It is such a terrific day for me , I have final exams next week and here i am trying to brush my hair and control them ..Huh ! with so much , its such a annoying day for me , umm..i rolled my eyes in exasperation and looked at myself in the mirror , i have brown hairs and blue eyes , they are too big for my face i guess , but people have another thinking , anyways , what i have to do with it , right now i just have to recite one thing that i must try to brush my hair into submission . The only option left for me to bring my hairs in control isto tie them into a pony tail and hope that i look semi presentable .
Moti is my best friend , and today she is so much ill .. Oh god , maybe its my bad luck that she chose today to fall sick .. i mean to get flu ..
And as she's ill , so she cannot attend the interview she'd ararnged to do with some mega industrialist tycoon i've never heard of for the student news paper , and she's the editor of the student newspaper , so i have been volunteered .. I have final exams to cram for , i have one essay to be finished but no .. as i have to do a favor to my best friend i have to drive a hundred and sixty five miles to downtown seattle in order to meet the enigmatic CEO of Mughal Enterprises Holdings INC .. He is such a big man , and I think his time is extra ordinarily precious much more precious than mine , but he has granted Moti an interview .. Oh god ! I just can't hesitate it ..
Moti is lying on the couch in the living room ..
"Oh Jodha ! I'm so sorry darling , since nine months I was trying to get this interview and finally when I got the opportunity I felt sick , and if you don't go today it will take another six months to reschedule and we'll both have graduated by then , as the editor I cannot blow this off please ! '' Moti tries to convince me again , how does she do it ?? even ill she looking gamine and gorgeous , strawberry blonde hair in place and green eyes bright , although now red rimmed and runny ...
I try not to make her unhappy and therefore I replied " Of course I'll go Moti .. you go and get back to bed .. '' moti looks at me and takes out a sheet of paper " here are the questions here is my mini disc recorder , just press record here '' she says pointing at the recording button and then she continues " make notes and I'll transcribe it all ''..
Moti was busy in her own stuff but she never bothered about me , whether I'm comfortable or not , anyways I finally decided to say what was I thinking " I know nothing about him " I murmur trying to explain her the panic which was rising inside me ... " the questions will see you through .. Go it's a long drive .. I don't want you to be late as he's a person whose time is very precious .. " I finally found that Moti has no interest in my talk so I replied " Okay I am going , you get back to bed now , and yeah ! I had made the soup for you , umm .. I'm not sure how it tastes but .. "before I could continue my sentence Moti interrupted me " Oh my ! You are a great cook darling Jodha " and there it gave a smile on my face .. I look at her lovelessly .. only for you moti I am doing this .. and will do anything for you .. I picked up my satchel and looked at her and smiled at her wryly and then left the room and knocked the door behind me and then head towards my car .. my beetle .. I cannot believe that I'm doing this .. after all .. she's moti .. she can convince anyone to do anything and .. yes , she's my dearest , most dearest friend ..
I sat in the car and started driving , thankfully there is not much traffic here and the roads are clear as I set off from vancouver, WA towards Portland & the I-5 .. Well , thanks to Moti who gave me her sporty mercedes CLK , because my wanda , my bettle is so old and I was not sure whether it will make me reach on time ..
My destination is the headquarters of Mr.Mughal's global enterprise It's a huge twenty-story office building, all curved glass and steel, an architect's utilitarian fantasy, with Mughal House written discreetly in steel over the glass front doors. It's a quarter to two when I arrive, greatly relieved that I'm not late as I walk into the enormous - and frankly intimidating - glass, steel, and white sandstone lobby.
Behind the solid sandstone desk, a very attractive, groomed, blonde young woman smiles pleasantly at me. She's wearing the sharpest charcoal suit jacket and white shirt I have ever seen. She looks immaculate.
"I'm here to see Mr.Jalal . Jodha Singh Rajput for Moti Singh " I said , looking at her .. she replies then " excuse me , one moment Miss Rajput " she arches her eyebrow slightly as I stand self-consciously before her. I am beginning to wish I'd borrowed one of Moti's formal blazers rather than wear my navy blue jacket. I have made an effort and worn my one and only skirt, my sensible brown knee-length boots and a blue sweater. For me, this is smart. I tuck one of the escaped tendrils of my hair behind my ear as I pretend she doesn't intimidate me.
"Miss Singh is expected. Please sign in here, Miss Rajput. You'll want the last elevator on the right, press for the twentieth floor." She smiles kindly at me, amused no doubt, as I sign in. She hands me a security pass that has VISITOR very firmly stamped on the front. I can't help my smirk. Surely it's obvious that I'm just visiting. I don't fit in here at all. Nothing changes, I inwardly sigh. Thanking her, I walk over to the bank of elevators past the two security men who are both far more smartly dressed than I am in their well-cut black suits.
The elevator took me to the twentieth floor , and its again a huge lobby then another young blonde woman dressed impeccably in black and white who rises to greet me. " Miss.Rajput could you wait here , please ?"
Oh God , I never waited so much in my life , finally another blonde lady dressed flawlessly comes out to the right and speak up to me
"Miss Rajput ?" she asks
"Yes " I murmured
"Mr.Jalal .. will see you in a moment .." And there she left , before going she asked me whether I would have tea, coffee or water , I said water would work fine and there I drank water and hand over to the lady who brought it ...
Finally after many mintues the blonde number 2 comes and says " Mr.Jalal will see you now , Miss Rajput .Do go through." I stand rather shakily trying to suppress my nerves. Gathering up my satchel, I abandon my glass of water and make my way to the partially open door.
"You don't need to knock - just go in." She smiles kindly.
I push open the door and stumble through, tripping over my own feet, and falling head first into the office.
My nervousness doesn't found any bound and there I fall in his office ! I am on my hands and knees in the doorway to Mr.Jalal's office and gentle hands are around me helping me to stand I am so embarrassed, damn my clumsiness. I have to steel myself to glance up.Oh God - he's so young.
"Miss Singh." He extends a long-fingered hand to me once I'm upright. "I'm Jalaluddin Mohammad. Are you all right? Would you like to sit?" he says looking at me , oh I must be looking like a number one idiot in the world at the moment ..
So young - and attractive, very attractive. He's tall, dressed in a fine gray suit, white shirt, and black tie with unruly dark copper colored hair and intense, bright gray eyes that regard me shrewdly. It takes a moment for me to find my voiceI wasn't sure what to say "Um...actually " I mutter , In a daze, I place my hand in his and we shake. As our fingers touch, I feel an odd exhilarating shiver run through me. I withdraw my hand hastily, embarrassed. Must be static. I blink rapidly, my eyelids matching my heart rate.
"Miss Singh is indisposed, so she sent me. I hope you don't mind, Mr. Jalal."
"And you are?" His voice is warm, possibly amused, but it's difficult to tell from his impassive expression. He looks mildly interested, but above all, polite.
"Jodha Singh Rajput . I'm studying English Literature with Moti, um... Moti... um... Miss Singh at Washington State."
"I see," he says simply. I think I see the ghost of a smile in his expression, but I'm not sure..
"Would you like to sit ?."he asks me .. I sat as he asks ..
I retrieve Moti's questions from my satchel. Next, I set up the mini-disc recorder and am all fingers and thumbs, dropping it twice on the coffee table in front of me. Mr. Jalal says nothing, waiting patiently - I hope - as I become increasingly embarrassed and flustered. When I pluck up the courage to look at him, he's watching me, one hand relaxed in his lap and the other cupping his chin and trailing his long index finger across his lips. I think he's trying to suppress a smile.
"Sorry," I stutter. "I'm not used to this."
"Take all the time you need, Miss Rajput," he says.
"Do you mind if I record your answers?"
"After you've taken so much trouble to set up the recorder - you ask me now?"
I flush. He's teasing me? I hope. I blink at him, unsure what to say, and I think he takes pity on me because he relents. "No, I don't mind."
"Did Moti, I mean, Miss Singh , explain what the interview was for?"
"Yes. To appear in the graduation issue of the student newspaper as I shall be conferring the degrees at this year's graduation ceremony."
Oh! This is news to me, and I'm temporarily pre-occupied by the thought that someone not much older than me - okay, maybe six years or so, and okay, mega successful, but still - is going to present me with my degree. I frown, dragging my wayward attention back to the task at hand.
"Good," I swallow nervously. "I have some questions, Mr. Jalal ." I smooth a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
"I thought you might," he says, deadpan. He's laughing at me. My cheeks heat at the realization, and I sit up and square my shoulders in an attempt to look taller and more intimidating. Pressing the start button on the recorder, I try to look professional.
I started with the burden of questions , which were written in the questions list given by Moti , " You are too young to build such a great empire , can you share the secret behind your awe to your success ? . " I looked up at him , his smile is rueful but he seems a little disappointed .anyways , he answers my question .. "Business is all about people, Miss Rajput, and I'm very good at judging people. I know how they tick, what makes them flourish, what doesn't, what inspires them, and how to incentivize them. I employ an exceptional team, and I reward them well." He pauses and fixes me with his gray stare. "My belief is to achieve success in any scheme one has to make oneself master of that scheme, know it inside and out, know every detail. I work hard, very hard to do that. I make decisions based on logic and facts. I have a natural gut instinct that can spot and nurture a good solid idea and good people. The bottom line is, it's always down to good people." "Maybe you're just lucky." This isn't on Moti's list - but he's so arrogant. His eyes flare momentarily in surprise.
"I don't subscribe to luck or chance, Miss Rajput. The harder I work the more luck I seem to have. It really is all about having the right people on your team and directing their energies accordingly. I think it was Harvey Firestone who said the growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.'"
"You sound like a control freak." The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.
"Oh, I exercise control in all things, Miss Rajput," he says without a trace of humor in his smile. I look at him, and he holds my gaze steadily, impassive. My heartbeat quickens, and my face flushes again.
Why does he have such an unnerving effect on me? His overwhelming good-looks maybe? The way his eyes blaze at me? The way he strokes his index finger against his lower lip? I wish he'd stop doing that.
Then I started off with other questions written in the paper ..
"And do you have any interests outside your work?"
"I have varied interests, Miss Rajput." A ghost of a smile touches his lips. "Very varied." And for some reason, I'm confounded and heated by his steady gaze. His eyes are alight with some wicked thought.
"But if you work so hard, what do you do to chill out?"
"Chill out?" He smiles, revealing perfect white teeth. I stop breathing. He really is beautiful. No one should be this good-looking.
"Well, to chill out' as you put it - I sail, I fly, I indulge in various physical pursuits." He shifts in his chair. "I'm a very wealthy man, Miss Rajput, and I have expensive and absorbing hobbies."
I glance at the next question.
"You were adopted. How far do you think that's shaped the way you are?" Oh, this is personal. I stare at him, hoping he's not offended. His brow furrows.
"I have no way of knowing."
My interest is piqued.
"How old were you when you were adopted?"
"That's a matter of public record, Miss Rajput." His tone is stern. I flush, again.. Yes of course - if I'd known I was doing this interview, I would have done some research. I move on quickly.
"You've had to sacrifice a family life for your work."
"That's not a question." He's terse.
"Sorry." I squirm, and he's made me feel like an errant child. I try again. "Have you had to sacrifice a family life for your work?"
"I have a family. I have a brother and a sister and two loving parents. I'm not interested in extending my family beyond that."
I continued with the questions again ..
"Are you gay, Mr. Jalal?"
He inhales sharply, and I cringe, mortified. Crap. Why didn't I employ some kind of filter before I read this straight out? How can I tell him I'm just reading the questions? Damn moti and her curiosity!
"No Jodha, I'm not." He raises his eyebrows, a cool gleam in his eyes. He does not look pleased.
"I apologize. It's um... written here." It's the first time he's said my name. My heartbeat has accelerated, and my cheeks are heating up again. Nervously, I tuck my loosened hair behind my ear.
He cocks his head to one side.
"These aren't your own questions?"
The blood drains from my head. Oh no.
"Err... no. moti - Miss Songh - she compiled the questions."
"Are you colleagues on the student paper?" Oh crap. I have nothing to do with the student paper. It's her extra-curricular activity, not mine. My face is aflame.
"No. She's my roommate."
He rubs his chin in quiet deliberation, his gray eyes appraising me.
"Did you volunteer to do this interview?" he asks, his voice deadly quiet.
Hang on, who's supposed to be interviewing whom? His eyes burn into me, and I'm compelled to answer with the truth.
"I was drafted. She's not well." My voice is weak and apologetic.
"That explains a great deal."
I hope this update will make all my GM GM .. friends happy 😳 as promised i am updating today .. and tell me whether this update is long or not 😃 Did you like their first meeting ?
10