More Than Friends ✔

3- "I was getting sick of all these testosterone"

Mansur Corporation wasn't as grandeur as Pallavi thought.

It was just a two storey, white building with a name plate of 'Mansur' engraved at its center. Understandable since it was only a vendor of Xiaomi. Pallavi walked adjacent to the broad pathway, kissed by the sun. Few cars were parked to their left while the right side was covered by a wide patch of lush grass. Her heartbeat rose as she turned left towards the glass door. It was almost like being punched on the face.

Looking in, it was like any other ordinary co-operate office-- a spacious room divided by cubicles. There were four sections, each representing a department- HR, Accounts, Sales, maintenance. A narrow corridor extended from either side, leading to other rooms. There were Indians, and then, there were Koreans with their small distinctive eyes. Someone was getting from one cubicle to another in a hurry to get some information. Another was explaining while the other was asking. Some were bringing some strange electronic materials, while someone else was printing. The office seemed like one big machine with people moving like gears in sync. You didn't feel like disturbing any one of them, lest you stopped the machine.

"Ah, there you are!" A voice called towards Pallavi's direction. Pallavi rounded to see a pair of bubbly eyes adorned on a face that glowed like milk. Her thick curls reached till the middle of her beige cardigan, worn under maroon with black pants. Extending her delicate hand towards Pallavi, she introduced herself. "Maanvi Kaur, HR executive of Mansur."

"Pallavi Khurana."

"You're right on time, Pallavi. Mister Hyoung will appreciate that," Maanvi said, after checking the time on her wrist watch. She stole a quick glance to her left before addressing Pallavi again. "Um, why don't you wait by the sitting area in the meanwhile? I'll call you when Mister Hyoung gets ready."

"Yeah, sure, no problem."

*

You know that feeling when you crouch down at the starting point of a water slide. When you really, really looked down and realized how deep the fall was. An extreme reaction for one interview but that's how our dear Pallavi felt. Her stomach flipped when she was finally called in for the interview.

Just think of this interview as a class discussion. Imagine your interviewers as your seniors. She repeated her younger sister's words in her head. If she could acquire even half of Deepali's confidence, she could crack this interview.

"Just be confident and you'll be fine," Maanvi advised, who had seemingly caught on her nervousness. Pallavi let out a forced smile in return. They reached a door that had 'Meeting room' engraved on its name plate in capitals. Pallavi swallowed.

Her barrage of thoughts soon came to a temporary halt as she entered the white room, coming across two new faces. One of them was a tall man with small, twinkling eyes. Obviously Mister Hyoung. The other one was a dark, middle aged Indian.

Pallavi shivered.

"Have a seat, Miss Khuranna." The other Indian spoke, his voice rough around the edges.

Like in any other meeting room, it had an rectangular table circled by chairs and a whiteboard on the wall. The interviewers sat on one side of the table while Pallavi sat on the other. She just realised that she was going to be interviewed by not one, two, but three people.

Did she mention one of them was a foreigner?

I'm doomed.

But in reality, she wasn't.

The interview didn't begin right away. Mister Hyoung and the middle- aged Indian seemed to discussing something about sales in high spirits, while Maanvi was attending a call. An errand boy came into the room, asking for coffee. He asked Pallavi too, but she politely denied. Somehow... somehow, the atmosphere didn't seem so daunting anymore. She felt like she could finally breathe again.