Chapter 3: Normalcy

                                    

                                          
The training sessions consisting of Aman giving Riya and Lyla various situations and them speaking about them immediately. Daily, they're given wide variety of scenarios and their speaking abilities are tested everyday. 
"In a situation, when you do a cold call and you encounter a Marathi person. You go on as usual, telling them about your business and then you ask them for basic details, and you come to know he's a native marathi person. What would be the best way forward?" Asked Aman, looking at Lyla and Riya at a time with intense eyes.
"The keyword being Marathi. Since you've emphasized it a way lot, I feel that guy would love it if I speak in Marathi too." Riya answered confidently.
"But we wouldn't know every language. I don't know Marathi at all." Lyla objected.
"Good. So what do we do then, Lyla?" 
"Maybe we can speak the second best familiar language to him?" 
"Yes... and?" Aman gave the opportunity to let her expand more on this topic. 
"And what?" Lyla asked confused. 
"What's the universal language we speak?" He asked.
"English. Bingo." Riya jumped in. 
"Wrong answer. Think. Think." Aman breathed heavily to let out a sigh. 
"It's emotions! In all languages emotions are same." Lyla answered with childlike excitement.
"Now this is a Bingo." 
"But how we speak emotions?" Riya rubbed her temple with her index finger. 
"In the layman term, you match the vibe. You can't communicate professionally with all people. It can close people off. It can feel like a wall. While communicating, become like them. Imagine yourself as their old childhood friend. Empathy. Learn Empathy."
These were the sessions that regularly happened in the office, in a separate small room. Riya and Lyla were partners, getting trained together in sales by Aman for a month. Each lesson was quite insightful, thoroughly improving their style of communication. Lyla could witness a change in her speech just in a week. 
Aman left the room, leaving Riya and Lyla alone to work on their tasks. Riya smiled at Lyla and stretched her arms and yawned in an adorable way. She tilted her head to the right, making her look like a model for mattress brand. Riya, indeed had that beaming beauty. A naturally bright smile and loose curly hair. She dresses modestly yet having the capacity to outshine many people in a room. She smiled too frequently that seeing her without a smile would automatically make one feel something isn't right. 
"Do you know War Heroes?" She asked. 
"Oh no. Isn't that a video game Chris keep playing?" 
"Bro yes. Nobody stops him. Sometimes this corporate job feels too good to be true. Not kidding." 
"Couldn't agree more! Like I've seen other department people, they look tired and gloomy while the sales team is always up to some random shit." Lyla spoke hastily.
"Girl. The answer is in your sentence. We are in sales that's why. We play a big part in improving the business of the company but our work is simpler than them. It's not very technical. We do the part of talking, engaging and connecting. None of them outside got the guts to do this." Riya spoke proudly. She definitely is here for she feels a passion in this field. 
They completed their task as soon as possible so that they could just scroll through reels and wait for the lunch. Jeet would come sit with them after he completes his tasks. Since, Riya, Jeet and Lyla spent lots of time together, they tend to stick with each other the most times. 
The lunch period arrived and they all headed towards the canteen along with their lunch boxes. Saya and Ronit sitting together involved in their childish banters that only they could understand. Riya blended in the group quite easily given her extroverted personality. Lyla and Jeet being new still felt a bit disconnected from this huge group of eight people. 
It was a bit weird for Lyla in the beginning. On her first day, everyone welcomed her warmly and as the days proceeded, they seemed to be moving further and further away from her. She didn't know if it was really happening or she's just overthinking. 
"Hello everyone." Lyla initiated the greetings but only Yash replied. Lyla fell into a momentary silence wondering why this was happening. Heaving a deep sigh, thinking it was because Saya and Ronit were talking already and others were unpacking the lunch boxes, they didn't hear her. 
"This movie "Sheela Aunty". Bro sick movie!" Yash in a loud voice declared and everyone's attention diverted at him. 
"I saw that movie yesterday with my parents. It's great." Saya said with a warm smile.
"I saw the movie before it was released"   Lyla joined. Maybe her voice was low or because it was very loud in the Canteen, nobody at the table heard her, except for Jeet sitting beside her. 
"How is that possible?" Jeet asked. To Lyla, it felt like he felt sorry for her and asked her out of pity. She could feel something in her guts and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. 
"Oh.. it's nothing. Just that somebody on Insta posted that they have the whole movie on telegram." 
"Oh I see." 
The conversation ended. The rest of the lunch felt like a nightmare to Lyla. She fell quite and couldn't hear a single thing they were saying as she was lost in her inner voice mocking her. 
"Guys, let's go for a walk outside. Need to digest my food. I ate too much rice." Ronit stood up and announced.
"Yes let's go. We could do a walk." Saya stood up too. 
Everyone was standing up but Lyla's food wasn't finished. She thought they would leave her here, alone at this large table. However, Shiv's eyes fell on Lyla, still eating slowly. 
"Lyla is still eating. Wait a little." Shiv said and everyone agreed. 
Lyla felt unusually thankful to him. "Lyla, fast fast." Riya hyped her up. Suddenly, everyone was paying attention to her. 
"Let her eat in peace Riya. Lyla, you take your time." Saya rolled her eyes at Riya.
Maybe whatever she thought about them being weird with her was wrong. She indeed was overthinking about it. They seem completely normal now. Forgetting about what happened ten minutes ago, Lyla ate her food pleasantly and was ready for a walk around the corporate building.