It’s my interview anniversary today.
Hey, people celebrate 15-days birthday; weekversary, monthversary and whatnot. Why can’t I talk about interview anniversary? It’s not like I’m celebrating it.
14 years ago. On this day, I had interviewed for my current job.
It was a pleasant October afternoon. For the past two days, I had been suffering from a severe gastroentristis (my first, it has become a lifestyle since, go figure). I got ready, a bit too late, thanks to my weak body and confused mind. It was a Friday, which is spooky, if you read Random Rambling | 20 Years. I wore a key lime green dress: a fitted kurta with super-short sleeves, churidar, and chiffon dupatta with matching lacy earing. Very elegant, if I may say so myself. I hardly put any effort in dressing up, and count every occasion on my fingers. That day was one of those occasions.
After I got down and was halfway through to the autorickshaw stand, I forgot the most important thing-my phone. I rushed back, climbed four flights of stairs (the first time I hated living in a building with no elevator).
That was just the beginning. When I rushed back to the autorickshaw stand, there were none. Needless to say that I began to panic. There was one autorickshaw waiting to pick someone up, who was taking forever (I want to say thankfully?). The autorickshaw driver was impatient, thankfully (there, I said it), or he was probably tired of waiting, so he agreed to take me to office.
Now, it was my first time to my office, and I had no effing clue how far it was. At one point, I began dozing off. At one point, I also thought that the driver is probably taking a longer route (I’d learn later that it was SO not the case). The interview was scheduled for 3:00 PM and I reached the security desk at 2:59 PM. A few minutes later, I slumped on a plush sofa at the reception, impressed by the grandeur and decor.
It was a pre-Diwali celebration in the office, and the HR was dressed in a Dhinchak blue wedding wear, reminding me of Anushka Sharma‘s outfit in Ainvayi Ainvayi Lutt Gaya from the 2010 Bollywood movie Band Baaja Baaraat. She (the HR person, not Anushka Sharma) kinda tried to sell me on the cultural aspect of the company. Even though I didn’t buy it, I pretended that I did. That’s what you do when you’re applying for a new job, right?
I will spare the interview details for later. Honestly, I reserved this interview bit to go as part of my memoir sooner or later, but I’m too old and too lazy to start writing a new book, so…
Today it’s been what? fourteen years to that interview, and rought thirteen and half years since I joined. I still like the work, I still like the company and I am okay with the pay (can’t complain because I’m a minimalist), but I hate the current team and by extension the project.
But honestly, I didn’t think I’d make it this far. So all good I guess.
So, here’s to that afternoon that has now led to my most stressful project: cheers!
Shabana Mukhtar