Bitter slice of chocolate truffle...
“Sam?”. “Regarding?”. “To collect my offer letter”. “May I know your name please?”. “Srividya…Srividya Sundararajan”.
The good looking receptionist of most happening ad agency, Paintbrush, among three phones, chose the big one, intercom-ed Sam and informed him. I being fresher stood watching the receptionist innocently for the acknowledgment from her to meet him. “Can you please wait there? [Pointing out the comfortable red couch and giving me some magazines to flip-through]. He is in a meeting and he will meet you as soon as he finishes.” was the reply, on the contrary.
It was April 12th, 2007; 3.30 PM. On the side-wall of the couch was a reasonably big notice board with Paintbrush’s classy strokes pinned in a line. Lounge posters, Restaurant’s ads, some illustrations, hoarding designs, jewelry ads and many. Interview session with Sam, for junior visualiser flashed my busy eyes now and then. Showing him, petty college projects proudly as mine was the best project of the year 2007, Purple Parrot Prepaid Pack, now was amateurish. “My goodness! Am I gonna get placed as a visualiser in this great agency? One day my work will also be pinned among these…shall work hard to make it happen...”.Works were Interesting and stylish. I was very happy thanking god for offering me the biggest slice of chocolate truffle pastry.
Dreaming high, I was flipping through the pages of The Hindu hunting for some of the interesting ads. Mind was filled with expectations of the interesting challenges that I might face after joining Paintbrush. While my head was deep inside Page3, heard a voice of a cute guy in dark navy blue full-cuffed shirt in semi-casuals, asking the receptionist for the Metro Plus which I was seriously reading, only in the times of waiting more than an hour in lobbies. “It is busy with some body!” answered the receptionist giving him a sarcastic smile. Keeping his face so very innocent went inside telling, “Send to my table once it gets free”! With in few seconds I heard an intercom ringing, and the receptionist mumbling carefully, filled with sarcastic smile to some one, must be the cute guy. Then to my innocuous sense struck that the guy was not interested in Metro Plus, instead was curious to know as to how much scoring the female visitor deserves. “God only knows as to how flirty these ad guys gonna be? Cha… Its really gonna be a challenge to handle them.” was my immediate thought.
It was 4.45 PM. “Is he still in the meeting”? As I and the receptionist interchanged friendly smile in the deserted lobby on intervals, it was not difficult to remind her that I was waiting there for quiet sometime. Receptionist dialed the intercom again, after 1 hour 15 minutes later, for me. Mumbled and disconnected to convey me that Sam will be calling me in another few minutes. After 10 minutes, Sam came to the lobby and made me run behind him to his cabin and requested to occupy the empty red couch again [how many more couches left?]. He sat in his chair which was on the right side of the couch. “As I said earlier, before collecting the offer letter you have to meet our madam MD for formalities. So, are you ready?” he asked and started walking out of his cabin with out even waiting for my response or rather answer. I was literally running behind him inside the studio which had a beautiful set up with neatly designed cubicles. MD’s room was in the extreme end of the studio which needed a long walking lane that neatly divided the two sections on the either side. Each section had four personal spaces.
I was bit nervous after seeing the grand set-up of an upcoming agency, which proved that it is enjoying big-time in billing for the creatives. Even Sam was bit nervous to initiate the conversation with madam MD. Not only Sam. Anybody for that matter has to be courageous enough to handle an Usha Udhoop styled maroon bindhi-ed wheet-ish lady in 6 feet height; wearing a sari in bright multi-colors having a gigantic look.
Not giving much pressure to Sam, madam MD herself began the conversation; in Tamil which brought the whole build up of the entire set up terribly down making Appearances are often deceptive true [making ‘regional language’ to ‘corporate language’ is still in process]. “So you are a fresher applied for the first job with few internship experiences and lucky enough to tell me your salary expectation! [Translated for bloggers’ conveniences]” Being new to this kind of question I said “7000 – 10,000” with out knowing that pay scale should not be given in options to any of the employer which is a favor to them in offering the least expectation giving some reason for the least offering. “10,000 is really big for the fresher [Laughs]. Sanction 7000 to her now and give her a hike of 10,000 after three months based on her scale of improvement”. Assuming my acceptance of that offer, she continued… “By the way do you own a vehicle?” “Ya I do!” I answered without knowing as to why am answering that.
Came the offer letter inside the cabin, through an agency-boy which was signed by madam MD and then by Sam. I was looking Sam folding the offer letter printed in agency letter-head and pushing it in their sexily designed envelop thinking they will be giving me the most awaited offer letter immediately. “Welcome to Paintbrush!. Sam, you can brief her about the agency and ask her to join ASAP. ‘Thank you!’ [Looking at me, symbolizing- ‘you can get out of my cabin right away!’]”. We left and went back to Sam’s cabin. Red couch again. But this time to get the offer letter which was right near on my eye-sight. Instead of handing over the offer letter, he gave me a CD which was named, sorry scribbled in a blue CD marker as Portfolio.
I was forced to open the CD and view the portfolio of Paintbrush. Though works where fine, I was not concentrating because I badly wanted to read “You are appointed as a junior visualiser of Paintbrush” like a kid waiting for an ice-cream in the refrigerator at home. It was 5.50 PM. Realizing that his time for leaving home had passed already, Sam finally handed over the offer letter to me. I opened eagerly to see the printed words in reality those were a virtual so far.
[Reading a bit loud to my conscience to realize that it is nothing but Reality.]
Greetings Ms. Srividya Sundararajan,
We are happy to inform you that you are part of Paintbrush family on or before 15 April, 2007. We also take immense pleasure in informing you that you are appointed as a Client Servicing executive…
I was choked and could not continue reading after that and looked Sam in bewilderment and shock.
“We have better clients with us and we expect our designers to go through what the client really expects in their layouts before they actually start designing for them!!” answered Sam very serenely.
*All the names used here are imaginary. Not to relate anybody.
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