SidNaaz: Worst Betrayal Ever?

Lunch Treat🥪🍰🌮

The following morning at eleven-fifty, Shehnaaz was lucky enough to find a parking space right across from SFK Corp's offices, directly in front of the Global Industries Building. With a mixture of dread and anticipation, she got out of the car, smoothed her slim beige skirt, straightened the short matching blouse and crossed the street to see Mr. Anand.

Despite his formal, almost charming smile, Mr. Anand was obviously annoyed. "Really, Miss Shehnaaz," he said, ushering her into his office, "you could have saved yourself, me and several others a great deal of time and trouble if you had simply told me when you came in yesterday that you're a friend of Mr. Khan"

"Did Mr. Khan call you and tell you I was a friend of his?" Shehnaaz asked curiously.

"No," Mr. Anand said, trying hard to hide his irritation. "Mr. Khan called the vice-president, the vice-president called my boss. And last night my boss called me at home and informed me that I had offended and misjudged Miss Shehnaaz who happens to be extremely bright and a personal friend of Mr. Khan's. Then he hung up on me."

Shehnaaz could not believe she had stirred up such a furor. "I'm terribly sorry to have caused you so much trouble," she said contritely.

"It wasn't entirely your fault"after all, I did fail my tests.

He nodded in emphatic agreement. "I told my boss you didn't know which end of a pencil to write with, but he said he didn't give a damn if you typed with your toes." Heaving himself out of his chair, he said

"Now, if you'll come with me, I'll take you up to Mr. Malik's office. Mr. Malik is our executive vice-president and his secretary is moving to Banglore. He wants to interview you for the position."

" Is Mr. Malik the executive vice-president who called your boss"" Shehnaaz asked uneasily.

"Exactly," Mr. Anand interrupted.

Shehnaaz followed him, beset with the unsettling thought that even if he detested her, Mr. Malik might offer her a job because he had been intimidated by his superior. But minutes later she abandoned any such idea. Samar Malik, in his mid-thirties, had the brisk, authoritative air of a man who would never be anyone's puppet. He glanced up from the documents he was reading when Mr. Anand brought Shehnaaz into his office and nodded coolly toward the leather chair in front of his large desk. "Sit down," he said to Shehnaaz.

To Mr. Anand he said curtly, "Close the door behind you as you leave."

Shehnaaz sat as she'd been told to do and waited as Samar Malik stood up and came around in front of his desk. Leaning back against it, he crossed his arms over his chest, and his penetrating gaze swept over her. "So you're Shehnaaz?" he said dispassionately.

"Yes," Shehnaaz admitted.

"I'm afraid so."

Amusement flickered across his face, momentarily softening the cool, businesslike features. "I take it from that remark that you're aware of the uproar you caused last night?"

"Yes," Shehnaaz sighed.

"In every excruciating, embarrassing detail."

"Can you spell 'excruciating'?"

"Yes," she said, completely taken aback.

"How fast can you type"when you aren't under testing conditions?"

Shehnaaz flushed. "About a hundred words a minute."

"Shorthand?"

"Yes."

Without taking his eyes from her face, he reached behind him and picked up a pencil and tablet lying on his desk. Handing them to her, he said, "Take this down, please."