Hers To Love

Chapter-3

Butterflies were flying rampant in my stomach as I waited for the screen to load on my laptop. Today was the D-day. The day when I was going to find out where I was going to spend my next six months. Our university had an iron-clad system for internships. First, we have to mark all the companies where we would like to intern in the order of priority and submit our resumes and an essay writing why we would like to work there. After the companies whetted our applications, they would mark the ones they liked. Today, I could see which companies had selected me and would be able to finally select the one I wanted to work at.

Sitting in front of the laptop, waiting for the result to drop, eerily reminded me of waiting for the results of my CAT exam and that made me even more anxious. This internship could be the path to my golden future. Or this could be the axe that could cut my career to death. Some students might not be selected by any companies they have marked, and they would find themselves without an internship and nothing to show for six months of their lives. And a gap in your resume is like a death sentence in the corporate world.

As I was imagining where I would run off to if I didn't get the internship, the screen loaded and my fate was delivered to me in bold black letters.

Vedanth Advertising.

I got an internship at Vedanth Advertising. I squealed in delight, throwing my hands in the air. I stood up pushing back the chair and started dancing around my bedroom, singing random songs that came to mind. A few minutes later, my phone rang and I knew who it was even before I looked at the screen.

"Hello, Sudha," I said into the phone.

"Where are you placed in?" Sudha asked, dismissing pleasantries.

"Vedanth Advertising," I squealed into the phone.

"You got your first priority. That's my girl." Sudha squealed back just as glad as I was.

"God, I have been a nervous wreck for the past three days. I couldn't eat or sleep properly. I have some safety companies on the list, but I would have been miserable there. You are a lucky one. You didn't even have to apply to any other companies. You own several of them." I said, teasing her.

"Yay, me. I would be the boss's wife and everyone would hate me there." Sudha said, sulkily.

"You are so fabulous that anyone will hate you anyway. At least, you can have some hot office romance with your husband." I said, winking, forgetting that she couldn't see me.

"You didn't need to worry though, did you? You could have gone to one of the Sahu Industries' companies in Delhi."

"I could never. My internship would have been ruined with Arun breathing down my neck and finding imperfections in everything I do. On top of that, I cannot watch him canoodling with his girlfriend in his office." I said, shuddering.

"Okay, but if I remember correctly, isn't your Arun a little jealous of your new boss? Is that the reason you have joined there?" Sudha asked with a suggestive tone.

"Hell, no. It's just the job is glamorous." I said, falling back on the bed. "It is one of the top advertising companies in India. Think of all the models and actors I will see there. And executives from all the top brands. It's networking heaven. I can't stress enough how great an opportunity this is. And if I can irk Arun in the process, that's a bonus."

"Look at us. Two independent women going back into the workforce. Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Sudha said, conspiratorally.

"Let's party!" We said together.

**********

The two new working women went to a karaoke bar that night. We drank some liquid courage before taking the singing stage by storm. We sang duets together and then belted out some singles. Fortunately, no men from our lives disturbed us that night. At midnight, we took cabs to our homes, drunk enough to feel light and giggly but sober enough to have our wits about us in a stranger's car.