The Official Interview

Every time I talk about a place I end up talking about its food. I have been to Trivandrum umpteen times and I am familiar with the place by its culinary mood swings than by its official landmarks. My very close friends at Radio Mirchi have already acquainted me to the most yummilicious desi food joints of the town. I love Trivandrum for its slang, for its unapologetic rawness and never ending list of  temples. Trivandrum is good and is awesome for people I must say who love to work for the government. 

  But that day it was different .  One interview was going to change my life forever. When I say an interview I am not very sure to call it that way but then by all means it was an interview.  

Indeed a stress full one

I reached her house to be welcomed by a battalion of well built yet modestly dressed future in laws.  My home work on the family album came in handy in identifying faces.

Branch Manager?

Illa uncle it’s Brand Manager.

Brand as in….. Brandy!!!

Introducing yourself is an art and I am not an artist. I have always goofed up in giving out a rosy picture of mine to others whenever it mattered.   My unexpected black out syndromes, abrupt linguistic disorders and tentative abdominal malfunctions have complicated my life a lot. I begin making simple matters sound complex  with definitions that have no meaning in today's google world. I am more than fine defining myself in writing but speaking out confidently in chivalrous fashion that too in front of my future in-laws was like clearing CAT and making it to IIMs. 

I was served with an elaborate platter of palatable delicacies in front of me. Ranging from conventional laddoos to convoluted jilebis to imported dry fruits. On a normal day  it won’t take me more than 20 minutes  to eat away the whole some spread but that day it wasn’t about my tummy . My heart needed attention and I had to keep my eyes out from those  momentary distractions. 

By now I had completed introducing myself 5 times.  Each time I finished there’s a new entrant to the party and I begin explaining it all over again. To her uncles, cousins and even to the bacha party. Actually that gave me confidence and I repeated my spiced up achievements story to the gallery again and again.

So what’s next?

Next is what uncle?

Silence is  scary. I can vouch for that . Suddenly the whole gathering went to a mute mode. It was like those moments in popular reality shows where the host ruminates over elimination episodes  and contestants  wait with bated breath and filled up eyes.

 Will I be selected?

 Do I have enough sms support?

 Will I get a wild card entry ?

 Will I be the winner?

 Or should I leave the show?

The questions were many and I wanted to shout my lungs out to the whole clan of people sitting around asking for a yes. Her dad sat as composed as Budhha, periodically staring at my tummy . It aggravated my whole composure and scraped away the little confidence I had in me.

I looked around like a lost puppy in an airport (that’s too much may be in a bus stand) for some relief and support. And suddenly  I had a glimpse of  her. A smile of hers got me hooked from the farther corner of the hall. There she was winking at me , behind her expressionless mother  with a thumbs up .

It doesn't take a man a lot to feel better. We men feel better with most simplest of things. A smile does wonders for us. We are like that you know.

That was the best interview I had so far. And I had the yes from the most important interviewers of my life.

 A yes from Lord Padmanabhan 

 A yes from Trivandrum..