It was very warm and sweaty on an afternoon summer in a South Indian city as four young women gathered nervously outside the sleek glass wall of a corporate HR office, dressed in professional attire.
Sonia stood tall in a crisp white blouse and a navy blue pencil skirt that hugged her curve as her jet-black hair was pulled back into a tight bun. Riya was wearing a vibrant red blazer over a white top and black trousers. Meera was clad in a pink blouse paired with a gray pencil skirt. Maya, meanwhile, was clad in a black pantsuit with a crisp white shirt underneath and her glasses perched on the bridge of her nose.
"Why do you think they're making us go through this process together?" Sonia whispered to the group as no one had a clear idea what they were about to undergo as they all have faced multiple rounds of interviews and got through all of them successfully.
Riya shrugged, "Probably to see how we work as a team or something and to get done with any sort of formalities".
A stern-looking HR officer, a lady in her late forties probably, emerged from the office.
"Line up, single file and enter please!" she commanded.
The four women exchanged nervous glances before obediently forming a line. The HR officer gestured towards a row of chairs inside the office and instructed them to take a seat.