The building complex bore a nameplate engraved in gold: "HS Movie Production Company." Inside, interviews were underway. Nearly ten thousand people had applied for a single position. They were divided into groups and scrutinized by industry experts. Every candidate waited with bated breath, desperately hoping to be the chosen one.
To land this job was to be considered the luckiest person in the world. Unlike other companies offering thousands or lakhs, the monthly salary here was a staggering one crore. With such a figure, it was no surprise the place was swarming with people.
The atmosphere resembled a grand festival. Rows of men and women sat waiting while staff served them refreshments. An HS Company interview was no ordinary event; they ensured that everyone who came to their doorstep was treated with hospitality, always providing a drink to the waiting candidates.
The Chairman of HS Group was a man of absolute precision. He had divided the applicants into ten groups, using his best experts to filter them. His goal was simple: only the most deserving should enter his ranks.
After three hours, the top ten from each group were selected. These 100 finalists were then interviewed by Prabhu, the Chairman's Secretary. Those who didn't make the cut weren't sent away in disappointment; instead, the company offered them various other roles within the organization based on their specific qualifications.
Prabhu interviewed the hundred finalists and narrowed them down to ten elite candidates. From these ten, the Chairman himself would pick the final winner.
Prabhu looked at the ten candidates piercingly. "You probably collected all the details before coming here. Don't just celebrate the one-crore salary. This is an incredibly difficult job. If you aren't interested, you can leave right now. This is a one-way street—once you're in, there's no turning back even if you want to."
A young man in the group stood up boldly. "Why are you just trying to scare us, sir? If they don't like the job, they should be free to resign and leave. You make it sound like we have to slave away for your company until we die."
Just as Prabhu opened his mouth to give a sharp retort, his phone rang. The screen displayed "My Boss." Seeing his master's call, Prabhu glared at the defiant young man and stepped aside to answer, while the candidate sat back down with an air of arrogance.
"Hello, Boss. Prabhu speaking. Is everything alright, Boss? Anything serious?" Prabhu asked humbly.
Harshayan, who had been watching the entire scene through the CCTV system on his computer, spoke coldly. "Burn all the certificates he brought. Appoint him as a clerk. You know what to do if he talks too much, don't you?" He disconnected after those few words.
Following instructions to the letter, Prabhu walked back and set fire to the young man's certificates right before his eyes. The man, who had been speaking so boldly, watched in horror as the documents he had worked so hard to earn turned to ash.
"Well, Mr. Suresh... now you can only work for this company until the day you die. What are you going to do now? Even if you try to get duplicate certificates, my Boss will ensure you never get a job anywhere else. When you come for work, Mr. Suresh, just do the work. Otherwise, you'll end up broken like this. The lowest post in this company is vacant for you. If you don't like it, feel free to leave."
Prabhu turned his gaze to the others, who were now sitting in terrified silence. "The same applies to the rest of you, guys. Anyway, let's move on to the actual work. Mr. Suresh, you may leave."
After dismissing him, Prabhu turned to the remaining candidates. "Let me explain the scope of this job. It's not just one role; it involves many. My Boss runs numerous companies. To him, if you take on a task, you must master its deepest depths."
He stood up and began describing the responsibilities on a large touchscreen. "You are currently in the basement of this company. You must oversee everything from here. Don't think you'll just be sitting around. If a director asks for funding, you must verify it ten times before approving. You must be on-set to ensure the filming is going correctly. You will negotiate the contracts for the heroes and heroines and ensure they stay loyal to this company. When a movie hits theaters, you must negotiate with the owners to buy the rights beforehand so we can release it ourselves for maximum profit."
He continued, "You'll handle the music composers, ensuring they work exclusively for us. You'll oversee our news channels and TV networks. Some serials are produced directly with company funds; you'll manage those too. Then there are the cartoon channels, YouTube channels, short films, and music videos. You'll also manage dubbing our content into other languages. Everything must be perfect. Occasionally, you'll organize special shows. Sitting here, it might seem like one job, but you won't have a moment to sit still. That is why you are paid one crore a month."
Prabhu's voice grew heavy. "The Boss demands two things: perfection and timing. Even a small mistake will result in severe punishment—so severe that you'll never find work elsewhere. This sector alone has a market value of 2,000 crores monthly. This is just a tiny fraction—a mere dot—in the Boss's business empire. His only ambition is to become the richest man in the world, and he is ready to go to any lengths for it. He is currently 3rd in India; I believe he will be 1st within two months. I've told you everything. You will meet the Boss in an hour. He will choose the one finalist from the nine of you. His decision is final. Wait here; I have other meetings to attend. All the best."
With a tight, brief smile, Prabhu left to attend meetings on behalf of his boss. The remaining candidates were left trembling, wondering how a single person could manage such a massive workload.
Three hours later—two hours past the promised time—the business tycoon, Harshayan, entered the building. As he walked in, the bustling staff stood up and bowed in respect. Ignoring them entirely, he went straight to his cabin. After spending thirty minutes gathering data from his laptop onto a pen drive, he ordered the nine candidates to be brought in.
They entered tentatively and stood before him. With a sharp, analytical gaze, Harshayan instantly identified who was fit for the job, but kept his expression neutral. He placed several files in front of them.
His assistant explained, "These files contain all the corrections that need to be addressed this month. You have exactly one hour. Whoever finishes accurately and first gets the job."
The candidates, who had already skipped lunch while waiting, felt dizzy looking at the mountain of paperwork. They began frantically checking the files. As the hour mark approached, Harshayan checked his watch. With exactly one minute and one second left, a young man named Karnan pushed the file toward him.
"Sorry, sir, but everything in this is already finished and correct. In my opinion, there are no errors here," Karnan said firmly.
The other candidates mocked him, thinking he was a fool for not finding any "mistakes" in a test specifically meant for corrections. Harshayan, however, looked at Karnan deeply and extended his hand.
"Welcome to this job and my business world," Harshayan said, shaking his hand. The others watched in shock as they were dismissed by a single look from the tycoon.
"Take the rest of the day off. Prabhu will explain your duties tomorrow," Harshayan said, diving back into his work. As Karnan left with a word of thanks, Harshayan looked up and smiled with cold pride. His intuition was never wrong.
"Okay, Pa, you go talk to the Principal. I'm going to the canteen to see what's for lunch. The food might run out, so I'll go reserve a plate and come back!"
Without a hint of the typical "new student" shyness, Rahithya went off to ask other students for directions to the canteen. Somasundaram watched his daughter, worried about her childish behavior.
The owner of the college, Venkatesh, was an old friend of Somasundaram. As they met, Somasundaram began to unburden his heart.
"First, forgive me, friend. My daughter was so stubborn about not studying that it took me this long just to convince her to come. The exams are approaching soon; you must have a big heart and admit her. I don't want my daughter to ever have to stand with her hands tied in front of anyone. She takes life too lightly. I earn my living driving a lorry, and lately, the roads have become so dangerous. Everyone drives like they own the government roads. I'm honestly scared to drive sometimes. You never know what will happen to whom in life. That's why I want to give both my children a good education. But she just doesn't understand the reality of life. She's 20, but her mind is still that of a small child. I'm leaving her in your trust, Venkatesh. Also, she can't handle hunger—but don't let her have whatever she asks for in the canteen. Just keep an eye on her."
Venkatesh smiled, sensing his friend's anxiety. "This is common with kids these days, Sundar. We think of them as children, but if we let them, they'd give us lessons! Don't worry, every student here is like my own child. You should head off; classes are about to start. By the way, where is your daughter?"
Somasundaram sighed. "I told you, she's like a child. The moment we arrived, she went straight to the canteen. I don't even want to talk about it! Anyway, I'm leaving. Take care of yourself."
After saying goodbye, Somasundaram went to the canteen to check on her. He found her already surrounded by students, chattering away so much that the other students looked overwhelmed. Seeing her there with Bhuvaneshwari, he smiled to himself and left quietly, without disturbing her.