Leap of Faith

Greek God

Something bubbled up in my stomach. I could not know what it was that made my inside flutter, excitement, fear, nervousness, or pride, maybe a mix of all. It definitely felt meaningful and just right to be here, standing on the pavement, looking upwards at the magnificent tower.

I clutched my bag tightly by my arm on an unfamiliar street, surrounded by tall corporate towers and the silent Arabian Sea on one side. The aftereffects of hard rain were apparent on the surrounding, the Sun shone in all its glory, shrubs, trees, roads, the buildings cleaned and rejuvenated for another busy Monday morning on the business street.

SpeedEx House

All glass tower stood before me with its magnificent glory. Every floor adorned with different colour flower shrubs, peeking out. The blue glass, the lush green shrubs, and vibrant flowers gave the tower something to stand out against the neighbouring structures. I took a last glance at it and approached the security gate.

The warm wind from seaside slipped through my hair as I crossed the gate in tentative steps. People in formal attire were slipping through the large glass slide door, chatting animatedly. My steps quickened as the time on the beautiful clock by the front of the foyer captured my attention. I was running late.

As soon as I entered, I smelled the air-conditioned air and drank in the sight of expansive lobby. It was not only posh and elegant but had a unique look and feel to it. It was both classic and modern, perhaps their marriage. The exquisite granite flooring, the glass and steel walls and dazzling chandelier spoke volumes about the magnitude of the company of which it was a headquarter.

Why wouldn't I feel lucky to be a part of it? Being fresh out of college with an engineering degree, it was my dream of working for an Automobile major. Moreover, with a company like SpeedEx, it was icing on a cake. SpeedEx was leading company in South Asia, all built by the great Mr. Akash Kar, who pushed his company from the nascent stage to International Platform in maybe twenty years of time.

However, my recruitment was for its daughter company named KM Auto, which manufactured its auto parts, but it underlined that the opportunity might come to join SpeedEx after a year or two.

I already had my temporary ID when they hired me, so I marched confidently towards the reception area. Two impeccably dressed girls in their early thirties sat behind the desk. A large SpeedEx logo embellished behind them. I took another minute to appreciate the high ceiling structure of the lobby, which extended to the second floor. Then there was a chandelier hung on it, the early morning light that peered through the glass wall and fell on the facets of glass pieces and bounced off it, creating an illusion of flickering reflection on opposite wall.

Suddenly my left foot toe rammed against something solid and the whole world seemed toppled from my eyesight. I fell on the cool marble, my hands prevented the head first impact, though, in the process, my bag went flying few feet ahead, falling on the floor with a thud. As the initial shock went away, my brain registered a small step I missed, causing this misery. I swore inwardly cursing my clumsy ways. Pure embarrassment washed over me.

Just as I started to push myself up, I saw an extended hand offering help. I was about to react to the considerate person who decided to help me. However, the words stopped at my throat, I peeked from the eyelashes to the Greek God himself. My eyes locked with the perfect set of deep golden eyes with a greenish tinge to it. And the whole world blurred, even when he was asking me from his perfectly shaped lips, I could not make out what he was saying. The velvet smooth yet firm voice bypassed my otherwise logical and reasonable brain and hit straight at my heart.

My hand automatically grabbed his and thousands of watts of electricity coursed through me, igniting my soul. Every nerve of my hand became aware of the warmth he was sending into my body. It was unlike I witnessed before, the time itself seemed suspended.