Mumbai
It was a Friday and the office on the top floor of a high rise building in Mumbai was bustling with activities.
"Maya,Is Sidharth ready for the interview"A sixty years old man came out of his office and asked a woman who was holding few papers in her hand.
"Sidharth would be ready in 10 minutes" the woman replied to man.
"Have you briefed him" he asked.
"Yes Amar, I have told him everything,he knows that this is the part of our publicity campaign" The woman who is in her late fifties said.
"Tell that grumpy head that he needs to smile during the interview." he said she nodded.
"Sidharth!" She said after entering a super luxurious office of the managing director of the company and her only son.
"Yes,Mom" he replied.
"The journalist is waiting,can we start the interview?" She asked.
"Do I have any other option" he replied.
"Beta,I know you don't support this product line,I also know that this business doesn't interest you at all,but it's a family business Beta, your great grandfather started it,you being our only son is responsible for taking it forward and I am so proud that our market presence had multifolded since you have joined, take this product line as a challenge,tu ek baar isko bhi successful bana de phir tu jo karna chahta hai karna"
"If it's my responsibility to make it successful then let me handle this completely"he replied.
"Yeah... you do it whatever way you wanted to do it" his mother tried to cool him down.
"Really, then who approved this jingle- Har insaan ki chaahat, humare desh ki izzat,humra Rajjat.... rajjat papad,namkeen aur masaale, bas charam sukh paa le jo ek baar kha le"
.... do you want me to carry on with this tag line.... and for God's sake you and Dad knows the meaning of Charamsukh right?" he was beyond pissed and at the verge of loosing his patience.
"Thik hai,thik hai... we will change that word" His mother said his face stated that he was still irritated.
"Please smile karna,tu smile ke saath isko promote karega na toh aur koi le na le,saare ladkiya same day humare products kahridengi... " His mother tried to boost his confidence but it hit the wrong button.He had spent his life working hard. He had never been a flirt neither took any advantage of his killer looks and hated being the center of attraction.He simply wanted to be respected for his talent and achievements, not just admired for his looks.
"Stop it mom,please ask Ruby to get me a strong coffee, and give me 5 minuits"He
"Yes,but please try to use your charm in your favour" she said .He had worked long hours, taken risks, and made sacrifices for their family business which doesn't interest him at all.He was proud of what he had achieved, and yet he felt that his accomplishments went unrecognized as his own parents feel that his good looks can help their business flourish, not his hard work.
"Take your time my boy!" She walked out.
"sir,your coffee... Amar sir told me this....he told me... he has said that it would be great if you can smile a bit during the interview as it is a part of our promotional activities". His PA too said the same words,though she was scared but how was she supposed to disobey her super boss's order.
"Thank you Ruby,you may go now" he said keeping his cool, and went to his personal washroom.
"Fucking superficial people, Fucking superficial world" he said looking at the mirror and flashed some water on his face.
"Ok Sidharth,you got to do this,this product line is your responsibility" he said to himself after locking himself inside the washroom.
"You can do it,just flatten your lips and you are good to go" he looked at the mirror and practiced smiling for a few times,though something inside him was prompted him to just smash that mirror,yet he controlled the urge.
"Please have a seat" he said trying to showcase his teeth,"keep smiling,keep smiling" he reminded himself as the interview was about to start.
"Can we start the interview?" The journalist asked.
"Yeah,Ofcourse so would you like to have something, Tea or coffee?" he asked with a forced smile and the journalist asked her camera person to set the camera,he took few minutes to do his work.( just don't forget to show your teeth in between) Sidharth reminded himself.
"Green tea would be great ,thank you." She said,he called his PA and asked for green tea.
"Sir,please get seated." Tha journalist requested.
"here you go, your green tea and the fact that you preferred grean tea over coffee made me fathom that you are conscious about your health... so how about some snacks from our no guilt range to go with it" He grinned as his PA got a plate full of their new range of packaged food.(I am sorry I am doing this,please do not eat if you are really take fitness seriously) his consciences said.
"So,today we have an very special guest with us, Let me give you all a clue, he is extremely handsome and charismatic,has the looks to kill." she uttered looking at the camera ( arey!!! Add some words like enterprising, ambitious, aspiring, industrious) he kept thinking
"The MD of Rajjat foods, who is also the face of their whole new range of food which is apt for the new heath conscious generation,Mr Sidharth Sharma"
"Hello Mr Sidharth,welcome to our show, tell me how are you doing" she asked and he replied with a wide smile.
"So, First of all tell us are you still single or dating someone" she asked ( what the hell,why shall I tell this to you?)his mind prompted him to ask.
"For the time being I am happily Single" he replied ( oh, no...yeah nahin bolna tha...kuch aur bolna chaoye tha) he immediately repented saying it.
"Wow! So tell us today, what exactly is your type,what are the qualities of a girl which you admire?" The journalist asked( she is so fucking irritating,why is she asking more questions about my personal life than his new product line,he thought) he felt like shouting.
"Ha ha... I have no types"He tried to remain professional and polite, but the interviewer kept pressing, wanting to know more and more about him
"Still, tall ,short,fair,tan.... tell us about your choice" She again asked and he felt like snapping.
"Just a second can you please switch off the camera" he said and she did so.
"Madam, I am here to talk about my product, not my life. If you want to learn more about it, ask questions about that. Otherwise we can't continue this" he said while pausing in between every word.
The interviewer was taken aback, fumbled for words. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries. I just wanted to get to know you better and make sure our viewers got a good story.you also know that your good looks can actually attract audiences"
"Any ways I will be careful, let's continue" she said and they restarted the interview.
"You are into this packaged food business for many decades,and its has pan India presence,what made you create this new line" She asked, (how do I tell her that,this line is sheer bullshit and completely gimmicky, God only knows why dad decided to create this) he thought.
"So Rajjat's bhujia,sev and other stuffs are a part of almost every Indian household but what about the people who are into fitness and has other health issues, for example me ,I am a hard-core fitness enthusiast and there is no options available for people like me, Jab mere ghar pe log chai ke saath namkin lete they tab main apne black coffee ke saath roasted soya chunk khaata tha,tab mere dimaag main yeah idea aya ke kyun na hum soya chunk se bhujia banaya" he said flashing a smile, he was so good at his work that no one could understand that the smile was as fake as the claims their new priducts line had made,he was a pro at his job, he knew how to market their products.
"enriched with protein made with whole grains,we have a whole new range of bhujia,papad and namkins which are healthy and tasty" he uttered (God forgive me for endorsing these shit in the name of health,sab jhoot,fareb ,dhoka hai)his mind said.
"Amazing, you are like a complete package, Handsome and successful I am sure you must be getting many attention... don't you find it tempting to give into temptations" she uttered( ah!back to sqare one,what shall I do with her)
he got frustrated.
"This world is ful of temptations, you will find distraction on every point of life,but real a person's character is determined upon his doings and choices... I have my eyes fixed on the goals rather than temptations" he replied, (bas ab aur mat puchna,my patience is draining now)he felt.
"What keeps you motivated and what make you try new things, is there any favorite book of yours which you want the new generation to read?" She asked and the interview continued and before telecasting the interview on TV, the media house published a article the very same day with the caption" The dashing young MD of Rajjat foods is happily Single"
He was in his study when he read the article at night and sensed that he was being judged on his looks, not his abilities. The interview was filled with terms like "good looks" and "charming". He felt embarrassed and frustrated that he wasn't being taken seriously when his phone rang.
"Hi.... " His ex-fiance said as he picked it up.
"Hi, Sameera... !" He replied ( shall I ask her how is she doing?) He thought.
"Sidharth,just Hi!, really....I have called you after 9 Fucking months" she said in a breath,she was clearly pissed.( oh no,I should have asked her about how she is doing,shall I do it now... but she will say that ,why are are asking now... but still I should ask)
"How are you Sameera?" He asked.
"Why are you asking now?How could you be so cold,anyways you have always been this cold,nothing new.... I just called up to tell you that I just read your interview,and I can't believe that you said that you are happy being a single" she shouted ( seee,I so knew it,what next ,I think I should ask her out,I need to ask her out before she points out that you could have atleast asked me out for a coffee) he thought.
"Sameera, let's meet and talk,let me take you out for coffee?" Sidharth said.
"Why now, where were you in the last 8 months,you didn't even call me once,and now when I called you ,you are asking me out?" She asked ( how conveniently she is putting this on me,she said I suffocate her and what not,she said never call if your have ever loved me, and I did love... Ah! I hate that word...I truly liked and cared for her,that's why I never called her back, he thought).
"You said not to call you" Sidharth said in a calm voice.
"I said and you complied, What did we share? Have you ever felt love for me" her shouts turned into sobs,( what am I supposed to say now,what the fuck is Love? She was a part of my life,I had spent so much time and energy on her,wasn't that enough)
"Tell me,please tell me" she said again.( what should I say,OK I should ask her out again) he decided.
"Sameera,listen,let's meet and talk and came back if possible" he said.
"No,answer me here,have you ever loved me" She again asked( what shall I answer now,I think I should just say yes,I love you, but what do I need to say this,where nothing in this name exists)
"I need an explanation" She kept saying.
"Sameera... listen to me"He said
"No you tell me,mujhe lagta tha hum soulmates hain... but hum nahin they na kabhi bhi?" Sameera was still crying ( OK I don't want this,I definitely don't want her to cry) He thought.
"Yes,we .... we are" he said and instatly regretted(wtf ,why have I just lied,just like love,soulmate is also an imaginary thing,ab explain karne bolegi toh kya karunga). He was puzzled.
"Tell my why?" She asked( what the hell,now I will have to explain this,i knew it...I what am I supposed to say now, he thought)
"Sameera,listen to me" he said.
"No,tell me today, please tell me"she screeched.
"Listen carefully Sameera, there is nothing called soulmate... the problem here is terms like love,soulmate etc are romanticized everywhere,in movies,tv ,books everywhere and trust me these are just made off fantasies.... science says there is nothing called love and
according to me soul mate is the person for whom we are ready to change ourselves... and I am ready to mold myself according to your liking allright.... and you know that you are the only person in my life" he spoke his heart out.
"Are you sure you gonna do that for me,will you change for me" she asked (Sidharth do not commit anything without thinking twice,just do not do that mistake ) his subconscious reminded him.
"Yeah... of course "he uttered.
"Like?" She asked ( oh no,what shall I say now) he wondered.
"Like,whatever you would want me to do I would do" he put forth
"Tell me how would make things more interesting?" She asked ( what does she mean by interesting, what shall I do to make things interesting) he asked his own self.
"Whatever you would suggest" he said.
"Why would I have to suggest, why can't you tell me... Sidharth I badly want to comeback to you ,I miss you so much but I need an assurance that you too would equally invest in our relationship" she said.
"Ok" he uttered.
"What okay, tell me how would you do it" she carried on,( now its getting too much) he thought and kept mum.
"Have you ever initiated a single kiss,a single hug have you even once initiated intimacy... have you ever thought how empty I feel" ( what the hell,was she not happy, why she used to moan and scream then)
"I didn't know that you were not happy with our intimate life as well" He asked ( shit wrong question, ab kuch out of the world answer degi) he felt.
"Physically yes,because that too is a project for you,and you need to excel every project you undertake,not even once I have felt you that you truly have any physical needs, I have seen you getting lost in between the act" Sameera screamed in between her sobs,She had always known that he was someone who did all the job he undertook with sheer perfection even if he was not interested and had the same approach towards relationships and intimacy as well.( I have been trying to multi task to optimize my time since long,Shit, have I done the same thing during s#x.... thats so wrong she must have felt dejected, need to say something to make her feel better.) He realized.
"I know I haven't been the most attentive partner. But I am willing to change. I will try to make it work. I know we can make it work if we just try." He said,( no multitasking from now) he reminded himself.
"How,Sidharth how?" she cried out loud( ah! How do I stop her from crying)he wondered.
"Sameera,see I know I have issues but I don't treat people like bus, main aise nahin sochta ke ek ladki jaegi dusri ayegi... I believe in sticking to people so please come back ,I will try to change but you need to tell me what are the changes you want in me" he came out clean without any presence and she stopped crying( see Sidharth coming out clean works)he felt.
"Will you atleast try to be little romantic for me?" She asked,he saw a hope that she might come back.( see it's working now tell her things clearly) he thought.
"Sameera listen I will try but I am sure that I am an aromantic,romance doesn't come to me naturally,don't get me wrong but I do not have overtly sexual or romantic feelings for anyone. Not a single goddamn person I had ever met have made me feel romantic or overtly aroused... so when you try seducing me na ,I feel nothing... just feel a pressure to act that I am getting all hot so let's make things clear,you just need to tell me and I will do what you want... " he said she was mum, she just didn't utter anything( fuck yeah jyada bol diya shaayad,say something which will make her feel good, atleast make her feel as if you are ready to put equal efforts) he decided.
"Sameera listen, I will initiate everything from now onwards, just give me a chance)" he almost begged.
"How?" She asked ( oh God I am done with these 'Hows') he took a breathe.
"I will put a reminder before meeting you" he said and instatly realized his mistake.
"Good bye, Sidharth.... all the best for your life" she said and disconnected the phone.
He got disheartened after their conversation,not because he was missing her but because he didn't believe in half-done tasks, and he refused to leave any jobs unfinished. He was the kind of person who always finished what he started, regardless of how uninterested he was in the job.... the biggest flow he carried was that everything for him was a task,even his relationship.He was always committed, even if he was no longer interested.
He decided that he would never ever take up another task called relationship as it took lots of effort and didn't really give any return,he saw it as an bad investment but
was unaware that soon he would meet someone whose Madness, like a spell, would bring forth the magic of
love and unwantedly he would fall hard and deep in an ocean of emotions that he never knew he had.