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 barbie's. 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.