A Loveless Arranged Marriage Chapter 17. The Interview

  Previously, Deepa had met her ex-lover, Arul. Before their conversation, she was still in pain from her previous relationship. At Rishi's insistence, she finally spoke with Arul, and after the conversation, she felt relief from her pain. Four months later, Deepa took her UPSC prelims, and two weeks after that, the results were out. Deepa managed to pass the prelims.

  Now, it was November 21st, and the winter breeze filled the room. The time was 10:56 p.m., and Deepa was in Rishi's house, sitting in the living room with a laptop on her lap. She was anxiously surfing the UPSC website, waiting for the mains results to be released in just four minutes. As the time drew closer, her heartbeat quickened, and she started sweating.

  At exactly 11:00 p.m., she refreshed the UPSC website. A PDF document appeared. She downloaded it, and before opening it, she prayed silently. After her prayer, she opened the document and entered her roll number in the search box. She hit the enter button, and within a second, the search result showed: "1 of 1." Her name was highlighted.

  For a moment, Deepa was frozen, her eyes wide in disbelief. She checked again to make sure her name was indeed listed. Realizing it was true, her joy soared. She screamed with happiness, tears filling her eyes. Just then, Rishi called her.

  "Deepa, what about the result?" he asked eagerly. "I passed the mains exam, Rishi!" Deepa exclaimed. "Hey, that's amazing, Deepa! Congratulations!" Rishi responded excitedly. "Thank you so much," she replied, her voice filled with joy.

  Shortly after, Arvind, Akshaya, and Ibrahim all called to congratulate her one by one, and Deepa thanked each of them. After ending the calls, she immediately dialed her father to share the news. He was overjoyed and, along with Ishwari and Ashwin, wished her continued success.

  Later, her tutor, Rajiv, posted in their academy’s WhatsApp group, announcing that three students had passed the mains exam: Deepa, Vasundhara, and Ansari Saad. Everyone in the group sent their congratulations. Deepa’s former colleagues from her ex-company also reached out to wish her success.

 After that, the months of November and December passed, and it was now January. The day was January 28th, and the time was 4:15 p.m. Deepa was in her room at Rishi's house, packing her bags. Twenty minutes later, she finished packing, and Rishi entered the room.

  "Did you finish packing, Deepa?" he asked. "Yes, of course," Deepa replied. Rishi then asked, "Make sure you’ve packed everything—your admit card, resume files, etc." "Hey, don't worry about it. I’ve checked more than twice," Deepa reassured him.

  "I’m just saying, because if you forget something, it could affect your interview," Rishi explained. "I have everything; don’t worry," she replied. "Alright, fine. We’ll leave at 5:15 p.m., so be ready by then," Rishi said. "Okay," Deepa agreed, and Rishi left the room.

  An hour later, Rishi and Deepa were at Bandra Terminus, waiting for the train. They were joined by Rajiv (Deepa’s tutor), Vasundhara and her family, and Ansari Saad with his brother, all waiting for the same train. Ten minutes later, the train arrived. All four boarded with their luggage.

  From outside the train, Rishi told Deepa, "Take care of yourself. Don’t be nervous at the interview—just be confident. And take care of your health." Deepa replied, "You take care of your health too." As the train departed, Rishi went to the parking lot to pick up his car. After reaching his car, he started driving back home.

  The next day, Rishi woke up and went through his usual routine—working out and cooking. While cooking, he realized he had forgotten to reduce the amount of rice, as Deepa wasn’t there. After correcting his mistake, he finished cooking.

  During breakfast, Rishi thought of calling Deepa. When he did, she didn’t answer. He assumed she was busy and decided to try again later. After finishing breakfast, he left for the office.

  At work, Rishi couldn’t concentrate. He kept worrying about whether Deepa had reached New Delhi safely. He tried calling her again, but she still didn’t pick up. Arvind noticed Rishi was distracted and asked, "Hey Rishi, you seem glued to your phone today. What’s going on?" Rishi replied, "Arvind, I’m just worried if Deepa has reached New Delhi or not. I’ve been trying to call, but she’s not answering."

 Arvind replied, "Hey Rishi, you're just worrying unnecessarily. Maybe her phone is out of network coverage or the battery is dead. She'll call you; don't stress about it. But Rishi, you're missing her already. How will you handle it when she passes the UPSC exam and you both have to manage a long-distance relationship?"

  Rishi, slightly surprised, responded, "Hey Arvind, it's not like that. I'm not missing her. I just want to know if she reached there safely." Arvind, with a sly smile, said, "Not missing her? Come on, I’ve known you since childhood. Just admit it, you're missing her." Rishi replied, "It's really not like that," just as his phone rang. It was Deepa calling, and when Arvind noticed, he teased, "See, your lovely wife is calling you. Now go attend the call." Rishi shot back, "I know that; just shut your mouth," and answered the call.

  Rishi asked, "Hey Deepa, how are you?" Deepa replied, "I'm fine. What about you?" Rishi responded, "I'm good. Where are you now?" Deepa said, "We just arrived at the hotel a couple of minutes ago." Rishi replied, "Okay, good. I tried calling you earlier, but you didn’t answer." Deepa explained, "My phone was on Do Not Disturb mode, that’s why I missed your call." Rishi said, "Hmm, okay. Take care of yourself and good luck with the interview." Deepa replied, "Thank you! You take care of yourself too." They ended the call, and Rishi had a smile on his face. Arvind, noticing, remarked, "Now you can focus on work, Rishi." Rishi didn’t respond, knowing that if he said anything, Arvind would just continue teasing him. So he quietly returned to his work.

  Meanwhile, Deepa, Vasundhara, Saad, and Rajiv were having breakfast at the hotel. Rajiv addressed his students, "After breakfast, we’ll have a rehearsal for the interview." They all replied, "Okay, sir." Rajiv continued, "Vasundhara, did you buy your sandals?" Vasundhara replied, "Yes, sir." Rajiv warned her, "You know you need to wear sandals instead of your usual heels. If I see you wearing those heels during rehearsal, you know you’ll face my wrath." Vasundhara nervously replied, "Okay, sir." Rajiv then turned to Deepa and said, "Deepa, help her tie her hair neatly." Deepa replied, "Yes, sir."

  Saad raised a concern, "Sir, I have a question." Rajiv asked, "What is it, Saad?" Saad inquired, "What should we do if we’re asked a question in the interview that we don’t know how to answer?" Rajiv advised, "Simply say, 'I'm sorry, I don't know.' The interviewers aren’t testing your knowledge; they're assessing whether you're suitable to be a civil servant. They will respect that answer more than if you try to make something up or lie, which will definitely cost you marks." Rajiv finished his breakfast and said, "Okay, students, I’ll be waiting in my room. Be prepared and come." With that, he left the table.

 After some time, the three of them finished dinner and went to their respective rooms. Once there, they changed into appropriate outfits for their rehearsal. After getting ready, they all headed to Rajiv's room to begin. During the rehearsal, Rajiv guided them through the interview process, helping them correct minor mistakes. The rehearsal lasted for three hours, and by the end, everyone was exhausted. They had lunch after the rehearsal and then returned to their rooms to rest.

  Later that evening, Rajiv took the group on a short tour of some parts of Delhi to refresh themselves. Afterward, they had dinner and went back to their rooms. Meanwhile, at Rishi's house, Rishi finished watching a movie and headed to bed. However, he found it difficult to sleep, feeling a strange emptiness in his heart. After about an hour, he finally managed to fall asleep. The next day, although he continued his daily work routine, the same feeling of emptiness persisted, distracting him even at the office.

  After work, Rishi still couldn't shake the feeling, so he decided to visit a nearby park to clear his mind. However, instead of feeling refreshed, he grew bored and left. As he entered his residential society, he ran into Hemant, who was surprised to see Rishi out at that hour. Hemant asked, "Rishi beta, where are you coming from?" Rishi replied, "Just went to the park for some fresh air." Sensing that something was wrong, Hemant asked, "Why does your face look so dull today?" Rishi responded, "It's nothing, just feeling a bit off." Hemant then invited him for a cup of tea, and Rishi agreed. While at the tea shop, Rishi asked, "Hemant uncle, do you miss your family while working here?"

  Hemant replied, "Yes, I do. I left my village when my son Chandan was just five months old. If we hadn't lost our farmland, I would've continued farming instead of working as a security guard. But soon my son will start working, and then I'll retire and spend every moment with him." After finishing their tea, they walked back to the residential society. On the way, Hemant asked, "When is Deepa's interview?" Rishi replied, "It's tomorrow, uncle." Hemant then asked, "Do you miss her?" Rishi quickly said, "No, uncle," to which Hemant replied, "But your eyes tell a different story. I can see that you're missing her."

  Rishi smiled and said, "Uncle, it's not like that." Hemant, with a knowing smile, said, "Rishi, I'm 61 years old. I can tell by looking at someone’s face. Your mouth says you don't miss her, but your face says otherwise." They both reached the society, and Rishi said, "Okay, bye, uncle," before heading to his flat. That night, as he lay in bed, Rishi pondered whether he really missed Deepa. After thinking about it for an hour, he concluded that everyone was just teasing him and that there was nothing more to it. With that, he fell asleep.

  The next day, Deepa was getting ready for her UPSC interview. She was dressed in a saree, with her hair neatly tied in a twisted bun. Vasundhara, who was also preparing for the interview, wore a salwar kameez, and Deepa helped her tie her hair. While Deepa was helping, Vasundhara asked, "Deepa sis, are you nervous about today's interview?" Deepa replied, "Yes, I'm both nervous and frightened, but I also have confidence in myself. What about you?" Vasundhara said, "I'm just excited; I’ve decided to give my best." Deepa smiled and said, "That's great! Your hair is tied up just the way you wanted. Now let's head out; Saad and Rajiv sir must be waiting for us." They gathered their files, which contained their certificates and admission cards, and met Saad and Rajiv in the hotel lobby. From there, they all made their way to the Union Public Service Commission in New Delhi.

 After 30 minutes, they arrived at the commission office. Once there, the three of them sought Rajiv's blessing. Rajiv said, "Okay, students, don't be nervous. Be honest and confident with your answers, and all the best to all of you." After that, the three of them showed their call letters to security and entered the Union Public Service Commission office. As they entered the waiting hall, their certificates were verified, which took more than an hour. They waited in the hall for over an hour.

  Finally, Vasundhara's name was called for her interview. Shortly after, Deepa's name was also called. She took a deep breath and waited outside the interview room. Once ready, she entered the room, where she saw five people sitting on the interview panel—one was the chairman, and the other four were members of the board. Deepa greeted them with "Good afternoon." The chairman then asked her to take a seat, and Deepa sat down in a disciplined manner.

  The chairman began by asking Deepa to introduce herself. Deepa responded, "My name is Deepa. I am 27 years old. I was born in Tirunelveli, where I completed both my high schooling and my bachelor's degree. I earned my bachelor's degree in economics from St. Xavier College. My interests include reading and swimming. This is my fifth attempt at UPSC and my first interview attempt."

  The chairman then asked, "Deepa, while reviewing your CV, we noticed that before your fifth attempt, you were working at a call center. Can you tell us why you left that job?" Deepa replied, "Actually, ma'am, I needed some money to continue my UPSC studies, so I joined the company. My primary goal has always been to serve as a civil servant rather than work a typical 9-to-5 job."

  Afterward, the panel members took turns asking her various economics-related questions. They asked, "Which was the first bank of India?" "Can you explain the Phillips curve?" and "What is meant by the Human Development Index, and what are its three components?" After answering these, one of the panel members posed a political question: "Do you think we still live under a caste system? What is your opinion on it?"

  Deepa answered, "Yes, sir, I believe the caste system is still prevalent in our society. For example, during marriage alliances, families often prioritize finding a bride or groom from the same caste and religion. Honour killings in the name of caste also continue to happen, and we still witness discrimination based on caste. In my opinion, the caste system is like a virus in our society, and I am strongly against those who still practice it."

   One of the panel members then asked Deepa a question: "Assume you are a district collector, and a riot breaks out in your jurisdiction. How will you stop the riot?"

  Deepa responded, "First of all, I would impose a curfew in the affected area. Then, I would give the law and order department the authority to take strict action against the groups involved in the riot. Afterward, I would call for a meeting with the leaders responsible for the riot, asking them to assemble at my office so I could address their concerns. During this meeting, I would ensure that jammers are placed around the office to prevent any communication between the leaders and the rioters. Additionally, I would request that the local and national media refrain from broadcasting any news related to the riot for that day to avoid escalating the situation."

  Following this, the panel asked her a riddle: "A cat has three children—January, February, and March. What is the cat's name?" Deepa quickly replied, "The cat's name is 'What'." The chairman then asked, "Why do you want to join the civil service?" Deepa replied, "I see the civil service as an opportunity for young people like myself to bring positive changes to society. To create meaningful change, one needs a position of authority, and I want to use that authority to serve the people and make a difference."

  Another panel member asked her, "Who has supported you in pursuing your civil service dreams, Deepa?" Deepa answered, "My family has been my biggest support. Even after I failed three times in the UPSC exams, they continued to believe in me. After my marriage, my husband became my strongest supporter, standing by me through all the hardships."

 The panel then posed a challenging question: "Okay, Deepa, imagine you are a civil servant, and one day your husband asks you to resign from your job. Would you resign?" Deepa responded confidently, "No, sir. Firstly, I know my husband would never ask me to resign from this job. But even if he did, my answer would still be no. I have worked incredibly hard to achieve this, and I would not give it up easily."

  The chairman smiled and asked her one final question: "Alright, Deepa, here’s your last question. Give me three reasons why we should reject you." Deepa replied, "Ma'am, I don’t believe there is any reason to reject me. However, if there were any reason, I am confident I could work on it and improve myself to contribute effectively to the civil service." The chairman said, "Alright, Deepa, your interview is over. All the best."

  Deepa thanked them and left the room. When she came out of the UPSC office, she saw Rajiv and Vasundhara waiting for her. They asked her, "How was the interview, Deepa?" Deepa replied, "It went well. I did my best."

  They then waited for Saad, and while waiting, Deepa called Rishi to update him on her interview. Rishi responded, "Hmm, okay. When are you coming back to Mumbai?" Deepa replied, "We’ll leave by Saturday, Rishi." Rishi said, "Okay, Deepa, take care of your health, and don’t forget to visit the Taj Mahal!" Deepa replied, "Thanks! Bye, Rishi." They ended the call.

  After some time, Saad came out of his interview, and they all headed to a nearby restaurant for lunch. While they were eating, they shared their interview experiences. When Deepa mentioned the question about choosing between her husband and the civil service, Vasundhara commented, "Sis, you're so lucky to have such a supportive husband." Deepa smiled and replied, "Yes, I know that." After lunch, they visited India Gate and then returned to their room to rest.

  The next day, all four of them toured around Delhi. They visited the Red Fort, the National Museum, Qutub Minar, Lodhi Gardens, and finally, the Taj Mahal. They thoroughly enjoyed their trip.

  After two days, they all vacated their rooms. It was 9:33 p.m. when they boarded their train to Mumbai. Just as Deepa was about to inform Rishi that they had boarded, Vasundhara interrupted her and asked, "Deepa sis, are you going to call your husband?" Deepa replied, "Yes," and Vasundhara said, "Sis, let's play a prank on him."

  Deepa asked, "What prank?" and Vasundhara suggested, "When you call him, tell him we missed the train and that we'll return to Mumbai in two days. But in reality, you'll surprise him on Sunday!" After hearing the idea, Deepa hesitated. "Nope, Vasu, Rishi is sensitive," she replied. Vasundhara insisted, "Come on, sis, just do it! It will be fun."

  Deepa thought for a moment, found it amusing, and decided to go along with the prank. She called Rishi. "Hi, Rishi," she said. On the other end, Rishi responded, "Hi, Deepa. Did you board the train?" Deepa replied, "Rishi, actually, we missed the train because of a traffic jam. We'll be returning to Mumbai in two days." Rishi, surprised, said, "What? Are you joking, Deepa?" "No, Rishi, I'm serious. We'll be back after two days," Deepa insisted.

  Rishi, now fuming, exclaimed, "What are you saying, Deepa? Give the phone to your tutor. I need to talk to him!" Deepa quickly said, "Hey, don't be angry. We'll be back in two days. It's nothing to worry about." Rishi replied in frustration, "What, Deepa? Don’t you always get to the station early? Fine, but make sure you don't miss the next train."

  Deepa apologized, "I’m sorry about that. Did you have dinner?" "Yes, I did. What about you?" Rishi asked." Yes, I had my dinner too," Deepa replied. "Okay, Rishi, bye." "Bye," Rishi responded, and they ended the call.

  After the call, Deepa turned to Vasundhara and said, "Vasu, I think I should tell Rishi the truth. He got really angry." Vasundhara replied, "Nope, sis, that’s exactly what we want! Let him stay angry for now. When you surprise him, it will be awesome." Deepa agreed, "Fine, the prank has started. I won’t spoil it."

  On the other side, Rishi became upset after hearing the news. He didn't call her tutor because he trusted Deepa, but he couldn't sleep that night. The next day, he remained quite depressed. He messaged Deepa, asking what she was doing. "Watching movies," Deepa replied. "Carry on," Rishi responded, but he was missing her and couldn't concentrate on his work.

  As the day passed and evening came, Rishi was still feeling down. Just then, he heard a knock at the door. Without checking the peephole, he went to open it. To his surprise, Deepa was standing outside. When Rishi saw her, his heart started beating faster, and his eyes welled up with tears. At that moment, he realized he had truly started loving Deepa.

  And with this, the chapter comes to an end. Let’s see what happens next in the upcoming chapter. Until then, stay tuned!