Continued from last blog :-
Swati entered into the office and saw the time on mobile along with notification telling 34 unread messages. The time was 9:25AM. She was relaxed that somehow she made it on time for the first day at office. She was asked to sit in a waiting room where few other new joinees were already waiting. She saw 5 guys and 2 girls waiting. Two guys were 30+ while remaining 3 were in 25s. The 2 girls, who were in same age bracket of Swati, were wearing similar dress like her. She walked into the room and sat next to those two girls.
The environment in the room was bit tensed. Swati also got bit tensed. No one spoke any word or even smiled at each other.
While sitting idle, Swati thought of calling her father and took out her mobile but the room was totally silent so she thought of calling him later. She started to think, what would have happened if Satwik haven’t had met me today. I would have reached probably by 10 or 10:15AM. She thought of sending a text message as “Thank You for the drop” and opened WhatsApp. To her surprise, there was already a message from Satwik which read “All the Best for your first day of professional carrier”. Swati sighed rolling her eyes, “how desperate! He must be driving to his office now but still messaged me by stopping his vehicle wishing ‘all the best.’”
Anyways, he was certainly helpful today so she replied back “Thank you and thank you for the drop” and immediately HR came in and said, “Good Morning guys”
The HR was full of energy and was sharp on time. He was tall, pale dark, neatly dressed with short hair in mid 30s. He introduced himself as, “I am Manoj and I have been working in this company from past 2 and half years. I am head HR with team of 3 people. I just got a call from Nandini that she is running late by 15mins. So please wait while she arrives and starts the joining process. Welcome to ASM family” he said enthusiastically giving a large smile to everyone and left.
Swati was gazing into the talk of Manoj and was feeling proud of hearing that small speech. She exclaimed in her mind – “15minutes late should have been ok”.
Starting to strike a conversation with the girl sitting next to her, Swati asked her name.
“Hey, what is your name?”
“Pooja and what is your name?”
“My name is Swati”
Again, the room was dead silent. After 2mins, Swati whispered to Pooja, “Do you know, where the restroom here is?”
“I don’t know, maybe you can ask the people in reception” – Pooja whispered back.
“Ok. Thanks” – Swati replied. She kept her bag on seat and picked up mobile and left out of room towards reception.
The receptionist gestured the direction where restrooms were situated. Swati dialed her father’s number and walked towards that direction.
“Hi pa” – she said
“Hello putta, did you reach office?” – Her father asked
“Yes, just few minutes back. Now I’m waiting for HR to come”
“Ok, I heard from ‘Her Majesty’ that you were running late” –father kiddingly asked
Smilingly Swati said - “Yeah, yeah. You know Bangalore traffic, right? It’s terrible here. I thought, I can manage but it became late”
“hmmm…” her father replied.
“I will tell you the secret. Do you remember Satwik, senior from my college? He accidently met me and dropped me on time” – She casually told her father, just like talking to a friend.
“Oh is it, your mother thought auto“– mischievously her father replied.
“He he he, Yeah, Satwik was my two wheeler auto driver”
Her father laughed and immediately Swati heard her mother questioning her father, “Why are you laughing? What happened with auto?”
“Do not tell her pa” – quickly Swati whispered in phone.
“Nothing, she is telling meters of auto run very fast in Bangalore”
Swati’s father was excellent secret keeper for her daughter. He knew how to manage his daughter and wife.
“Ok putta, I’m getting late. I have to drop off your mother at Bank and then I have lecture at 10:30AM”
“Ok, sure pa. Bye”
“All the Best for today” – Her father wished
Swati happily said, “Thanks a lot” and ended the call. She just washed her face and saw herself in mirror making sure her ironed Salwar Kameez is perfectly fine and marched towards the room.
There was one more lady in the room who was of medium height, wearing a black jeans and light colored top. She was fair and beautiful. Swati entered room wondering, Is she the HR?
Meanwhile, Pooja gestured to come and sit next to her. The new lady in the room indeed was Nandini, the HR who was late. Nandini looked sophisticated with her great English accent doing all those hand gestures while talking. She welcomed all the new comers and asked everyone to introduce themselves to one another.
Swati was bit phobic talking in front of several unknowns. She started to rehearse in mind, “Hi, I am Swati; I am from BVB college of engineering Hubli. My native is Hubli and …” she was running out on what to say. Meanwhile, Pooja confidently introduced herself when Nandini said – “Let’s begin with ladies first and do we have any volunteer here?” pointing towards three girls.
Pooja was from Bangalore, studied in BMS Engineering College and a confident girl. She had long face, dark eyes, wheetish in color with hair tied as pony tail. She introduced herself and about her hobbies.
Swati quickly thought of, what hobbies she can mention while introducing herself. “May be music, novels, cooking, watching movies, oh my God, there are so many. Which one should I pick? I am too much nervous”
Swati was trying to just pick some random hobbies to mention so that her introduction will get over quickly. She didn’t want to genuinely mention, what her really hobbies were under such tension.
The next girl was Ashwini, she started to introduce with confidence but started to tremble not knowing when to finish. She was short, a bit fat, fair looking girl with round face. She abruptly stopped her introduction.
Nandini moved her eye from Ashwini to Swati. It was Swati’s turn now.
With bit of hesitation, Swati begun – “Good Morning everyone, my name is Swati and I am from Hubli. I completed my engineering in BVB college from computer science branch…” after that she was blank not knowing what to say.
Nandini, being a friendly HR, encouraged her to talk more by asking – “Are you from North Karnataka?”
“Yes” – Swati replied confidently.
“There is a group of North Karnataka people over here. May be, you can meet them later” – Nandini replied with a bright smile on her face. “So, what are your hobbies, Swati?”
“Well, I love to sing. I have some passion in music and gardening” – Swati replied revealing her real hobbies.
Nandini nodded her head saying, “Singing, hmmm.. that’s quite intriguing. You might have to show your talent in our culture functions then.”
Swati just smiled implying “sure”
Nandini turned towards the guys now.
Swati was relieved that it got over and thought – “Well, it didn’t go that bad” and smilingly looked at Pooja who was smiling back at her.
“My name is Arun and I have around 4 years of experience. I started my carrier with Infosys and now joining here. My hobbies include, travelling, listening to music and drawing” a moderately fat, well combed hair with tucked-in formal dress wearing fellow spoke introducing himself.
Swati didn’t care much of what this guy was talking and was looking at the guy sitting at the end of the table. He was wearing a round neck T-shirt, having a ring in one of the ear. He had a big throat, moderately white skin, wearing a branded watch. After few moments of staring at him, he casually looked at Swati and she turned her eyes immediately looking towards Nandini.
By this time, two fellows were done introducing themselves and the fourth guy started to talk. Swati didn’t even listen what were their names. She was so much lost watching at this guy sitting across the end of table.
