‘Hi. My name is Sakshi,’ the woman said. I was grateful she didn’t offer her hand to shake, my own hands were sweating profusely. I wondered how she could be smiling this early in the morning. Perhaps she too was starting a new job, like me.

‘Hi,’ I managed. ‘I’m Ashray. Nice to meet you.’

Her mother rolled her eyes at her daughter.

‘Well, Ashray. Why are you on the train this early in the morning?’ she asked with a smile, ignoring her mother’s displeasure.

I leaped at the opportunity to tell someone other than Maa about my new job and my plans for the future.

‘I am starting a new job today as a marketing consultant at BusinessForward. They are this really big global company, which offers great opportunities for growth,’ I added, hoping to impress her sighing mother. ‘And you, Sakshi? What are you doing on the train this early?’

She smiled again. ‘I am accompanying my mom to the hospital to see a specialist. They need to do some tests on her heart.’ Her mother coughed, unimpressed that her daughter was sharing such intimate details with a stranger.

The journey was filled with conversations about my job and Sakshi’s mother’s health. By the time we reached her stop, I was hoping she would give me her number.

‘It was really nice chatting with you, Ashray,’ she said, beaming as she stood up. ‘I hope your new job is everything you dreamed of.’ Before she walked to the door, she turned back to me. ‘Maybe we’ll meet again. Wouldn’t that be fortuitous?’ Her mother rolled her eyes again, and ushered Sakshi from the train. And just like that, she was gone.

If it were any other day, I would have been upset, but nothing could dampen my spirits today. Soon enough, it was my stop. Hopping off the train, I pushed through the crowds. It was already hot, and I could feel the humidity in the air. The last thing I wanted was to get stuck in a downpour. Orienting myself, I walked towards the office. I was early. Very early. I planned on getting a coffee at the café on the lower level of the building and going through the documents the company had given to me on the day of the interview. Entering the building, a familiar voice greeted me.

‘Ashray! Good to see my new employee is enthusiastic enough to get to work early.’ It was Vihaan, standing at the counter of the café in his Armani suit, smiling. ‘Coffee?’

‘Yes please,’ I said, digging into my trouser pocket for money. He waved his hand, dismissing my attempts to pay. The girl behind the counter handed us two paper cups. The smell of the coffee made me think it was what sophistication would smell like.

‘Come,’ he said and motioned towards the elevator, ‘meet some of our other early birds.’ In the elevator, I glanced as covertly as I could at what he was wearing. Suddenly, I became very aware of my worn shoes.