A Loveless Arranged Marriage Chapter 7. First day at job

  Previously, Deepa had agreed to attend the dinner hosted by Arvind and Shahina. During the dinner, Shahina invited her to an interview at her office. On their way home, Rishi shared Arvind and Shahina's love story with Deepa. Meanwhile, at Arvind's house, Shahina grew slightly doubtful about Rishi and Deepa's marriage, but Arvind distracted her by spending quality time with her. The next day, Deepa attended the interview and got the job. Now, let’s see what happens next.

  The next morning, Deepa woke up at 6:45 a.m., an hour earlier than usual, feeling excited as it was her first day at the office. As she made her way to the kitchen, she noticed Rishi working out on the balcony. Spotting her, Rishi said with a smile, "Hey, you’re up early today!" Deepa, still filled with excitement, responded, "Yes, I’m so excited about today that I couldn’t sleep well." Rishi chuckled and reassured her, "It's your first day; it's natural to feel enthusiastic. You'll get used to it."

  Curious, Deepa asked Rishi if he worked out regularly, to which he nodded and said, "Yes, give me five more minutes to finish my workout, and I’ll make tea for you." But Deepa, determined to manage on her own, insisted, "Don’t worry, I’ll make it myself." Rishi seemed unsure, asking, "Are you sure?" Deepa playfully replied, "What do you think? I may not know everything, but I can handle making tea and dosas." Amused, Rishi agreed but advised her to be cautious. Deepa confidently assured him and went into the kitchen to prepare tea for both of them.

  While Deepa was busy in the kitchen, Rishi finished his workout and came over to check on her. Seeing him, Deepa asked, "Hey, are you done with your workout?" Rishi nodded and asked with a mischievous grin, "Can I ask you a question? When making tea, do we add sugar or salt?" Deepa laughed, quickly realizing that he was teasing her. "What a silly question! Everyone knows the answer," she began, before pausing to add with a smile, "Hey, are you making fun of me?" Rishi laughed and admitted he was just joking, and Deepa, still smiling, told him she was making tea for him too.

  Rishi thanked her and promised to taste it after his bath. After freshening up, he returned to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and lunch. Noticing some leftover tea, he heated it up and tasted it, pleasantly surprised at how well it turned out. "I underestimated her," he thought to himself, feeling impressed. After finishing the tea, Rishi began cooking, and soon Deepa, now ready for her day, joined him. She offered to help, but Rishi assured her he could manage, so she made her way to the living room to relax until breakfast was ready.

  After making breakfast, Rishi called Deepa to join him. Once they finished eating, Rishi got ready to leave for the office but noticed Deepa sitting on the sofa watching TV. He asked, "Hey, Deepa, aren’t you coming?" Deepa, a bit distracted, replied, "Hmm, sorry, I didn’t catch that." Rishi clarified, "I’m leaving for the office. Do you want me to drop you off?" Deepa reassured him, "No worries, I can manage on my own." Despite Rishi’s offer, she insisted she knew her way and could handle it. Rishi eventually said, "Fine, okay, bye," and left for work, just as he received a call from his mom.

  Fifteen minutes later, Deepa also left for her office. It took her 30 minutes to reach, and upon arriving, she remembered the instructions to go to the training room on the first floor. It was a bit tricky to find, but she eventually located it and took a seat. Shortly after, a girl named Suguna introduced herself and asked in Hindi, "Are you Telugu?" Deepa replied, "No, I’m Tamil." Suguna apologized, thinking she was Telugu, and introduced herself. They soon started a friendly conversation, and Deepa remembered Rishi’s advice.

  As they were talking, a man named Yuvraj entered and introduced himself as the trainer for the next two days. While he was speaking, a latecomer named Manoj entered the room. Yuvraj asked, "Who are you?" Manoj replied, "Sir, I’m a new joiner." Yuvraj asked, "What time does the office start?" Manoj answered, "10:30, sir." Yuvraj pointed out that it was already 10:40 and, after hearing Manoj’s excuse about traffic, gave him a warning about punctuality. He reminded everyone to be on time, and the room responded with a collective "Yes, sir."

 Suguna leaned closer to Deepa and whispered, "That was quite rude." Deepa nodded, agreeing, "Yes, I felt the same way." Suguna added playfully, "But the guy is kind of hot." Deepa raised an eyebrow in response, and Suguna quickly clarified, "Did I say anything wrong?" Deepa chuckled and replied, "Nope." Yuvraj then instructed Manoj to come forward for introductions, setting the stage for the meeting.

  After everyone introduced themselves, Manoj began explaining the job details. "Our company, Deux, operates as an outbound call center focused on telemarketing, customer service, insurance sales, event registration, and loan payment collection," he said. He emphasized that during training, they would learn about these aspects, and job assignments would follow based on their abilities. His thorough explanation on communication skills kept the group engaged until lunchtime.

  When Yuvraj finally announced, "Okay, time for lunch," a collective sigh of relief filled the room. Suguna and Deepa found a table in the canteen, eager to relax and chat. While they were eating, Deepa spotted Shahina and invited her over. Suguna felt a bit left out due to the language barrier and said, "Can you join us?" After a moment of thought, Shahina accepted the invitation.

  Once Shahina joined them, Deepa introduced her to Suguna, and they exchanged friendly greetings. Suguna then asked, "Could you both please speak in English or Hindi?" Deepa quickly replied, "Oh, sorry! We'll stick to Hindi." They resumed their conversation comfortably in Hindi. In the midst of their discussion, Deepa remarked, "You know, Shahina, the trainer was quite rude. He even scolded one of the new joiners for being late today." Curious, Shahina inquired, "Who was it?" Suguna chimed in, "His name is Yuvraj."

  Shahina chimed in, “Yuvraj is just like that; he believes in perfection. But once you get to know him, you’ll see he has a good side.” Deepa nodded, contemplating Shahina's words. Spotting Yuvraj near the balcony, Shahina decided, “I’ll introduce you to him so you can become familiar.” Deepa hesitated, asking, “Why are you doing this?” Shahina responded, “He might be your trainer, but he’s also a colleague. It’s good for you to get to know him.” Deepa sighed but was silenced by Shahina’s insistence.

  With that, Shahina called Yuvraj over and introduced him to Deepa and Suguna. Yuvraj asked for their feedback on the training session, to which they both responded positively. After a brief conversation, Manoj left the table. Soon after, the three friends finished their lunch. Shahina announced, “I’ll see you next time, Deepa and Suguna. Bye!” With that, she left for her next appointment, while Deepa and Suguna returned to the training room.

  Yuvraj resumed the training by discussing important topics such as self-control and effective communication. He concluded his lecture with a reminder, “Tomorrow, we’ll have a practical demo, so please be on time. Goodbye!” After the session, Deepa and Suguna made their way home. While walking to the station, Suguna asked, “Where do you stay?” Deepa replied, “I’m at Matunga East. Where about you?” Suguna mentioned she lived in Ghatkopar, relieved that they both traveled along the central line.

  As they approached Matunga Station Road, Suguna pointed out, “Wait, it takes at least 19 minutes to get from Matunga Station Road to Matunga East. Who suggested this route?” Deepa hesitated, considering a lie to conceal her marriage but ultimately chose honesty. “Actually, my husband suggested this route.” Suguna was surprised and asked, “You’re married?” Deepa affirmed, “Yes,” prompting Suguna to say, “You never mentioned that before.” Deepa explained, “I didn’t think it was important to mention.” Suguna then pressed, “But why did your husband suggest a longer route?” Deepa clarified, “He recommended taking the  Matunga station and changing lines at Dadar, but it seemed confusing, so I decided against it.”

 Suguna said, “Alright, I’ll show you the nearest route today. If it works, you can stick with it.” Deepa replied, “No problem, Suguna; I’ll manage on my own.” Suguna insisted, “You’re coming with me, no more questions.” Deepa fell silent, realizing she wouldn’t win this argument. They boarded the train and, within 20 minutes, reached Dadar station. Suguna asked, “What’s the nearest station to your house?” Deepa replied, “Matunga station.” Suguna noted, “Perfect! You can get off at Matunga; it’s the next stop.” Deepa thanked her and said goodbye as she prepared to depart. Suguna waved as the train pulled away.

  After getting off, Deepa checked her phone for directions home. “It’s only 15 minutes from here. Suguna was right,” she thought, feeling relieved. Using a map app, she easily navigated her way home. Once she arrived, Deepa freshened up and went to the kitchen to prepare herself some tea. Settling on the sofa in front of the TV, she switched on a news channel just as Rishi returned home from work. They greeted each other warmly before Rishi asked about her first day. Deepa eagerly recounted her experiences while they worked together to make dinner.

  In the midst of cooking, Deepa’s phone rang. It was her brother Ashwin. “Hello, Akka, how are you?” he asked. Deepa replied, “I’m fine! What about you?” Ashwin then brought up her new job, saying, “I heard you got a new job but didn’t have time to tell us.” Confused, Deepa asked, “Who told you?” Ashwin chuckled, “Your dear husband did!” Deepa raised her eyebrows, surprised. “Actually, Ishwari aunty shared the news,” he continued. Deepa thought to herself, “I jumped to conclusions about him.”

  Just then, Ashwin said, “Sister, Mom wants to talk to you.” He passed the phone to Parvathi, who immediately asked, “Deepa, who told you to apply for a job now?” Deepa explained, “Mom, I was feeling bored, and I thought it would give me work experience and help with our finances.” Parvathi replied, “That’s okay, but it’s only been a week. You could have waited. Just make sure to spend time with your husband.” Deepa responded, “Okay, Mom,” before Parvathi said, “Your father wants to speak to you now; I’ll hand you the phone.”

 Jayraj began the conversation with Deepa, asking, “How are you, my dear?” She responded warmly, “I’m fine, Dad. How about you?” He continued, “I’m doing well. Have you settled into your job?” Deepa explained, “It’s only my first day, Dad, so so far, it’s okay.” Jayraj then inquired about Rishi, asking, “Does your husband support your decision to work?” Deepa replied, “Everyone except Mom is fine with it.” Jayraj reassured her, “Your mom just wants to know why you applied for a job so soon. Anyway, is my son-in-law around?” Deepa paused before responding, “No, Dad, he went to the shop to buy some things.” Jayraj concluded the call with a “Fine, okay, dear, bye,” to which Deepa replied, “Bye, Dad.”

  After the call, Deepa walked into the kitchen and asked Rishi, “Hey, did you tell your mother about my job placement?” Rishi confirmed, “Yeah, I mentioned it while talking to her on my way to the office.” Deepa questioned, “Is it really necessary to mention my job to your mom?” Rishi explained, “Look, Deepa, for us, our marriage feels like a contract. But to others, we need to appear like a couple. By openly discussing things like your job, it helps us maintain that image until our situation changes.” Deepa nodded, processing his words as dinner was ready.

  They sat down to enjoy their meal together, the conversation flowing easily as they discussed lighter topics. After dinner, they both felt the weariness of the day settling in. They decided to retire to their respective rooms to get some sleep, each reflecting on the day’s events and the complexities of their relationship. As Deepa lay in bed, she thought about her new job and the conversations she had, hoping that she could navigate her new life while keeping peace at home.

  The following day at Deepa's office was filled with excitement as she and her colleagues underwent training on customer communication and call procedures. Yuvraj, their trainer, concluded the session by announcing the joinee list, specifying which employees would be placed in various departments. Deepa's heart raced with anticipation, and when she heard her name alongside Suguna's for the customer care service department, a wave of happiness washed over her. The two friends exchanged thrilled glances, delighted to embark on this new journey together.

  As they left the office, Suguna and Deepa encountered Shahina, who was eager to celebrate their success. The trio quickly decided to organize a small party to mark the occasion.

  Let's see what happens next in the next chapter. Until then, stay tuned.