Reality Ever After

Part 59. Rejection

Hi guys,

I hope you all are doing fine. Apologies for not updating for so long. But my work has gotten very busy. However, here's an update for you guys. It's a little serious and intense. But I am very keen to know your thoughts on this one.

Keep your comments coming! I love reading them!

Love,
-SV

PS - Translations updated now!

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Manik reached 'Soundemic's' office a few minutes before his meeting with the Founder & CEO of the company. As soon as he entered the office, he immediately felt a positive vibe from the place. He found the receptionist near the entrance and informed her that he was here for a meeting with the CEO. She checked his calendar and asked him to wait as the CEO was busy. The receptionist informed him that he could wait by the seating area near the windows and could help himself with coffee or anything he liked to eat from the office kitchen.

He looked around the office space and realised that this wasn't like the usual corporate offices everywhere but instead, this was a very chilled-out place. He didn't feel like he had entered an office but instead felt like he had entered a cafe. It indeed looked like a startup's office. It had a big open space with huge tables placed around the entire room. There were no separate offices for the bosses or even cubicles. Everyone sat together in the same place. Apparently, this promoted a healthy and open culture at work. Each table was dedicated to the different teams that worked there. He could see a table for sales, a different table for marketing, another one for technology, one for finance, one for business strategy and operations and so on. It also seemed like there weren't too many people working in the startup yet as the room could not contain more than 30-40 people altogether. They even had a small kitchen with lots of chocolates, fruits, cookies and other munchies with a big coffee machine. Another corner of the office had a pool table, a table tennis table and a carrom board for the employees to take a break. But the best part of the office were the huge glass windows which overlooked the Bandra-Worli sea link. The more time Manik looked around the office space, the more he felt like he wanted to work here.

He further observed the people working there. Everyone was dressed in the most casual clothes and there was no formality between the teams. All of them worked together like a big happy family and everyone addressed the other by their names. There was no concept of calling anyone 'Sir' or 'Ma'am' there. All in all, it looked like a really cool place. He really hoped his meeting with the CEO went well and he could be a part of this team too.

However, he kept waiting for the CEO for a very long time. It had been more than 45 minutes now and there was no sign of him. He had even gone back to the receptionist a couple of times to ask her but she just said that he was busy in another meeting and she didn't know when it would be done. Another half an hour passed, and now Manik was getting pissed. Who could be almost 1.5 hours late for a meeting? How unprofessional was this CEO?

Finally, someone approached him when he was almost making up his mind to get up and leave.

Mr. Nikhil Sharma - Manik Malhotra? Hi. I am Nikhil Sharma and I am the Chief Business Officer here.

Manik turned around to see a man in his late twenties or early thirties, dressed in a semi-formal shirt and jeans.

Manik - Hi Sir. I am Manik.

Nikhil - Call me Nikhil.

Manik - Thanks Nikhil. I thought I was meeting with the CEO. Is he going to join us too?

He directed them to a meeting room where the two of them could have a more private conversation.

Nikhil - The CEO is busy with another meeting right now. And she is not a 'he'. Naina sent me to speak with you as she won't be able to make it.