Sin Corridor

Did I sign and seal my fate?

I enter the room to find an office establishment.

I don't know what I expected but it definitely wasn't this. Okay, maybe I imagined this would be like Christian Grey's Playroom. Joke's on me but I ain't complaining.

The room definitely had a professional setting, white walls, a large mahogany desk with neatly stacked papers, a grey-colored sofa set, and a few potted plants.

That's when I noticed a woman standing near what seemed like a printer, with a clipboard in hand. She appeared to be in her thirties, with a petite frame, tiny waist, and puffy lips, the woman was gorgeous in her pencil skirt and blouse.

With thick-rimmed glasses and her hair piled up in a bun, she seems like a person who knows her way around here. A professional, beautiful woman indeed.

She notices me and gives me a smile. "Welcome Meera. Please take a seat." she gestures to the sofa. "I'll join you in a minute," she says holding a few sheets of paper while the print gives a whirling sound.

I nod and sit on the sofa, the leather feeling cool under my bare bottom. I look around the office taking in everything, while she does her job.

There is soft lighting around the room with air conditioning providing a pleasant feel. Across the desk, is a shelf with a few awards, but I couldn't make out what they are for. There is no photo frame, nothing of a personal sort in here. Everything seems like the work of an interior designer, which hadn't been modified with any personal preferences.

The woman now sits opposite me, both legs slanting, all prim and poise and again gives me a smile. Not a genuine smile, the kind every salesperson gives, because it's their job and not because they want to me. Like they have gone through this too many times to care about it. I am not sure how I feel about that.

"Hello, Meera. I am Stella, Vikram's secretary and I'll be explaining what happens next. I know you must have a million questions but let me brief you about the process and we shall move on that next. And before that congratulations on being selected this year."

My mind was stuck at the point when she said Vikram's not Mr. Vikram's, as every employee should address, which makes me wonder if she is not just a secretary but I nodded anyway.

And she continued with the same smile, "You must remember the preferences you have filled in the form given at the entrance, based on that each round will be planned."

I distinctly remember filling out a form. But the options were pretty wild, I never guessed I would have to actually do this, so I kinda checked all the options. Even the things I have never done before.

"Think of this as a game. You have seven rounds, each one focusing on one of the sins."

"Focusing on the sins, means?"

"Do you know what the seven sins are?"

I nodded.

Pride, Greed, Wrath, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth.

The Seven Deadly Sins.

"Well, each round would invoke one of the sins in you and you have to identify which sin are you associated with. And when you identify it correctly the round ends, then you can proceed to the next."

"So what happens if I don't identify it correctly?"

She gives that same smile. God, I hate her smile.

"You will get a punishment and your reward will be revoked. You do remember the punishments you decided, right?"

I gulped.