She overstayed in the hostel for a month once college was over and she had no job. She continued her part-time morning job of teaching but that wasn’t enough. She started looking out for a job. She sent a resume to many companies, gave interviews but all in vain. She wanted to go to Bangalore and apply but for that too, she needed money. She finally settled with a job at the call centre. It was night shift job but she had to take it. there were only two female employees and fourteen males, most of them young, three in their thirties and one boss who was in his fifties. She was scared. And even more scared when she came to know that the call centre was illegal. There could be police raid any time. She almost resigned job after a week but what next if not that job? She decided to earn money and go to Bangalore in search of Job.
More clients she would handle, more salary she would get. She worked hard. She shifted from hostel to other girls PG. Life seemed to have kindness on her after all. It seemed smooth journey forward. She took a sigh of relief.
One night, she was attending a call when her boss came hurriedly. We are closing this centre, he announced. No one was more terrified than her. It seems the police have information about this centre and they have a location, as far as I know, her boss explained. We will find another location and clear this by this morning, he further instructed all the employees. He further instructed senior employees and everyone started cleaning, disconnection cables, CPUs, monitors and everything.
For the next fifteen days, there was no news from the company. It has been just three months she had started a job and now she was jobless. It was month-end. She had to pay rent this time. Last month also she hadn’t paid a single penny. She had medical issues, migraine. It was so unbearable that she had to get a proper check-up. It cost her more than she had anticipated. She contacted her boss for salary but he wouldn’t answer. She couldn’t pay rent for consecutive two months.
At six o’clock in the evening, when she was back from the hospital, she found her luggage packed near the door outside her room. She knew it was time to leave from there but she had nowhere else to go. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry but she didn’t shed a tear there. She picked her bag and tucked on the back like a warrior fastened the shield. She took a walk to the nearest public garden. She looked around and found one bench in the corner. It was already dark and no one could see her. She screamed. And she cried…
Why try to be tough when your heart is screaming with pain? She was going through her periods. It was her third day. She neither had the money nor the roof over her head. She badly needed to change her pads but she had no place to do so. For a moment, she thought it was the wrong decision to leave home. Regret shows how vulnerable we are. One should try to make the choice right rather than making the right choice. For a moment, she thought of going back to the village. She missed her mother. She wanted to talk with her. She wanted to hug her. She badly needed someone to lean on. There was no one. It was completely dark and she was all alone in the corner. She cried her heart out that night. she would stay still for a moment like stone and again one or other pain would kick in. Migraine, menstrual cramps, no home and no job. She cried and cried and she didn’t know when she slept on the bench in the garden.
Next morning her phone rang, she woke up and checked the name. It was Nayeem, her senior from the company. She couldn’t hold it back. She told him everything. He came there without delay and booked a room in a hotel for her for a day. He also arranged other PG for her and paid in advance. When she was freshened up, he visited her at a hotel. He informed that the call centre will start the next day at a new address. She didn’t say much. She found much-needed comfort in his arms. He too felt for her. Within a few days, both were together.
Those were the happiest days of her life. She had a shoulder to lean on. They went on many trips together and soon, they were sharing the bed. For few months relationship went pretty well but like every other relationship, they also had problems. Things were falling apart. She worked hard for the rest of the year. She saved as much as she could. When she had enough, she started applying for a job in Bangalore but no one would hire who graduated a year back and had no experience of a technical job. Nayeem didn’t want her to go to Bangalore. He was being selfish. She had left home, her parents for her dream job. She couldn’t stay back now when she had a chance. There are people we can’t live without, but we have to let them go.
She applied for a three months training course in Bangalore. She studied hard this time. She had much needed English exposure at a call centre job. She gave interviews in four companies and got selected in Qualcomm after three rounds of interviews. She was still in touch with Nayeem but not in a relationship. She didn’t want anyone in her life. She didn’t want anyone to tell her what she should do and what she should not. She just wanted to fly… like a free bird.
***
She came to Ahmedabad after a year, to meet me. I again requested her to meet her parents. She didn’t say anything. I know one day I will convince her. After all, I love her. She loves me. You may have a question, how did that happen? Well, that’s a story for another day.
