Coming Around

Family Short Story – Coming Around

“For god sake Dhanya grow up; how are you going to face the corporate world if you cry over a stress interview. You should not take actions and words of the interviewer personally.” exploded my elder sister Ananya who never missed an opportunity to lecture me.

“Dad, This is why I said kept insisting that she should do her graduation in college not through correspondence; at least she would have meet people and become more confident. Just book knowledge won’t suffice Dhanya you should know how to interact with people.”

I was in the process of getting into any one of the big four audit firm for my article ship training after clearing the second level of chartered accountancy course. I had decided against going to college like many other CA aspirants and was doing B Com through correspondence.

“Please eat your food and do well in tomorrow’s interview” at last she decided to spare me I thought.

Ananya, seven years elder to me, was a senior software engineer in a multinational software company and had travelled abroad a couple of times. She is a great sister but she is definitely not a one to mince her words. But sometimes she is actually very sweet; I remembered how she had changed her GTalk status to “Yipppeee, my sis is on a hat trick!” when I had cleared the first two levels of CA with a rank.

Next day I went to another big four audit firm for interview and got selected. My self-confidence which was shattered yesterday by THAT MAN (stress interviewer) was restored. I told myself “After all you are just 19 years old Dhanya and that was your first interview; bad luck that your first one had to be a stress interview.”

***

Three months flew and I was slogging as a trainee in my firm. I liked it immensely and was extremely pleased that I had proved my sister wrong “I too can work!”

“Dhanya be here by 6pm for the reception; it is bad that you missed the wedding. Everyone is asking for you” my mother instructed me over the phone. They were all attending one of my cousin’s wedding and I was busy working in client’s place.

I managed to wrap up my work and reached the hall by 7.30. After a few hours of catching up with my relatives, I realized that my sister was missing. I asked my mother and she blushed “Oh! She must be with Hrishikesh.”

Then she briefed me about the day’s happenings. My father had met his long lost college friend that morning; who happened to be a relative of the groom’s family. That friend had a son, Hrishikesh for whom they were on the lookout for a bride. “Horoscopes perfectly matched and they are getting to know each other” completed my mom.

Before I could ask about him; Ananya came beaming with her probable fiancé. To my horror, Hrishikesh was the same man who tortured me for half an hour in the name of stress interview.  But my tormentor didn’t seem to recognize me. She made formal introductions but all I could think about was the day that man rolled up his sleeves, rocked his chair and told me “Dhanya I am wondering how you got a rank; which rank by the way – 48^th – it the last rank if I am right; okay last but two. Fine; I will give you fifth and final chance; tell me the correct answer: What does Accounting Standard – 6 deal with?”

I had answered “Depreciation” in a feeble voice for the fifth time, which was indeed correct but he had shook his head in disgust.

I became speechless and later when we were back at home I asked my sister if she is really going to marry that guy. I was literally praying that she will say no. But she replied “I think yes” with a shy smile. I then told her that he was that stress interviewer and she just replied “Oh! Is it? What a coincidence!” as if it didn’t matter the least.

But it mattered a lot to me; I just couldn’t bring myself to speak him. The next day their family came to our house and Ananya made it a point to announce that I had met him before.

Arrogant Hrishikesh just exclaimed “Really! I was interviewing a lot of people that month so I can’t remember you.”

I couldn’t help but wonder how big the list of people hating him would be.

No one really gave a damn about my feelings and their engagement was fixed for next month and wedding eight months later. I was even warned by my mother to behave courteously to their family.

Every weekend Hrishikesh would mark his attendance in our house to pick her up to go to movie, restaurant, beach etc. Ananya even made an attempt to include me in one of their outings which I flatly refused in front of him. She gave me the same sermon that I should not take what he said in the interview personally. I couldn’t stand them both and began wishing they get married soon and go settle abroad.

***

One month to her wedding; I was waiting for the day so that I don’t have to see him every weekend. “Come to Heal Well hospital immediately! Ananya met with an accident and is in ICU!” my father’s voice was shaking at the other end. I was shocked and rushed from my office to the hospital. Hrishikesh was already there before me.

A van had hit Ananya while she was travelling in her scooty on her way to office and she had immediately become unconscious. There were injuries on her head, hands, hip and legs.

By the end of the day she was able to speak but injuries to her hips were serious. Her would-be mother in law and aunt had come to visit. I then went down to get a cup of tea for myself. While I was drinking I heard their conversation as they waited for their car.

“I think you should call off the wedding” said his aunt

“Won’t it look bad?” said his mother

“Do you want to spoil your son’s life by condemning him with a crippled girl?”

Hrishikesh then joined them and his mother told him their conversation.

“I am engaged to her; which means I have promised to marry her. I will never break a promise.” he snapped back.

“Her hip is injured what if she is incapable of bearing children?” argued his aunt.

“She will surely get well even if she unable to, we can adopt. Please put an end to this topic; I don’t want to hear any more of this.” he retorted.

Tears started to flow from my eyes on hearing this.

***

One week later myself and Hrishikesh were waiting in the hospital lobby as Ananya was about to get discharged. I offered him some cookies from the pack I was munching.

“Isn’t someone being nice to me suddenly?” he asked mockingly taking one cookie.

“You are being extremely nice to my sister; thank you so much. I happened to hear your conversation with your mother. I can’t even imagine how Ananya will feel if the wedding is cancelled. She is so crazy about you. Thanks again for being so supportive.”

He was stunned that I had heard their plans and said “You needn’t thank me. I equally love her. Did you tell her what my aunt said?”

“I didn’t tell my people because it will only worsen the situation” I assured.

He relaxed, thought for a moment and declared “Ananya is wrong. You are not as immature as she claims you are.”

“She not completely wrong; I guess I was like that earlier” I conceded.

END