While the Search is on...

Without getting into the name of the company, which might or might not land me in trouble, I will come straight to the happenings of the day.

Last Saturday, I went for an interview to Whitfield, which, I was told a scheduled one. But when I reached there on the scheduled time, there were quite some people waiting for their turn for the online test. I was kept waiting for almost 3 hours, while people who came after me finished and left as well. Despite my repeated reminders to acknowledge my presence, nothing really happened. At the end of three hours I left a message on the desk for the HR and left.

Now, two days back, I get a call from the Senior HR of the company, apologizing for the inconvenience and asking me to come for the interview on the coming weekend. It didn't match since I had already committed to other interviews on weekend and Whitefield is too far to go on a weekday and come to office after that. They were willing o send me a cab to pick me up from my doorstep and then drop me back to my office after the procedure was done. I wondered what I had done to deserve this (may be the message I left with the receptionist didn't go well with the HRs) , but I accepted the offer. My only concern was what if I flunk in the first round itself and they believe I am an empty vessel which sounds too much. The harm could be many degrees ranging from losing my face, being blacklisted from their company for ever to confiscate the cab and send me back on my own, while I wasn't sure of my way back nor the conveyance.

I woke up at 6.30 this morning for the cab, I reached the Salarpuria Tech park before 8. It felt great, some hundred acres of land, with buildings each one better than the other, huge lawns, broad roads without a speck of dust anywhere, a lone coffee day standing in the middle of the road...looked like I had left civilization far behind. Not that I have never been to a tech park, but never so early. They look awesome early in the morning, quiet and serene. The HR hadn't arrived by then...so waited till 8.30.The online test went till 9.30 and as I feared, I flunked. There were quite some questions on EJB, which is not my forte...but without any unconvincing excuses, let me just face it...I flunked.
Lost my face, yes. Blacklisted from the company for life, I donno. But they certainly didn't confiscate the cab. I called the driver, he said he would take a few moments to come down since he went home. I decided to wait, any way it was too early for office, I had to reach only by 11.30. I looked around, and boiled down to the coffee day on the middle of the road.

I halted there for a corn-spinach sandwich and a Masala tea. While he prepared the same, I took a seat and looked around.
The weather was just perfect, to sit in an open air coffee day , it was cool and windy, I put on my jacket. People had started coming now, young girls, who were probably late because of the time they took to decide what they'd wear, were running to reach before their managers. Young men, walking lazily, I couldn't decide if they were sleeping while walking or walking while sleeping, they needed a coffee urgently. Older men, some in suits and tie, walking in a group were probably saving time by having the meetings on the way.
I felt the vacuum in our lifes...
When I was young my Dad said, work hard for your 10th grades and get into a good college, life is easy after that,nobody studies in college. When I was in college, he said, work hard to get an engineering seat in a good college, life is cake walk after that,nobody studies in college. When in engineering college, he said, work hard for your engineering percentage, land up in a good job, life is easy after that(Now I know, how smart he was, and how he manages his huge team in the plant he works in). I am still waiting for that easy life. I am, touchwood, doing quite well in this rat race, but life still isn't half as easy. Then, the board exams were my biggest concerns, looked like an herculean job to me...now its something else, and tomorrow it would be again something new. It never stops. I feel the urge to ask my Dad, when would I finally get the time to be relaxed, but I know even he doesn't have the answer. He is gonna retire in a year's time, and he still hasn't found his peace.
I believe, this is how God makes his presence felt to us. I am not a believer nor am I an atheist. I believe in a superpower but do not believe in tradition, religion and rituals. But, there is certainly somebody, something out there who balances my life and yours. I look at Bhai's plight today and I am positive his ordeal is gonna end soon, because I believe he has learnt the lesson God wanted to teach him.

It had started drizzling then, my tea was over and the thoughts going round my mind were exhausted. I called the cab driver, he said he's stuck in a jam and would take another fifteen minutes. I pulled out the book in my bag, Chetan Bhagat's: 2 states. It started good, dragged in between but now it was getting interesting.

In a few minutes the cab was there. I boarded the cab which dropped me till the office gate. I thanked the driver and approached the gate. I held my access card in my hand while I looked at the old building...I wondered if Akbar would have walled up Anarkali in this building. The campus if any, was occupied with the vehicles that came along the employees. I felt like I have landed from the US straight into Jhumri Talaiya.
As I entered, the security guard stops me with an open palm.
'Maa'm you are breaking policies, please wear the access card round your neck before we raise a security incident against you.'

Sigh!!!...Welcome to reality!!!