UNEXPECTED BUT AMAZING- THE FIRST JOB EXPERIENCE OF MAYA

 I, Maya Sharma ,was there. Finally, I was there standing in front of the gigantic twenty storey building in which I had to appear for a job interview. Like the cautious and boring early comer I was, I arrived half an hour early and stood in front of the huge construction which I would call my personal hell, in other words, my work place if everything went well and I succeeded in impressing the interviewers. Although never been to an interview before, I had certainly heard that job interviewers were handpicked judgy people who would have to know everything, from the time your zygote was formed twenty one years ago until a week ago when your best friend found your boyfriend merely cheating on you. Nope, I was not judging the interviewers already. I was just over thinking my already over thought thoughts. Complicated, huh? No, not at all. My life was always planned, thanks to my sweetly strict mother, until now, when I had no idea if I would nail this interview or not. I stood in front of the skyscraper, staring at it with butterflies dancing in my empty stomach and thought of my graduation day which took place just three months ago where an extremely casual friend’s mum advised me to apply for the job of assisting a literary agent of The Crystal Publishing House. I was already searching for jobs and it was a huge shock that for once, your aunt does not praise her child and compare her to you, instead, advice you like an angel. Nothing is free in this world except for bad advices, yes that’s a universal truth, but, this incident was an exception as well as a miracle. Just before I was about to wave the green flag for my next train of thoughts, I glanced around me only to see the whole city walking around while giving me looks like I had developed another set of limbs. Okay, I admit, I was exaggerating and visualizing the scenario. In my nervousness, everything seemed like my name, Maya, an illusion. The half hour flew and then, I stepped in the building.

It was fancy. I liked it. As I reached the tenth floor, I had already set a record of tripping over my heels for almost a hundred times. Anxiety does this. After waiting for ten minutes and then being summoned by a stunning red head, there I sat, beyond self conscious, in front of four pairs of extremely curious eyes studying me closely. The interview was a good forty five minutes and I thought I had definitely nailed it. I just thought.

TWO WEEKS LATER

 Two weeks flew past and quite a few things happened. The other interview that I was going to appear for got cancelled and that made me pay my mother a visit just like a damsel in distress. I always took things too seriously and exaggerated as much as a normal human mind could never do. It was end of the second week after the only job interview that I appeared for and now I was quite sure that I would not get it. It seemed like the young days when I confidently arrived home from school stating about the examination and how easily and bravely I completed it in no time and then when the results would come out, the true colours would get exposed. But, matter of factly, I was always good at studies, again, thanks to mamma darling and her efforts.

It was 8 am in the morning and my depressed and discouraged soul wandered to the kitchen for some cereal in the small apartment which I shared with my best friend, Lily who was out for her brother’s wedding. It was good to be alone. Just as I entered the tiny but sufficient kitchen, my phone rang. Hope. There was hope that it could be someone from the company informing me about the job. Sprinting and tumbling I reached for the phone from the dining table and without seeing the number, pressed accept.

“Morning. Am I speaking to Ms. Maya Sharma?”

The voice on the other side said.

“Yes, that’s me. May I know whom I am speaking to?”

“Yes ma’am, I am Aaron from Starmines Apparels Company. We received your entry and photos for the modelling job and we are happy to inform you that you have been shortlisted for our next fashion portfolio photo shoot which would be held next week. We apologize for such a short notice, but, expect to have you at our main office the coming Monday. Thank you for your time.”

And so, the call was ended from the other side and I stood still as a stone statue thinking fiercely if somebody is playing a prank on me. But, then, suddenly it clicked in and I knew who would have done this. I dialled Lily’s number, my hand shaking for some reason and waited for her to answer. I knew it was her who would have given my name and photos because her father knows someone from the company and she had earlier asked me to fill in for the modelling job saying that it was quite decent and I was pretty, but, because the coward and introvert that I am, I knocked it off. She picked up at the third ring.

“Hey there lady! Oh see, Ms. Maya finally decided to call her beloved friend.”

She said with a chuckle.

“Hello Lily. I am quite serious and mad at you right now. Could you please tell me why was the generous act of giving my name for the modelling job done?”

“Oops! I saw this coming. But, wait. Did they call you? They offered you a photo shoot, didn’t they? I knew it. Congratulations girl. You should tell your mum about this. She would be ecstatic. Let me tell you that your mother and I together planned this as a surprise. You should be happy. Nobody gets such chances everyday for modelling and becoming a face of such a big apparel company.

Good luck. ”

She was right. Suddenly, I thought that she was indeed right. I should do this. Decided.

“You know what, you are right. Absolutely. I am going to give this a chance. Enjoy the wedding. Bye.”

Without waiting for her answer, I hanged up. Then called mother and shared her excitement and happiness for this feat which I never thought of accomplishing.

When all the talking was done about this unexpected surprise which was beyond my powers, I was now left alone with my thoughts in full swing. Then it struck me. Hard. What was I going to do? I had never ever imagined myself as a model or even near to such kinds of open and camera- involving jobs. I am just a big coward, introvert, shy, reserved and a Netflix and chill kind of person. This was just opposite to my nature. Having an ages old rivalry with cameras, I avoid them as much as possible, but, now this was a complicated situation. How could they even select me by only seeing photos, for such a big project when I had zero experience with cameras?

People always think that they are ugly and the other person is much good looking than them. Obviously grass is always greener on the other side, that is a normal human mindset and I am no exception. I always thought of myself as a boring nerd, however, I had had quite a few experiences of boys having crushes and spreading rumours about me in high school, but, aren’t boys like this all the time? All that they do is:

Tease – Please – Seize – Release – Repeat!!!!

I was confused. This happened often. I usually enter an airplane mode of my own like a mini-shock when I have a deep, fierce and engrossing debate within me between my head (logic) and heart (emotion-phobia of cameras). Nobody could ever tell about the havoc inside me while seeing me in my airplane mode.

After a good, half an hour debate, it was decided. I would do this. Yes, I would. I did not want to let down mother and Lily. They did this out of concern. Suddenly, everything seemed possible and within my reach. I was optimistic in that flash of moment and looking forward to the photo shoot. This was going to be exciting.

ONE WEEK LATER

What is it with me and buildings? Here, I stood again, in front of another huge multi storey building. The considerable difference was just that, earlier the building was of The Crystal Publishing House where I was supposed to give a boring job interview whereas this building was of The Starmines Apparels Company where I need not give an interview, just pose. Exciting. Also, the difference between these two jobs was that- in the publishing house, only my mind was required whereas here, only my body was required. Strange, huh?

I entered the building and was greeted by yet another stunning blonde who informed me that they were eagerly expecting my arrival. They treated me greatly. I wondered why that was so. Usually it is observed that if something is extremely perfect, then, there is a hundred percent possibility that you are mistaken somewhere. But, there was no sign of mistake or trouble to be seen. I considered myself lucky and went forward without giving my overspecialised mind an opportunity to over think. 

I entered the elevator and found a man in his early thirties smiling at me.

“You must be Ms. Maya. O young lady, let me tell you that your beauty seems just like your name, Maya, an illusion, too pretty to be real.” He said.

Flattery, flattery and just a lot more flattery. I was not used to this and felt uncomfortable but replied,

“Yes sir, that’s me and you must be Mr. Aaron. Could you please assist me, this is a completely new place and job for me.”

“Of course ma’am, that’s what exactly my job is.”

“Thank you Mr. Aaron.”

There, now it was going good. We reached the seventh floor of the building in silence and when I stepped out of the elevator, I was speechless. The office was overly decorated and furnished, extremely fancy, even more than the publishing house’s office. It was also overly lighted and shiny everywhere.

I was taken to a green room and there asked to sign a contract regarding the project and shoot, in my excitement, I went through it in a hurry and signed fife times on the contract. Nothing written on it was offensive to me hence the contract seemed safe enough. The shoot would go on for three days and I was introduced to my stylist, Kyra, a polite but proud lady in her early forties whose face was lighted up with excitement. Then we were left alone and she started interrogating me, not judging though. I guess she was just curious about how I managed to get this project, but honestly, so was I.

She started off with my hair and praised about its texture. Flattery. Babbling over various incidents from her twenty year old experience in this career, she continued doing my hair, not minding if I was paying attention at all or not. I was busy in my own thoughts, thinking of how fast all this happened and just a few weeks ago how I was supposed to be an assistant to the literary agent, but now I just signed a contract which offers me money almost double my monthly salary which I would receive in the publishing house if I ever got a job there. Suddenly, Kyra, brought me back with a jerk and handed me a dress which is most probably meant for a runaway model, rather than a sobo girl like me, but wait, I was playing the model in this case. What an unexpected, yet, interesting situation was this. I dressed and when I stepped out, she glanced at me for almost like ten minutes straight to see if there were any flaws, but to my amazement, with appreciation clear in her eyes, she praised my look and led me to yet another big, fancy hall in the huge space. In the hall, I was the most dressed of the twelve people present there and it was embarrassing, I could hear my heart beat with blood heating and rushing to my face, making me appear like a tomato right from the farm. Oh, I was never used to this attention. It felt like I would throw up or pass out any moment now, but, I survived. Jeez, everything here was adventurous and new and interesting and beautiful. A young man with rather distinguished looks approached me and said,

“Hello Maya, nice meeting you. I am Jay and I am pretty sure that you do not have any training or experience in modelling. It is evident by the way you are standing uncomfortably in that dress. We would never take a new comer for this project, but his time, we were left with no choice. Guess you are very lucky. Anyways, I will direct and teach you some poses.”

Ouch. Now I knew why they selected me for such a huge project. But, although I accept that I am a newcomer, this Jay man should not have been so rude. I knock it off and replied in an exaggerated sweet manner,

“Hello Mr. Jay, pleasure to meet you. I thank you for your generosity.”

He clearly heard the taunt in my voice as a reply to his rudeness, but instead, he smiled, clearly amused.

He led me to the centre of the hall and asked me to stand in front of the huge green screen and helped me pose. I stopped my brain because I knew that I would faint if I thought something at this moment. Without the brain working, I stood still as a marble statue while the large camera shot pictures while shooting lights like bullets.

SNAP. SNAP. SNAP. SNAP. SNAP.

Pose Change.

SNAP. SNAP. SNAP. SNAP. SNAP.

Pose Change.

This repeated, for almost twenty more times and then someone called out- “Done. Good job.”

UNBELEIVABLE.

I did it. My first round of photo shoot was successfully completed and I was proud of myself. Proud that I made it.

This was the first salary that I was to receive and the moment was of sheer and complete proud. This experience taught me that one should never be afraid of facing changes or challenges. You never know what life has to offer to you, so, be patient. Everybody fails; it is a part of this journey called life and after all, a winner is just a failure who tried once more and did not back off from life.