Past or Present #1

Chapter 3

*Kalpana Pov*

"Are you Ms.Kalpana?" someone asked, startling me when I opened my mouth near the reception desk to introduce myself.

"Yeah!" I replied, turning around to see an old man smiling at me.

"Great! We were waiting for you." He said turning around and gestured with his hand to follow him.

"For me?" I asked, clutching the file to my chest.

"Yeah!" he replied, turning around with a frown.

"But I am just a normal clerk right?" I asked, not taking a step ahead and he just stared at me.

"Our clerk left the company and made sure to leave lots of work. So, we are in dire need of a clerk. Any other questions?" he asked after a few minutes and I shook my head.

"Good! Now, the timings will be from morning ten to evening five." He added again walking.

"That's it?" I asked, remembering the timings of eight to six.

"Yes! Will you continue to get shocked with everything?" he asked, turning back with a frown covering his face.

"I am sorry, Sir! I am just little overwhelmed." I replied, hoping I stop my doubt mind to question each and everything.

"You can call me Girish, Ms.Kalpana. I am just a manager and not the boss." He said and I nodded this time following him without saying anything except listening to him.

"This is your desk and the files are already here. You can start working now only while I go and bring any details or rules you have to follow. We were told you are dedicated to your work by your old boss. So, we are hoping to get some productive work from you." He said and walked away before I could open my mouth.

My boss praised me? That too near them? Well, looks like he really liked my work. It's not like he ever complained, but he never praised too.

"That's it?" I asked myself looking at the files and what I should do.

I shrugged and started entering the details in the files, typing of the system. Along with the work I let all the doubts leave me and consider myself lucky for getting this job in the first place.

"Hello!" I glanced up to see a girl standing near my table.

"Hi!" I greeted back smiling.

"Glad that you are here. It will be helpful and hope you are good at this. It's not like the boss will allow any inefficient people into the company. If anyone got a job here then they must be best." She continued to ramble making me remember Jhanvi.

"Thank you!" I mumbled and for the next five minutes we talked before she returned to her desk without even telling her name.

I too didn't give my name to her. Great! I just forgot to do minimum manners. I will just ask her the name later and introduce myself too at that time.

"Lunch?" the same girl asked, walking near to me after a few hours.

"My name is Kalpana!" I replied and she stared at me with a frown.

"Okay! That is totally wrong. I forgot to introduce myself and thought of doing it the next time, so it came out like that." I explained and she chuckled.

"Fine! My name is Pallavi. Come on!" she said, gesturing to some room and I nodded switching off the system and followed her holding my box.

"You need not bring that from tomorrow onwards. Boss started a free lunch scheme from the last one month." She said, gesturing my box and opened the door which is the canteen.