After working for 2 years at a stock image bank and volunteering part time with NGOs, I decided to make certain decisions. So, I quit the job without another job in hand and started to prepare for my higher studies. My folks very annoyed with my decision and felt I was being reckless with my life. ("Meet my friends", i wanted to tell them :P)
So 3 months later, finished a first-aid course, a home nursing course and started a DBA in Environmental Studies. No money left and there was so much to do. The teach India program for the year ended.
Then I got a job with a gambling company, awesome job, great pay, scored great in the interview
and topped every day during the exams in our training. Requested the manager to put me in the night shift, and he gladly agreed. Little did I know that it would be the peak hour, chatting to 75 people simultaneously, 2 monitors to watch, moderate chat games for them and credit their
accounts.
But few days in the job, it was fun. The only reason I wanted a night shift job was so that I could either volunteer with a NGO during the day or visit educational consultancies to plan for my higher studies. I realised being nocturnal doesn't mean you can take up a night shift job. I had a tough time trying to sleep in the morning. Everytime I managed to sleep, someone would be ringing the calling bell or there would be other disturbances.
But the job was awesome. Soon a classmate of mine, joined. Like me, he too did great in his interview, scored great during the training and had fans. It was a nice feeling to get emails from customers telling they liked us. Of course people even complained...lol
So 5 months in the job, I decided I needed a break. So, I quit. I remember it was a Sunday morning, I freshened up in office and took the MMTS to Church. I sat eating sprouts and sipping Irani chai under the peepal tree in the church compound. People would start coming in one hour, so I had time. A friendly dog, who is called scooby came and sat next to me as if she were joining me in my thinking.
I had nothing planned for my future. But I did have a list of things to do or let me put it this way,things I wish I could do.
My cousin had moved to Bangalore and she wanted me
to help her arrange stuff in her bungalow and take care of the kids for a fortnight. This was 20 Sep 2009. Took the evening train to Bangalore. This was the time when swine flu was spreading. The people in the coach had worn masks, I had cough, I wore one too. Everytime I coughed pe
ople looked at me with uncertainty.
Cousin's house was huge. She had 2 rooms full of books. So when she wasn't around and I had no chores to do, I sat looking at the books. Her lil daughter was a bundle of joy. I remember, one morning she woke me up with a kiss. When i was up, she sit on my lap and hugged me. One day maybe!!
My cousin is a feminist and shes someone who
goes around on a bike. Her son somehow didn't seem to take me seriously. He challenged me for
a badminton game, I did better than him. Then he wanted to play videogames. That wasn't something i really liked or know. He gave me a list and I chose mario cos I had seen the lil man jumping on around on a screen years ago.
To my own disbelief, I played well here as well.
And this guy was really upset. Next day we went
to a swimming pool and thats where I stood in the same place where I entered. He was happy and I didn't seem to mind.
2 weeks in Bangalore and was back in Hyderabad for a week. The whole week was spent of google...searching for job, looking up at universities... Thats when I stumbled upon....... WAVE, though I didn't seem to fit the criteria I applied..... I prayed asking God to give me one chance in this project. The devil on the left side, swaying his tail laughed at me, "Of all people, you?". The angel wearing a sparkling halo, would fight back "Nothing is impossible to him/her who believes".... Yeah, I had the faith.
Then went to chennai to stay with my cousin when my aunt and uncle went to my native. My aunt was so scared and so prayed standing in every room, holding the keys and what not. She gave me a big list of things not to do.
My cousin would go to work in the morning. The TV had only boring tamil serials. My time was spent reading the newspaper over and over again sitting at the balcony. I decided never to buy an apartment.
One day I visited a friend who was pregnant. My cousin brother picked me up and said he would
drop me home. But off he took me in his swanky car to Mahabalipuram. Till date none in the family know that I was on a drive with him. I didn't realise he was driving fast cos the windows were rolled up, it was raining and plus i kept talking non-stop. When he showed me the speedometer, i freaked out.
But it was night and could couldn't see the beach. So it was just a long drive and back.
In the evening we would go shopping. I would have loved to go to the beach in the night but had
a bad experience once so we went to the beach in the afternoon... Ha ha a beach in chennai in the noon.
One day I got a call from an unknown number.... Before answering the call, i jumped in excitement and then answered. It was Sapna, one of our co-ordinators. She seemed assertive and to the point. I could imagine her saying "No nonsense young woman".
But well, Sapna called to ask if I could translate for the girl selected to represent AP. Something is better than nothing, I though. At least I would be a part of WAVE.
So thats how it started. More later.
No comments:
Post a Comment