Page 33 - Love Story of a Commando

5. The Promotion Party

We were set to join our respective departments on Thursday, so we decided
to visit the grand five star hotel on Wednesday night. Taj is just not a hotel; it
is an iconic structure which defines Mumbai. Every room holds a thread of
history. It is a heritage hotel facing the Arabian Sea which has seen all the
waves and ships coming and going, it is the pride of Mumbai.
You know, when life offers you a few promises everything in your
life feels like it is going on fast forward. Unlike those times, when there is
nothing going on in your life, when dull, dreaded and lifeless moments grip
the very essence of your being, when you feel like you are living an eternity
of miseries. The only fact that sustains the future of this planet is that
‘nothing lasts forever’. Nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even
our troubles. Life is full of uncertainties, ups and downs, difficulties,
obstacles, possibilities and opportunities. The only thing one can do is to
embrace the uncertainties and go with the flow.
We blinked and Wednesday arrived.
I cannot forget the zeal and enthusiasm that was bubbling up in us.
We were ready to celebrate our first work promotions, which felt so special,
almost like conquering Mount Everest. We were elated, overjoyed and filled
with infectious exuberance. It felt as if everything would remain so forever.
If only we would have known ‘forever’ is a relative term and that
everything would change very soon.
All those halter tops bought from the Colaba-Causeway were put to
good use. Nidhi and I wore almost similar halters in blue and red along with
Calvin Klein skinny jeans and Steve Madden sneakers. We felt rich. Dipti
decided to wear a lovely frilly and floral maxi dress. We shared each other’s
lipsticks and kohls. The tint of Bobbi Brown high shimmer gloss set the
celebratory looks right. Our Prada and Givenchy perfumes lingered in the air
and the room was a complete mess.
We blow dried each other’s hair to make it more messy and for it, in
turn, to reflect our stubborn spirits. We shook our hair free to register a
visible protest against the office ponytails and smiled knowingly. You can
tell a lot about a girl’s mood just by observing her hair. The style of a girl’s
hair indicates her spirits, her moods, her whims and fancies. A messy hairdo
indicates playfulness whereas a tight bun means she is in no mood to take