03-04-2005, 03:08 AM
A life – a dream
By Tahmina Tasnim
As the sun rose on a changed landscape I felt a stream of icy cold water is running down my spinal cord. Well it was not because I was scared it was mainly because it was the first morning of my new job, the first morning where I opened my eyes in a completely new city. I do not know what is going to happen to me in the office. I am waiting for the office car to come and pick me up. I am an early riser, woke up at 6:30 at the dawn, set my prayers and made myself a cup of tea. It’s already 8:45 but there’s no sign of the car. I have to reach the office before nine but I think there’s no hope because I even don’t know the location of the office. Maybe if I take a rickshaw and ask some people where ‘Ariyana’ is, I might get an idea. I simply snapped out the idea as I remembered last night’s incidents at Sylhet Railway station – no one understood what the heck I was saying and I did not get what others were saying! The office secretary of ‘Ariyana’ saved me, as she was not a Sylheti!
The car’s horn made me come to reality and saw it was five passed nine and gosh it is my first day of a brand new job – the first job of my life! I locked my apartment and stepped into the car. The driver grinned and gritted me in the local language…obviously I did not get a thing. Within a very short time the driver – in his own language – tried to make me understand the reason behind his delay. After listening his words I could only sum up that there was a problem with the car’s tier. I saw the sights around and found that Sylhet was a small city comparing to Chittagong. Exactly after fifteen minutes of driving, the car reached the front gate of the ‘Ariyana’. It was a building, which seemed like something out of the world. I stepped out of the car, placed my first step on the first staircase. I entered in, the furniture, the floor, the walls, the people – everything has a touch of being posh. I looked at myself – I thought whether my blue sari fitted in this atmosphere or not. I have been appointed as the secretary of the managing director.
My family did not support me to cross all the way from Chittagong to Sylhet and to join this company as a secretary. I quarreled, I cried, I went on hunger strike…and finally convinced my family to let me accept this job as I wanted to achieve the very best of my career by going slowly and by gathering some experience. This is mainly why I chose this job and went to give the interview Dhaka. And surprisingly I got the appointment letter in a week. ‘Ariyana’ is a fashion house. It doesn’t only have its showrooms in Bangladesh but it exports fashion wears worldwide. In one word it is a multinational company. And for a very strange reason the factory was in Sylhet though the mannaging partners were not from Sylhet. I am proud; I am happy and most important of all I am satisfied to get this job. Before I want to start my new journey, I would like to thank my best friend Raihan. He was the one who had informed me about the job vacancy; he was the one who told me that it was the best opportnity for me’ again he was the one who had supported me in the long days of hunger strikes and quarelling. He was my best friend.
I went near the reception and said, ‘Hello, I am Sabrina Sharmin– the new secretary of the managing director.’
“Nice meeting you ma’am. Here’s your ID card, please go to the second floor. Sir is waiting for you.” She answered in a robotic voice, it seemed to me like she was muttering out the words she memorized the night before. I thanked her and moved forward to the elevator. I found the place like a five – star hotel by seeing its interior and exterior looks. The elevator was even so clean! I think I have fallen in love with the place. I reached the second floor. I saw a polished corridor. The plants were green and leafy. I found it a bit surprising because I failed to keep some plants alive in my garden at Chittagong where sunlight was flourishing but the plants were healthy in an airtight room.
I headed towards the managing director’s room. I knocked the door. I heard the deep manly voice saying, “It’s open. Please come in.”
I entered the room with with a mixture combination of fear and excitement. It was my first meeting with my boss. The person sitting behind the large secretary table was young, handsome, fashionable and there was another amazing fact about him which is he was my childhood best friend Raihan. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was not expecting him to be my boss. Seeing Raihan behind the secretary desk was something behind my wildest dreams. Before I could say anything, he started, “It’s your first day in ‘Ariyana’ so I am not going to give you much pressure. Relax a bit. Roam the office and get to know your co-workers better.
“Sabrina Sharmin - A nice name. I like it!”
I was totally dumbstruck. I did not know what to say. I was surprised to see him behave so formally. We have lived our lives together. Well for the past three years there was a communication gap as we couldn’t meet and all but we kept in touch via e-mail. Suddenly I realized that I had told him about my dream to work in a fashion house. I have shared every single thought with him that there is some fact about myself that I have forgotten but he did not. In a fraction of seconds I recalle that he was the one who told me abouth the job in Ariyana. I found myself helpless because I did not want anyone to help me achieve my desired goal. I did not like it at all. I came out of his room and took the stairs to the ground floor. I went out of the office. At that moment I thought he was a liar. I wandered why he did not tell me that he was the managing director of Ariyana?
“Madam, sir is calling you.” I heard the receiptionist’s voice. I turned back and told him that I did not want to meeh his sir. I also told him that I wanted to resign. The person was looking at me with a blank look in his eyes. He was so surprised. He again said, “You have to give the resignation letter to your boss, I mean to Raihan sir.”
I did not say anything and went back to ‘my boss’s’ cabin. And before I could understand anything I found myself in raihan’s arm. Then I heard the three magical words, “I LOVE YOU” in my ears. Without a delay of single minute I said, “I LOVE YOU.” I did not know what I was saying. The only thing that was important to me was the warmth of his body, the deep breaths of him and the hearbeats (better say the drumbeats). The moment was so dramatic and beautiful that I could not get my body out of his hands. Slowly he turned at me and said, “Did you like the surprise?”
“So it was a play?”
“Sweetheart I have loved you since the very first day we met.”
“Raihan, I mean the job?”
“You can continue to be my secretary but not here.”
“Then where?”
“In my home.”
“Your home?”
“No. No. No. Our home. Our sweet home.”
I did not say anything but my silence - which explained everything. It was the very first time I had realized that I loved him. It was the first time I found out the reason why I had been acting weirdly with every man who wanted to come to my life. I accepted his proposal.
The rest of the story is simple. We got married last week. Now he is sleeping behind me, on the same bed. It is a miracle for me because my whole life circled around my ambition and goals. I always wanted to become a businesswoman. Somehow I was still happy beacuase I have found true love. Every girl wishes to get a very good friend in her husband but look how fortunate I really am that I have found my husband in my very good friend. I looked at him and saw that he was staring at me with a polite smile of approval. I asked, “What?”
“Did I tell you that I have allocated 49% shares of ‘Ariyana’ in your name?” He questioned me with the same smile on his face.
“What are you saying Raihan?”
“I am saying that you are one of the managing partners of “Ariyana’.”
I was speechless foe a momnet because he was reading my mind.
He started, “Don’t you know that I can read your thoughts. I always wanted to see you as a successful businesswoman. I love you. I want you. I know I just cannot live without you. But I just cannot see that you are not accomplishing your goal in life. Honey, I want you to prove the very best in yourself.”
We both smiled. He hugged me tightly and said, “I love you.”
This is not the end of our story. It’s just the begining.
By Tahmina Tasnim
As the sun rose on a changed landscape I felt a stream of icy cold water is running down my spinal cord. Well it was not because I was scared it was mainly because it was the first morning of my new job, the first morning where I opened my eyes in a completely new city. I do not know what is going to happen to me in the office. I am waiting for the office car to come and pick me up. I am an early riser, woke up at 6:30 at the dawn, set my prayers and made myself a cup of tea. It’s already 8:45 but there’s no sign of the car. I have to reach the office before nine but I think there’s no hope because I even don’t know the location of the office. Maybe if I take a rickshaw and ask some people where ‘Ariyana’ is, I might get an idea. I simply snapped out the idea as I remembered last night’s incidents at Sylhet Railway station – no one understood what the heck I was saying and I did not get what others were saying! The office secretary of ‘Ariyana’ saved me, as she was not a Sylheti!
The car’s horn made me come to reality and saw it was five passed nine and gosh it is my first day of a brand new job – the first job of my life! I locked my apartment and stepped into the car. The driver grinned and gritted me in the local language…obviously I did not get a thing. Within a very short time the driver – in his own language – tried to make me understand the reason behind his delay. After listening his words I could only sum up that there was a problem with the car’s tier. I saw the sights around and found that Sylhet was a small city comparing to Chittagong. Exactly after fifteen minutes of driving, the car reached the front gate of the ‘Ariyana’. It was a building, which seemed like something out of the world. I stepped out of the car, placed my first step on the first staircase. I entered in, the furniture, the floor, the walls, the people – everything has a touch of being posh. I looked at myself – I thought whether my blue sari fitted in this atmosphere or not. I have been appointed as the secretary of the managing director.
My family did not support me to cross all the way from Chittagong to Sylhet and to join this company as a secretary. I quarreled, I cried, I went on hunger strike…and finally convinced my family to let me accept this job as I wanted to achieve the very best of my career by going slowly and by gathering some experience. This is mainly why I chose this job and went to give the interview Dhaka. And surprisingly I got the appointment letter in a week. ‘Ariyana’ is a fashion house. It doesn’t only have its showrooms in Bangladesh but it exports fashion wears worldwide. In one word it is a multinational company. And for a very strange reason the factory was in Sylhet though the mannaging partners were not from Sylhet. I am proud; I am happy and most important of all I am satisfied to get this job. Before I want to start my new journey, I would like to thank my best friend Raihan. He was the one who had informed me about the job vacancy; he was the one who told me that it was the best opportnity for me’ again he was the one who had supported me in the long days of hunger strikes and quarelling. He was my best friend.
I went near the reception and said, ‘Hello, I am Sabrina Sharmin– the new secretary of the managing director.’
“Nice meeting you ma’am. Here’s your ID card, please go to the second floor. Sir is waiting for you.” She answered in a robotic voice, it seemed to me like she was muttering out the words she memorized the night before. I thanked her and moved forward to the elevator. I found the place like a five – star hotel by seeing its interior and exterior looks. The elevator was even so clean! I think I have fallen in love with the place. I reached the second floor. I saw a polished corridor. The plants were green and leafy. I found it a bit surprising because I failed to keep some plants alive in my garden at Chittagong where sunlight was flourishing but the plants were healthy in an airtight room.
I headed towards the managing director’s room. I knocked the door. I heard the deep manly voice saying, “It’s open. Please come in.”
I entered the room with with a mixture combination of fear and excitement. It was my first meeting with my boss. The person sitting behind the large secretary table was young, handsome, fashionable and there was another amazing fact about him which is he was my childhood best friend Raihan. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was not expecting him to be my boss. Seeing Raihan behind the secretary desk was something behind my wildest dreams. Before I could say anything, he started, “It’s your first day in ‘Ariyana’ so I am not going to give you much pressure. Relax a bit. Roam the office and get to know your co-workers better.
“Sabrina Sharmin - A nice name. I like it!”
I was totally dumbstruck. I did not know what to say. I was surprised to see him behave so formally. We have lived our lives together. Well for the past three years there was a communication gap as we couldn’t meet and all but we kept in touch via e-mail. Suddenly I realized that I had told him about my dream to work in a fashion house. I have shared every single thought with him that there is some fact about myself that I have forgotten but he did not. In a fraction of seconds I recalle that he was the one who told me abouth the job in Ariyana. I found myself helpless because I did not want anyone to help me achieve my desired goal. I did not like it at all. I came out of his room and took the stairs to the ground floor. I went out of the office. At that moment I thought he was a liar. I wandered why he did not tell me that he was the managing director of Ariyana?
“Madam, sir is calling you.” I heard the receiptionist’s voice. I turned back and told him that I did not want to meeh his sir. I also told him that I wanted to resign. The person was looking at me with a blank look in his eyes. He was so surprised. He again said, “You have to give the resignation letter to your boss, I mean to Raihan sir.”
I did not say anything and went back to ‘my boss’s’ cabin. And before I could understand anything I found myself in raihan’s arm. Then I heard the three magical words, “I LOVE YOU” in my ears. Without a delay of single minute I said, “I LOVE YOU.” I did not know what I was saying. The only thing that was important to me was the warmth of his body, the deep breaths of him and the hearbeats (better say the drumbeats). The moment was so dramatic and beautiful that I could not get my body out of his hands. Slowly he turned at me and said, “Did you like the surprise?”
“So it was a play?”
“Sweetheart I have loved you since the very first day we met.”
“Raihan, I mean the job?”
“You can continue to be my secretary but not here.”
“Then where?”
“In my home.”
“Your home?”
“No. No. No. Our home. Our sweet home.”
I did not say anything but my silence - which explained everything. It was the very first time I had realized that I loved him. It was the first time I found out the reason why I had been acting weirdly with every man who wanted to come to my life. I accepted his proposal.
The rest of the story is simple. We got married last week. Now he is sleeping behind me, on the same bed. It is a miracle for me because my whole life circled around my ambition and goals. I always wanted to become a businesswoman. Somehow I was still happy beacuase I have found true love. Every girl wishes to get a very good friend in her husband but look how fortunate I really am that I have found my husband in my very good friend. I looked at him and saw that he was staring at me with a polite smile of approval. I asked, “What?”
“Did I tell you that I have allocated 49% shares of ‘Ariyana’ in your name?” He questioned me with the same smile on his face.
“What are you saying Raihan?”
“I am saying that you are one of the managing partners of “Ariyana’.”
I was speechless foe a momnet because he was reading my mind.
He started, “Don’t you know that I can read your thoughts. I always wanted to see you as a successful businesswoman. I love you. I want you. I know I just cannot live without you. But I just cannot see that you are not accomplishing your goal in life. Honey, I want you to prove the very best in yourself.”
We both smiled. He hugged me tightly and said, “I love you.”
This is not the end of our story. It’s just the begining.
