Salient Affections (Unedited Draft)

The Interview

“Celine Michaels” Ms Delphine calls her name and in goes the lady dressed in deep red leather dress, while the one in front of me continues browsing through another magazine.

It wasn’t even into a minute you could hear shouts and screams coming from the room, a second later a furious woman passed by us, I’d reckon she had the air thrown out of us. The woman in front of me follows her suite leaving two people in the waiting area, me and the lean guy. Ms Finch comes out shaking her head, she motions for the guy to come and he follows in. I feel a déjà vu of hospital, except there was no hint of the chlorines and antiseptics here, it held a musky scent and heavy atmosphere.
My mobile pings just that minute, I see it was from Ayaz.

‘Best of luck, you can do it!’ The message read I smiled replying with a thank you and I wished he was here as well.

‘I am, just keep me on call ;) we’ll interview in together’ he replied, I chuckle.

‘sure’

‘When is your turn?’

‘Next’

‘nervous?’

‘not really, I feel like I’ve already gotten in XD’

‘XD’

‘I’m sure you would pull through <3 ;)’

‘yeah hopefully :) ’

‘Give it your best and leave the rest! :p’

‘yup, guess that’s what I can do’.

And the guy comes out, a smile on his face, it seemed like a good news. I smile sensing some hope for myself.

‘:) ’

‘it’s my turn!’

‘Put it on call!’

I keep the call screen ready waiting more Ms Delphine to call me.

“Navya Nazeer” she calls, our eyes meet and she gives an encouraging smile. I smile back gratefully in need of any luck or support I could get hold on. Alright, Mr Ramsos, here I come.

As I enter, the first thing I notice was the all black interior, cut out the white tiles, everything was black, the walls, the furniture, the ceiling - A polished sleek black. Though there were windows which let in sunlight and I was grateful for that one thing. Behind the black table sat a hunched figure furiously typing something. His assistant, Ms Delphine tells me to take the seat opposite to him, while she sits across from him. I immediately press on the call button and keep it aside.

“So, you must be the Navya Nazeer, a loyal admirer of my dad’s fashion industry” comes out a smooth velvet voice of a young man. It takes me by surprise; of course you can’t meet a re-owned man of such a big industry so easily, what was I even thinking?

“Yes, that would be me” I reply keeping my voice clear and professional.

"Alright, that set...."

“What skills do you think you possess to make you a model? Ms Nazeer”
He asks me closing down the laptop and my breath gets stuck right there. Grey orbs stared back at me, holding me in place. My whole body turned stiff and I began to tremble in nervousness. It’s alright. It’s alright I chanted in my mind, willing to take slow deep breaths. He wasn’t what I expected; it was supposed to be an aged man, like my dad.

Someone I’d feel safe around. I tried rationalising with myself that not all men turn out to be wrong but in vain, it wasn’t helping. I felt trapped, claustrophobic. Calm down, Navya...Calm down...I chanted willing it to work. While his eyebrows raise is confusion when I don’t reply.