Acceptance

 A Painting and a Story # 17

She clicks open her laptop and notes down the clarifications that Samarth dictates from a client's email.  Two clarifications. That's it! This being her first independent project Meenu (short for Meenakshi) is meticulous. She chooses her words in the response to the client carefully, checks for clarity, language appropriateness, ... She makes an internal call to Samarth. 'Only two clarifications alvaa?' She asks with a familiarity borne from years of association. 'Yes Meenamma' he replies and makes her smile.  Samarth's wife and her husband are high-school buddies. They are practically family! They often spend weekends together. It was Samarth who suggested that she apply here. 

Meenu clicks SEND.

Just before she can leave for lunch the CEO asks her to come to his room. Strange! Wonder why! .... He reprimands her gently, 'They had asked for 5 clarifications, you have only answered 2 queries. Ensure that your communications to our clients are complete. Send them an apology and the updated clarifications'. His voice is forgiving. But Meenu feels inefficient and irresponsible. Her eyes fill with tears and they threaten to  trickle down her cheeks. She looks down and hurries to her seat. Why had Samarth said there were only two? Meenu is left fuming and confused. Should she have told the CEO that Samarth has given her only so much information? Wouldn't that be childish? and perhaps jeopardise Samarth's career? The CEO wants solutions not excuses.  She waits for Samarth to return after lunch and tells him what the CEO told her. "Is it?" he asks nonchalantly. 'Let me check.' he clicks open his laptop.'Yes. They need 5 clarifications. Send them the update. Chill. It's ok' he says dismissively. 

Meenu cannot understand him. 'Is he deliberately trying to sabotage my career? That's crazy. Did he really forget? Is he careless? Does he want me to quit?' Hot tears flood in again. Her fear of losing a trusted friend is greater than her fear for her career prospects in the company. 

Her phone beeps. It's a message from her husband. he's working from home today. He has sent an image. An old photo from an album, of Kookie her pup! The picture brings on smiles and memories....of childhood...

Hoo Ffoo kaka spends his annual vacation with them. And those are days of fun. Days of ... road trips, water-parks, long drives and hotel lunches! He has just arrived. He promptly clears his suitcases, arranges his clothes in shelves, books on the table and footwear  neatly on the lower shelf of their shoe rack. After a quick breakfast they are off to a temple visit and lunch. Kookie gets a huggie and kissie and be a good boy! Kookie wags his tail. And they leave. They return hours later to catch Kookie sitting amongst 3 different shoes... all kaka's.... nibbling into one of them with undivided attention. 'You are a bad boy Kookie. You have been very mean' says a thoroughly annoyed Kaka. Meenu is heartbroken. 'Kookie loves you HooFfoo kaka. He is not mean. He is chewing a shoe. That is his nature.' Meenu rushes to Kookie's support.

Meenu returns to current reality, throws Kookie a kiss and shuts her phone. 'I guess this is Samarth's nature? Maybe he is not being mean? This is just him! I should be more careful in office, and not take things for granted? Meenu determines to not let this incident make her bitter. But she also knows that in future she will manage office work more professionally.

My painting for this week is a dancer. She dances with gleeful abandon, basking in the love and acceptance of her audience, yet in acute awareness of the limits of the stage and the beat of the tabla. When I believe that responsibility rests with me, and me alone, then I experience a sense of empowerment. I am not a victim anymore. I become acutely aware of my stage and the beat that is playing at this moment. I choose how I respond to that. And that's freedom and empowerment. 

My painting for this week - The Kathak Dancer - oil