Moral Short Story – Wordless Gratitude
Photo credit: amjorsfeldt from morguefile.com
Milan was checking some profiles of new trainees when three of his colleagues who worked with him in the same office called out his name. Afternoon was on its last foot and outside ambiance was getting colder. It was their usual time to smoke. They all gathered up to go downstairs as their cabins were on the first floor of that two storied buildings. A stair from the first floor wounded up the lounge area in the ground floor converging at the main gate behind the reception area.
All the four hurried down the polished staircase talking of girls, girls and girls. Heels of their shoes were making noise to the otherwise silent hall. It was middle of September. Vigorous process of recruitment was going on the ground floor where HR Managers were straining out talents. He had joined the office around a year back. But then he didn’t know the truth behind these desks.
He was casually chatting with his friend just when his sight caught a simple face. The face was replete with innocence mixed with worry. The soft tiny lips tapered so rapidly on each other that made Milan stumbled on the polished stair feet. It looked like she was chanting some consecrate chanting. Her delicate hands clutched the hard file tight leaving sweat marks all over it. Milan gasped seeing her in middle of other applicants in the lounge. She was so simple yet so translucently pure that Milan instantly decided that he can’t let her step into this hellish world.
He peeked into through the glass door. He got a plan in his mind. He said to his friends that he got some urgent work that he had to finish before leaving office and would join them later. Then he calmly marched into the recruiting area. Tension was concentrated in the air. He could feel the warmth of nervousness. He was nervous too. He was going to do something that could banish him from the office and sabotage his career as he had signed a contract with them. Still he had to take this plunge to save that innocent heart.
He slowly moved through the cabin, peering through the cabins till he found one HR cabin empty. The HR must be out for sometime and in between he had to do it somehow. Before entering the cabin, he called the peon and told him that the HR is calling that girl in the row. When the peon asked which girl to specify with name, he raised his tempo in pretense that he forgot the name in tension and pointed out that girl.
Milan entered into the cabin and took the HR’s chair and prayed that something miracle happens that his plan works out properly. A minute later a sweet voice brewed into the cabin’s foul air. “May I come in, Sir?” The girl was standing with the door partially open.
“Yes” Milan said avoiding to make any eye contact.
“Good afternoon, sir.”
“Hmm..seat.”
He took the information sheet from her hand and inspected details on them. The only relevant detail to him was her name, Meera. He whispered the name as if absorbing some soulful music.
“Yes sir.”
Milan got interrupted and alert. He made a strict appearance. “Tell me about yourself.”
Meera introduced herself along with her educational details.
“So..why do you think that we should hire you? You can see so many people are there for the job.”
“Sir, I have secured good marks in my graduation. I have always been an active student through out my academics. I can assure you that I will work with honesty and sincerity in this company.”
That’s what is not needed here. Milan thought to himself.
“So what? You have no reference from anyone. How can we rely on you? Good marks are just matter of how well you can mug up the answers. We need smarter people.”
She looked saddened with his response. “Sir, I need the job very much. I need money for my family.” Her charming eyes were on verge of getting wet.
His heart fell seeing her like this. She was perfect bait for his company.
“Sorry Ms. Meera. We can’t help you here. Now all our positions are filled. You can apply next time. All the best.” He maintained the professional voice despite the grief and put the information sheet on the table carelessly.
Meera looked at him for a while, suspecting some error as all other rounds were good. Even she had given good answers in the technical round. Then how could they reject her on the final round that also with no such valid reason? Rage bricked up in her and she left the office like a silent whirlwind.
As soon she went he stepped out of the office and went outside looking out for her. But she was gone. It was probably their first and last meeting, a meeting that he would always cherish of. He was happy and relaxed then.
A month later…
Meera was going through the newspaper when her eyes were hooked to a piece of news. Two big fraud companies were ceased. She read through it and shocked to be revealed that one of the two companies was the one in which she was rejected a month ago. A crude guy had bashed all her hopes in the final round. That night she had cried a lot. She needed that job then. Three days later though she got a job with better payments and incentives. She had forgotten that incident totally. The news also mentioned that the company had illegally taken lakhs of money from the applicants in the name of secure deposit.
As soon she got to know it, at first she felt privileged and realized how lucky she had been. If it wasn’t that guy then she would be into the trap too. In that plain moment all the rage and anguish she had in her heart for that guy melted into wordless gratitude.
__END__
