(Continued from last week)
The lady at the reception was looking at me and smiling and nodding her head. I suppose she could not make out why I was doing all this. Soon I heard her calling my name. It was my turn to go inside. I realised that all this while I had not prepared anything for the interview. I was only immersed in the reaction of that stranger. Thus now, when I heard my name being called, I let go all that was in my mind and took a deep breath to calm myself. Contentedly, I looked at the wooden polished door smiling at my achievement to have reached till the last leg. The lady shouted this time and said, “Hey listen! I think you should get in quickly.”
I nodded my head and taking a deep breath knocked at the door and soon came the reply, “Yes, Mr John” and as soon as I opened the door what I saw made me numb; I could not believe my eyes and I thought as if Nature was playing a prank at my circumstances. It was the same man whom I had shouted at and abused just some time back. Time had stopped for me and I felt that gravity had put its weight on my shoulder. I did not have the strength to move, my brain stopped working and I was just looking at the man. He seemed to be relaxed— the same posture — as if not bothered.
I wished the panel and took my seat. They asked me questions but my brain was unable to comprehend any. An interview that I had waited for soon turned into a nightmare. I was now only waiting for the interview to end. I did not even want to wait for the result as I knew what it would turn out to be. Finally, the interview was over and I stepped out and closed the door. After coming out reality hit me hard that the man whom I had abused was the MD of the company who had called me for the interview.
The drive back home this time was longer than before, the gravity still on my shoulder. Everything was over now. While driving back, I kept thinking about all that had happened. I had to cross a bridge that I cross every day, in the morning as well as in the evening, but today the bridge seemed overcrowded and on reaching a point I got stuck in the jam. This was too much to handle now and I sat waiting for the jam to clear. Soon the jam opened and as a truck moved ahead of me on the right side, I saw a hoarding which read “What goes in comes out, that’s Karma”. I smiled and moved ahead, pulling out of the traffic jam.
(Concluded)
(Idea: Abhay; Written by: Paromita Chakraborty)
