Idril came out of her boss's cabin and went straight to Meena.
"Let's go for lunch." She said in a low voice.
"Isn't it a little too early?"
"I need to talk to you."
Meena collected her purse and they both went out. But instead of heading towards the cafeteria, Idril directed them towards the small bistro a short distance from their office building. After ordering their food, she started talking.
"I brought us here because I wanted to discuss about my career and a little about my personal life as well, and I want your opinion about them."
"Okay, out with it."
Idril took a long breath and blew it out. "Meena, I just quit my job."
"What?" Meena almost fell off her chair. "You just quit your job? How? When?"
"Well, not officially yet. But I told my boss and that HR lady was sitting there, so I guess it was pretty much official except the written part."
"What happened? Why would you do such a thing? What did they say that you took such a big decision?"
"I don't know Meena. After what happened last night, I'm so tired of all this bullshit. Guys have started taking bets on me now and I hate my job. There was also one who only went out with me so he could brag to his buddies that he had bedded the 'jilted at the alter bride' of a superstar. I mean, how long will this crap go on? So I decided that I need to take charge of my life and make things happen. As the first step, I quit."
Meena spoke up after a while. "So, have you thought about what you are going to do now?"
"Yes." Idril replied excitedly. "I have decided that I am going to get some kind of a job and get out of the country for a while. You know, work and pleasure, together."
"Is that wise?" Meena returned doubtfully. "Shouldn't you be safer with your parents right now?"
"No see, that is exactly what I am trying to tell you. I always go through this. I face an obstacle in my life and then I run home to my parents. To lick my wounds in private with the help of lots of sympathy and butterscotch mousse. No more. I am going to try and do something different. "
"That's all very well, but how are you going to get a job that would take out of the country?"
"I have got that covered. You know that I did some dubbing job last year? For a couple of cartoon movies? During that time I met this girl, Imogen. She had told me if I ever wanted to try my luck in her country, she might have something for me."
"Is that so?"
"I am going to find that out, tonight. And even if she couldn't arrange work for me, I could go for a tour. I have been slogging in this boring but highly paid job for long enough to fund a foreign trip. If nothing works out, I'll just take my back pack and head out." She completed with shining eyes.
Meena raised her eyebrows. "Head out where exactly?"
Idril looked surprised. "Why, of course, it's going to be where I have always wanted to go to. Scotland."
Damn it. It is raining again. Feanor thought irritatingly. Which means another day of squelching through mud and wet stinky horse. It is no surprise, it always rained in Scotland. There was a time when he loved it but not anymore. He looked up at the gray, drab sky. Oh God, if it has to rain every day, then you owe me a wish!
After spending a long time in a very long queue in the customs of Heathrow Airport, Idril's mood wasn't much improved when she came outside to see it was raining. Damn it. She hated rains. The pavement was a sea of umbrellas and it was impossible to identify Imogen among the raincoat covered crowd. She was just going to give in to the temptation of stomping her foot when she heard someone call her name. She tried to focus in the gloomy crowd in front of her when she saw Imogen's face peering out from under a huge black umbrella and a yellow raincoat. She waved excitedly from across the pavement and after a while was on this side, embracing Idril warmly.
"Welcome to London. Give me your luggage. My car is parked a little far, we need to walk. Here." She tossed something in her hands. "Put that on, it's pouring."
"You bet," Idril said under her breath, putting on the raincoat and hauling her luggage down the pavement towards the car park.
Once safely ensconced in the car, Imogen filled her in all about the job she has found her. It was, essentially a dubbing job, as she had done before. It was a documentary about the Asians in UK and so they wanted someone like her to do it. The recording was to be done in Glasgow a week from now and they were to camp there for three weeks.
She felt equally excited and nervous at the prospect, just as she had felt when she had boarded the plane in New Delhi. As she had checked in, waving goodbye to Meena and her younger sister, she was elated and had felt that a new world of opportunity was just waiting for her to appear. But now, so close to that, she felt a little nervous and a queer sensation at the pit of her stomach. But the view from the car window took all those trepidation away. It was a new country, just waiting for her to explore and all of a sudden she felt as if there was nothing she couldn't achieve.