingers traced the smooth planes of the mahogany desk. Her eyes fell on a photo frame, standing erect.

It was a picture of a young and beautiful woman wearing a purple and beige sari, her long and thick hair was neatly braided to a side. She was seated on a park bench with two children by her side. One was a little girl who was wearing a yellow frock smiling her brightest smile. The other child was a little boy, wearing a khaki coloured shorts and a blue tee shirt. His hair was neatly combed back and his eyes, familiar, however were gleaming with umpteen amounts of happiness. "There's an uncanny resemblance Sir. The children have taken after you!"

"These are my children. Devakshi and Madhav," RK said as he pointed at the children. "This beautiful lady in the sari is my wife, Rukmini."

RK kept the photo frame on the table. 

"Back to work now!" he declared as he walked to the bookshelf and scanned the voluminous books, his fingers stroking the spine of each book. He pulled out a few from here, a few from there and thrusted them all at Shree.

"Madhav wants you to go through these Annual Reports and write a quick summary on the performance of our fashion outlets in recent times. Try not to make any mistakes in amounts and on basic grammar. He has zero tolerance for such errors!"

* * * * *  

Shree spent the entire morning session as she went through the pages of almost three Annual Reports. She typed down the facts, as she took random sips of her coffee. It took her three hours to summarize the events that took place for the past three years. She took a printout after proof checking for the last time and marched into RK's office room.

* * * * *  

"This is really good Ms. Prasad!" RK praised and Shree smiled as he went through the summary again. "Exceptional!"

Leila walked inside, her lean and sleek figure led smartly "Madhav Sir has come, Sir. He is in his room, and he wishes to meet you and Ms. Prasad"

"That's good!" RK stood up and turned to Shree. "Ready to meet your new boss?"

As Shree entered Madhav's office, she halted in the entrance itself as she saw the man who was seated inside. It was none other than the same man with whom she had a fought this morning infront of the Church. She froze as their eyes met.

"Ayyo Sir!" she whispered under her breath as she looked at RK. "What's he doing here in Madhav Sir's room?"

"He's supposedly your boss." RK said. "My son, Madhav Ramakrishna."

Shree plastered a smile on her face as Madhav walked towards her. "Who on earth thought this rude poker faced man would be your boss? I'm worse than doomed!"

"Did you say something Miss?" Madhav asked and she shook her head quickly. "I suppose you are my newest secretary!"

Shree nodded, as she gave a nervous smile. She felt the sweat that collected on her temples roll down her face.

To be continued....

Glossary
Chaat - A roadside Indian snack
Mandir- Hindu Temple
Mata- Mother
Chirota- Boy
Ayyo- "Oh no!"

Do drop in your views and let me know whether it was a good first chapter through your valuable comments

--What do you think will happen in the next chapter?

--Why do you think RK blames himself for Madhav's grief?

--Do you think Shree is in trouble?

--What did you like in this chapter


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