Everything For Him - Part 9

Short films always inspired me. Whenever I find myself free, I always loved to spend time watching them.  As a marketing and advertising executive at ASM Industries, my team and I have the privilege of coming up with new ideas every day and many times I borrowed ideas for my ad campaigns from those movies.

The creative ideas that we need to come for advertisements is nothing short of writing a story for a movie or short films. Another constraint that we need to adhere to is the time factor. Movies have a maximum of three hours, for short films a maximum of ten to thirty minutes, but for advertisements it should be within a minute and should not be more and if it is, then you need to pay an exorbitant amount for every second.

Today, while having my breakfast I happened to watch one short film which delineated how society destroys our creativity and the message was really eye-opening. It clearly showed how as we grow up and enter the real world we tend to forget all about the little things that made us happy when we were younger, and as the years pass, society teaches us to suppress the creative spark that makes us special, instead of embracing it. I literally experienced it and this was well shown in the movie.

I reached my office on time and once again stray thoughts creeped in. No matter how hard I try, I am unable to straighten them. The deadline is just a week away and I still couldn't come up with any idea and if you are in my position you have the Sword of Damocles hanging over your head at every moment.

Success in marketing depends on creative strengths. If marketing messages are boring, people aren't going to give them a second glance and we may end up losing a second chance of getting a project from the clients. Hence the pressure is always be high on the creative wing. One bad idea and people will start inventing new words to describe your failure. You can do ninety nine things for someone and all they will remember is the one thing you didn't do. Same will be my position if I didn't come up with any idea. My other teammates always come up with vague ideas and hence I need to take the responsibility on my shoulders.

While I was going through the details of my client's theme for one more time, my lead Vishal pinged me on an instant messenger, asking me to come inside his cabin. Whenever he calls me inside, I feel as if I am entering a hell hole. Vishal, our manager is one of the senior most employees in our company. Just five years short of fifty, he is married to a beautiful wife and has two kids.   

It happened many times previously to me. Vishal used to call  me inside into his cabin and ask - 'Ananya, you look so tense? What's keeping you worried? Can you smile and relax?' Well, that question is not intended to make me feel better. He always stares at me with a fetish look and this is the reason I never come to the office wearing short dresses. While leaving he would stand in the doorway, so there was no way for me to get past him without physical contact no matter how hard I tried or asked him to move. I felt like kicking him in the center whenever he asked me. But I don't want to create any kind of scene.

Once it happened like I was presenting the idea in the conference room he was not at all paying attention to the details of the campaign, rather he was looking at every inch of my body. I really felt uncomfortable. He behaved like one of those male passengers on a flight  who instead of paying attention to the safety announcements being told by the airhostess, scans the airhostess from top to bottom.

I entered Vishal's cabin and found myself amidst a very creatively decorated office room. A lot of sticky notes are pasted on the glass wall. He asked me to sit on the sofa instead of the chair. I know why he asked me to sit there. He wants to see my legs and my entire body. 

'Ananya, are you upset? Worried about something? Don't be so reserved, open up, talk to me, smile. You look so beautiful when you smile,' he said looking straight into my eyes, rubbing his finger on his lips.

'No Vishal, I am perfectly alright,' I told him, trying to sound normal.

'If you are perfectly alright then why don't you smile. You look gorgeous when you smile.'

Bloody idiot! 

I responded with an anxious big broad smile, as if I am the happiest person in my life. Knowing that my professional relationship with my leads was operating under strict power structures, asking me to smile meant that my autonomy existed only up to the point where I kept pleasing his virile penchants. It felt like he was the owner of my body, dictating me to show how I should be conducting myself in my workplace. Telling a woman to smile when she doesn't want to is harassment. But our company doesn't have any policies to protect the interests of women. 

'The deadline to submit the idea is just a week away? You didn't come up with any idea so far?' 

'I am working upon it. I will probably come up with an idea by the end of the day.'

'Why don't you leave your hair open? You should look good and feel good to let creative thoughts enter your mind. Locking hair reduces creativity.'

What the hell are you talking about? How is hair lock related to creativity? If I ask him it only elongates the discussion. I should not stay here for a long time. Better I just unlock my hair and make a quick exit soon.

I took off the band from my bun-tied hair, not looking at him. I quickly brushed my fingers through my hair to calm myself down and pull myself together. I was shivering, but I did not move. 

'See! You look so good. Much better now. Now, the creative thoughts will come into your mind effortlessly,' he said, and walked towards the door standing halfway as usual. 'Now you can go!'  

I can't dare to pick up a fight as the chances of me getting fired on the spot is very high. I walked out of the cabin trying my best not to touch my body with his. Luckily today I managed to slip off without rubbing my breasts against him. 

As soon as I stepped out I tied my hair again, hoping in my head that no one saw me coming out of the cabin with my hair all open. Deep inside my blood began to boil. Catching him by the collar I wanted to pull Vishal in front of everyone and make him feel ashamed in front of everyone for his misbehaviour. But I couldn't go ahead, I felt embarrassed instead. I literally got used to it. After all this is just one of millions of pains that I go through everyday.

While I was trotting towards my cubicle I spotted Sandhya and ran towards her cubicle. 'Sandhya!' I pulled the chair beside the cubicle and sat beside her.

'Ananya, what happened? You look so worried?' She asked, concerned.

'This idiot Vishal called me,' I said in a low whisper. 'As it is he just asked me to sit on the sofa and told me to smile.'

'What is this idiot Vishal is thinking about you?'

'You know very well! He looks like a Johnson Baby… but drinks Johnny Walker and a big fan of Johnny Sins.'

'Why don't you complain against him?'

'My life is already anchored in troubled waters. I don't want to exacerbate it,' tears were about to burst. But I somehow managed to roll them back.

'I don't understand why he catches only you specifically?' Sandhya said.

'A single, divorced woman is no more than an opportunity to exploit. He is trying his best to bring me into his seduction spell.'

'Ananya, we have to do something. We can't keep it going like this. I think you should complain to our boss at least.'

'I don't want to create any drama. I can complain if I want, but the only reason that stops me is his wife and kids. Just because of him I don't want to throw them to the wolves.'

'Ananya, I don't know why time is treating you cruelly. But as I said before I feel that 2019 is going to be different and promising for you. I am sure you will find your soulmate this year.'

'I don't believe it. The wonders that didn't happen for ten years, how can it happen this year?'

'Sometimes it takes ten years to reach that particular life-changing year which beholds the immense potential to transform our life completely. I believe the same thing happens with you. Miracles can happen at any time and at any moment. Just be ready,' she said smiling.

'I don't believe in miracles.'

'You don't, because you didn't experience. I am sure you will experience one this year.'

'Well is it!'

'Yes it is!'

'Okay Sandhya! I will believe in miracles if I meet Jayanth again!' 

Oops! What did I say? How did it come out all of a sudden!

'Who is this Jayanth?' she asked, raising her brows.

I didn't understand how his name came out of my mouth all of a sudden. The discussion was about miracles and I was unable to fathom how Jayanth got mapped to it all of a sudden. Jayanth and miracles, I don't see any consonance.

I narrated her about the entire course of events that took place at the supermarket.  'Now tell me is it possible to meet him again?'

'Who knows? Miracles have the power to raise the dead from the graves. But tell me one thing, if you meet Jayanth again, what will you do?' She said

'I will decide when I get to meet him. Anyways there's no use discussing about the things that aren't going to happen?'

'No! No! No! Somewhere deep in the corner of your heart you are keenly waiting for him to show up again or probably expecting a date.'

'Sandhya don't be silly! He is a student. How can I dare to think about having a date with him?'

'See miracles can make anything happen. But you still didn't answer my question. What are you going to do if Jayanth comes again?'

'Arey! This Jayanth came out all of a sudden randomly.'

'No it didn't come up randomly. There is a purpose behind it. The universe has planned something grand for you, wait,' she placed her hand on my left breast trying to feel the beat of my heart, 'your heart is beating fast. It means you are thinking about him. I learned that whenever we think about our soulmate our heart and pulse starts beating faster. '

'It's absolutely impossible!'

'Ananya, it's not what's right in front of you that matters.  It's what you see. Many times in our life we look and pray for certain opportunities to come our way and when they don't, we get disappointed. But often it's not that these opportunities never came, it's that we didn't recognize them when they arrived. God will always send someone who can lead us in the right direction. I am sure one day you will believe in miracles.'

'Sandhya, I am not afraid to wait. I just don't want to wait for something that will never happen. It hurts, but it's ok as I got used to it. If by chance I get to experience a miracle, then I will purchase an iPhone for you.'

'I don't need any iPhone. I just want your life to get settled soon. And tonight we are going out shopping for your birthday.'

'Do you think it is really important?'

'Yes! More than important.'

'Hmm… Okay!'

'And did you come up with any idea for jobversity?'

'No! I am not getting any ideas.'

'Why don't you take the advice of Sheela? She has snatched the position that you are entitled to.'

'Please don't scratch on my old wounds.'

'Ananya, seriously your life needs a miracle. A biggest miracle.'

To be continued...