They called me on 30th morning. It was around 9:30 AM, and I was still sleeping! I’ve divided almost all my contacts in my phone into groups and has assigned ringtones for each group. So when my phone goes ‘You donno how you met me, you donno why you can’t turn around..”, most of the time, it means that some stranger is calling. I thought it was the Airtel guys, calling to ask me to pay my phone bill. But this was a landline number, so I was eager to find out who it was. I cleared my throat to seem a little less cranky and attended the call. A female voice asked me whether she is talking to Vidya Gopalakrishnan. Upon affirmation, she told me that she is calling me from an institute called ‘Figurelines’. I remember the name, my dad had gone there once to leave my resume for a lecturer’s post. I couldn’t go, since I was having my dentist’s appointment everyday, and couldn’t talk.. They told him that they’ll call me if something comes up. So I was thinking that something had come up. I listened more carefully to what she was saying.. She told me that she found my resume in her office, and asked if I was working anywhere now. I said I wasn’t, and she asked me to go to her office as soon as I can. Before hanging up, she also asked whether I was willing to work outside Trivandrum.

I jumped out from my bed after I hung up! I had to get there before 10:30 atleast, lest they think I was sleeping!! When I reached there, it took a bit of time to start the interview, since the Institute owner had gone out. The owner was a woman, who presented a warm smile as she came into the room. A little later, her husband came in too. And the talking began. I don’t remember much of the conversation, but I do remember the important parts. They told me that they are not only running a school, but also a boutique. The school provided Diploma in Fashion Design, and it was a one-year course. Some of the students chose to work in the boutique, while some of them choose to start their own. Right now, the offer that came to me was not from the school. It was from the boutique. Not their boutique, it was from one that one of their friends in Kozhikkode was starting. This friend was starting a boutique in a town called Kottakkal, between Thrissur and Kozhikode. It was a small town, but a town full of NRIs, ready to spend whatsoever it takes to buy clothes without having to go too far into the city! Ample opportunity, if you ask me! This guy, the friend needed a degree holder as their designer, and that’s how I was called upon.

I had to relocate to this town. That’s the only thing that scared me. It’s a small town after all.. And I won’t be making much money :-( But during the interview, due to an unexpected turn of events, I was offered a good pay and also, an ASSISTANT!!! :D For a fresher like me, this was absolute bliss!!! I was floating up there, somewhere, for the rest of the day!! :P God! This was my first job, I finished my course two months before, and I get to be a FASHION DESIGNER, I had to run the boutique, had my own assistant, got the best salary ever out of everyone who had studied BFT in my college!! Making good money out of something that I love!! Now that’s some achievement!!! :D

I didn’t pinch myself to see if I was dreaming, coz if I was, I didn’t wanna wake up! There are simply no words to express my endless happiness or gratitude to all my friends who’ve been praying for me, especially three of my friends, one who I asked to pray for me [her prayers work everytime, therefore I save it for special occasions! :P], another friend who I didn’t ask, but prayed for me out of pure concern :-) and another friend, who couldn’t call me on my b’day because she had no balance, so prayed to God for me instead :-)

But after I had came down from cloud nine, I began thinking about it. I mean, this all happened too easy and it’s too good to be true! Neither have I paid my dues, nor have I sacrificed anything that perfect for something like this to happen. I do believe, though faintly, in the doctrine of Karma! I don’t believe in many lives and all, but I do believe that deeds are rewarded or punished in this life itself.. Maybe I’m being stupid, but come on.. Do I deserve this? Is this some kind of a trap? Yet to see.. As of now, I’m going back to cloud nine and stay there! :P