Hello, Mr. Major General (1)

Chapter 39: Interview (2)

Shehnaaz calmly repeated the contents of her resume, making sure to word them differently so as not to sound suspicious.

These “experiences” would all check out; the military had prepared witnesses and physical evidence that would hold up to the closest scrutiny.

The Indian Army’s Special Operations Forces fabricated dozens of identities on a daily basis. Faking hers had not
been especially difficult.

Kartik gave a small nod of his head. “…Your parents passed away when you were three years old? Your distant relatives have been taking care of you ever since?”

“Yes, they’ve been very good to me.” Shehnaaz was keen to move on from this topic; she deliberately changed the subject to Kartik himself, asking, with great interest, “Professor He, you have a brilliant future in the United
States. Why did you choose to be a professor here, in the India?”

Kartik raised his head, his expression grown even more frigid. He appeared to have seen through Shehnaaz’s
attempt at deflection, but did not call her out on it. His slender fingers tapped on the table as he reminded her, “I’m the one asking questions right now. Your questions will have to wait.”

Shehnaaz said, “…In that case, please proceed with your questions.”

Kartik asked her several highly specialized questions.

This time, he spoke in English,
interspersed with Latin terms
commonly used in American law.

Shehnaaz answered readily, without the slightest hesitation, in a British accent that sounded very authentic,
like she had grown up in the British Isles.

Kartik was a little surprised by this. The corners of his bright, slender eyes seemed to arch further upwards as he
said, “I didn’t expect you to be this fluent in English. Do you plan to further your studies abroad in the future, or will you remain here, in the country?”

Shehnaaz folded an arm across her chest and held her chin with her other hand as she thought about it. She replied, honestly, “I haven’t thought about it.”

Her future destiny could only be decided after discussing it over with Sidharth.

She wanted to study abroad, to see the world outside, but if she did not have Sidharth by her side, she had a feeling she would go mad with fear…

But she also knew that she could not depend on Sidharth for the rest of her life.

She was trying to free herself from the shadows of her past.

She was trying to learn to live
independently, on her own. But she was not in a hurry. She would wait until she was twenty before striking out on her own.

Kartik did not ask any more questions. He shut the folder, and said to Shehnaaz, “Well, in any case, you
were late twice. You’ve missed the deadline for Fall enrollment.”

Shehnaaz’s heart sank. She had
worked so hard and for so long; was it all for nothing?

“However, I am also recruiting for Spring semester. Are you willing to start next spring instead?” Kartik was being a deliberate tease. He had sent Shehnaaz straight down into hell with one sentence, then up into heaven with the next.

“Spring semester? You bet I’m willing! I’ll be admitted next spring, right? It’s official?”

“Of course.” Kartik extended a hand to Shehnaaz.

“Welcome to the club. You will be Kartik Sen’s one and only graduate student.”

Shehnaaz had not expected Kartik to take her on the spot. She was giddy with joy. She grabbed Kartik’s hand to
shake it, only to release it almost immediately.

Kartik’s palm had been cool to the touch, but this was only fitting for someone as aloof and indifferent as he was. It would be odd for someone like him to have warm hands.

“Professor Sen, you really mean it? I’m going to be your student?!” Shehnaaz’s large eyes had turned into two smiling crescents. She was so happy she could barely control herself; tears
threatened to spill from her eyes. “Your assistant came to me yesterday and tried to talk me out of the interview. She said I would only be sabotaging my own future if I became your student. I’m just a timid little orphan girl, with no one to support me. I was so frightened by her words I couldn’t sleep the whole night!”

Kartik froze. He looked up at Shehnaaz, pinning her with his dark, inky eyes. “What did you just say? My
assistant paid you a visit yesterday, and advised you to forfeit the interview?”

“Oh! I shouldn’t have said all that, sorry… sorry… I’m sorry…” Shehnaaz bowed in apology again and again, a
flustered look on her face. But she was only putting on a show – she had deliberately spilled the beans on Rashmi’s distasteful visit.

Shehnaaz was careful and vigilant. She was not the sort to keep her grievances to herself, and she was most definitely not one of those “I’m so noble because I suffer in silence”
idiots, the kind who reveled in turning the other cheek because it made them more 'saintly”.

Shehnaaz’s account of what had happened the day before had caught Kartik completely by surprise. He seated himself on the large sofa in the conference room, dignified and
elegant, as he digested this. After a moment, he nodded, and asked, “…My assistant, you say? Who?”

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I hope you enjoy reading it.
Love you all.

🎊 Happy Choti Diwali 🎊