It was supposed to be a job interview.

11:00 AM.

Conference room.

Resume printed.

Confidence rehearsed.

Meera walked in prepared to discuss skills, strengths, and long-term career goals.

Ram, the hiring manager, smiled professionally.

“So tell me about yourself.”

Standard. Simple.

She delivered her polished answer –

experience, leadership, measurable impact.

He nodded thoughtfully.

“Interesting. And… what are your hobbies?”

Normal… yeah..

“Reading, traveling, writing,” she replied.

He leaned back.

“Traveling, okay? Mountains or beaches?”

Aah.. “Mountains”, i guess.🤨

He smiled wider than necessary.

“Same. That’s rare.”

She made a mental note: Over-enthusiastic hiring manager.

Then came the shift.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

“In a leadership role,” she replied confidently.

He nodded slowly.

“Settled?”

Pause.

She blinked.

“In my career, yes.” 🙄

He clarified.

“No, I meant… personally.”

This was no longer HR-approved territory.

She attempted to redirect.

“I’m very committed to professional growth.”

He scribbled something down.

“Good. Commitment is important.”

To the company?

Unclear.

By minute twenty, the questions had evolved.

“What kind of work-life balance do you believe in?”

“Would you relocate?”

“How do you feel about joint families?”

Joint families.

In a fintech role. 🤔

She stared at her resume to confirm she had not applied for marriage.

The final blow came when he said casually,

“You seem very compatible.”

Compatible. Huh.

With the organization?

He extended his hand.

“We’ll stay in touch.”

He did.

On LinkedIn.

With a message that read:

“Not sure about the job, but coffee?”

She did not get the job.

She did get a connection request.

She declined both. 😂

Sigh ..