Patience. Rome was not built in a day.Amaal gave him a tight smile. “I am asking you to start taking note of how you dress, at least when you go for public events or interviews. Stubble is good, but maintaining it is paramount. Or go clean-shaven. Or keep a proper beard. Anything in between is unkempt. A sin for public life.”
“Ok.”
“What are you planning to wear tomorrow?”
“I’ll wear the white T-shirt since you have a problem with the black.”
Amaal covered her eyes with her hand. “Oh god, I did not mean I have a pro… ok. Wear a formal pair of black pants and a light blue shirt. Like Atharva.”
“I don’t have a blue shirt.”
“Then which colours do you have?”
“White, black, grey, red.”
Her eyes bugged. “Red?”
“Adil’s gift.”
She burst out laughing, digging the heels of her hands into her eyes. This was a circus. This entire founding member team was a circus.
“What’s next?” His curt voice brought her to a stop. Amaal rubbed her palms up and down her face and set her hands flat down on her desk.
“Wear a white shirt and black pants. Formal. You are not only ex-military and party founder but also a doctor. We need to bring out all those personalities. What you are wearing right now screams…” she paused.
“Screams what?”
“Nothing.”
His dark eyes bore into hers. And Amaal turned her gaze away.
“Anyway, let’s talk questions. Did you go through the list I sent you?”
“Yes.”
“Want to run through your answers?”
“Ok.”
“Umm… can I give feedback without offending you?”
He nodded.
“Samar,” she sat forward, joining her hands in front of her chest earnestly. “You have a very heavy voice and it does wonders when you talk, especially without a mic. That is bass and grounding and very, very reassuring to listen to. But you talk like you are reading out a script.”
“I am given scripts to mug up.”
“Yes, but your audience doesn’t need to know that.”
“I am not a speeches kind of a leader.”
“I know. And I don’t ask you to be the speeches kind of a leader. But when you talk, in addition to getting your point across, you must also evoke a feeling in your listener. Like right now, as I am talking to you, I am evoking anger inside you that how dare she talk so condescendingly low to me?”
“I don’t have any such feeling.”
“It was a joke, but you get it. Read your script but also read the commas and the full stops. Put pressure on the words that, in your head, make you pause. Meanings are surfaced then. For example,” she pulled the bunch of questionnaire and read out the first one. “This is your first foray into Jammu’s city-level politics. How ready are you to take on all 75 seats in the Jammu Municipal Corporation Election?”
“This is our second foray into the Jammu Municipal Corporation Election after we won 5 seats in the 2005 election with Varun Singh leading the victory with 3,000 votes which was a historical margin…”
