Another day ..

Running arround from the past that does not let go and the future that gets darker and brutal day after day. Another day has come to an end at 4 am in the morning ...Want to take break from all the running arround.

No matter how good you do, there will always be something that comes back at you and hits you so hard that you want to just give ti all up ... take a fucking break ... a break that runs faster than I run and is ever elusive.

CHAPTER 2 - INDUCTION

As he stepped inside his office, the glass wall caught his imagination again. All he wanted now was seat beside this glass wall so that he could see outside. Before he could go into the dream world, someone from behind said “Debojyoti …” Hussein it was. “Hi. How are you”.

“Hi. Fine”.

At the reception, there was a sign asking all the new people to report to the auditorium.

They both asked for direction from the prettiest looking girl they could see … later on they came to know she was a freshman too. Any ways they followed the signs to the Auditorium. The entire way Hussein kept looking at the gal through the corner of his eye.

On the way two things happened, one, Debojyoti went into his own world, secondly, Hussein - somehow managed to come in between the gal and Debojyoti and introduced himself.

Her name was Ashima. She was from Agra.

In the middle, they had to pass through the cafeteria. Hussein took this opportunity, …the first one,

Coffee!!!

The rest two agreed and went inside. The Cafeteria was huge, all of them looked around to find coffee. Ashima located a coffee machine at the far end of the cafeteria, Hussein like a perfect gentleman asked both of them to wait while he gets the coffee. Debojyoti felt strange… realized he had not yet introduced himself … promptly did so…

Hi, Debojyoti…

Ashima, Hello …

That was it. Short, Sweet and Simple.

Both of them kept quite after that, trying to figure out the new surroundings.
Soon, Hussein was back with coffee, struggling to hold 3 hot cups. Before Debojyoti could get up to help, Hussein quickly kept the cups on the table and took a sigh of relief. Seeing this gesture Ashima smiled which only Hussein could notice… “Mission Accomplished…” he thought to him self.

Debojyoti and Ashima took their cups and thanked him.

Mid way through the coffee and chit - chat, there was an announcement on the public address system.

“The New Hires are requested to report to the Auditorium, Induction Process is due to begin in next 10 minutes”

That’s when they realized, that they need to hurry.

Lets go … Hussein said. They moved towards the auditorium, a little faster this time. Along the way they met other freshmen and the whole crowd entered the auditorium.

“This is huge; never thought it would be this big …” said Hussein.
“Hmmm…” both agreed trying to absorb …

There was stage in the middle and a door on each side for entry and exit, several rows of maroon colored seats on all three sides, two passageways to get to them… Just like a movie hall …only thrice the size … could easily accommodate at least 1500 people.

Just as all three were exploring more … their eyes trying to get everything in one go.
Just then a middle-aged man on the stage addressed the crowd “ Please be seated, we are about to begin with the induction process”.

Chapter 1 - CAB

The first day, he was supposed to report to office at 8:45 PM. His Cab was supposed to pick him up from home at 7 PM, at exactly 6:55 pm a white quails came and stopped outside his house …honked… the moment he was about to leave his house saying goodbye to his mother…his Father, reading a book entered the drawing room and said

“ Only till your results are declared “ without taking his eyes off the book and disappeared. Debojyoti and his mother froze for a moment …absorbed it and then forgot it. Debojyoti didn’t mind the comment as he was right now more concerned about how he looked …dressed in a new pair of jeans and a branded t-shirt with matching sports shoes. Hair gelled to get that right spiky look…his room smelled of Brute….

The cab honked again, this time twice in quick succession; he rushed out of his home and got into the cab.

His mother was looking from the balcony, she had that sparkle in her eyes….

”my son…. going to office … such a big car came to pick him up …MY SON…Jai Ma Durga …”

The ride to office was new experience for Debojyoti. The moment he got inside he was greeted with the driver saying,

“ Sir, if you’ll be late like this, I will leave you next time…company ka order hai (we’ve orders from the company).

Debojyoti was taken aback, could only muster enough strength to say “OK”, and just then was saved by someone in the front seat saying

“its Ok, first day right…happens with every one…. Hi! I am Travis ...I mean...
taking a drag from his cigarette … Kapil is my name Travis is my alias…" taking another drag from his cigarette. Debojyoti responded by introducing himself and saying “…actually its my first day ...so …” “It’s ok…told you happens with everyone” said Travis.

From Kalkaji (that’s where he stayed) to Synergy in Gurgaon was 45 minutes drive but the route that the cab took was like a guided tour of south Delhi. From Kalkaji to C.R.Park to Nehru Place then back to South Ex to R.K.Puram Sector 1 to Sector 6 to sector 8 and finally towards Gurgaon. Along the way the cab picked up Alex, Lisa, Sam, Ray and Troy. All of them knew each other and also introduced themselves to Debojyoti. During their ride to office while conversing in between Debojyoti came to know that Alex was Akshay Batra, Lisa was Shilpi Arora, Sam was Sudip Banerji, Ray was Rahul Gupta and Troy was Tarun Sharma ….he thought...”all of them...American Names ...they address each other like that. …

“I can never become like that…PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN …PROUD TO BE A BENGALI “…

Strange he felt inside.

Cab reached exactly 5 minutes before his reporting time.

When Debojyoti Halder becomes Dave Haldermen

Debojyoti …or Dave as he is now known to most of his friends, enters his office 1 am at night after sharing a smoke with his friends. His office is huge; it has 5000 people working in it. The side of the building is made of glass; transparent …you can see through it. Dave’s PC is near the glass side on the 4th floor. He is a Team Leader in a call center called Synergy.

He comes from a middle class family, father is a civil engineer working with Indian Oil, and mother is a full time housewife. His father always wanted him to study engineering on the other side his mother wanted him to study medicine. In 11th standard, trying to fulfill both his parents’ wishes …or rather which he now thinks. …being confused ended up taking Science with mathematics and biology both. Ended up with 70% in 12th. This was the starting of his parents so called nightmare, he didn’t get through any professional course, neither medicine nor engineering, got admission in DU in B.Sc in Venkatshawara because his father knew some professor there…for this favor …for last 3 years everyday (once in the morning and once at night) his father reminds him

“ had I not know Professor Dutta there…you would not have even been studying… Shame on you…could not even get through an engineering college. Look at Mr. Sharma’s daughter….…….shame on you.”

Mother on the other hand has gone the spiritual way …

”whatever is happening … Ma Durga wants it that way … no use scolding him… its ok…. I am sure MA has kept something for him”.

How he ended up where he is today is more like a bollywood flick.

Debojyoti’s friend Hussein was going to give an interview in Synergy, he asked for a lift and Debojyoti readily agreed. Both of them went to Gurgaon and the moment Debojyoti dropped Hussein at the gates of Synergy, it started to rain. Hussein asked him to wait with him in the lounge, since he had nothing else to do that day he went inside with Hussein. Debojyoti was taken aback by the sheer size of the company; Glass everywhere, glass doors, glass walls, glass table at the reception… everything was so transparent… u could look through them. The lights in the lobby were like that he had seen in USA where he went to visit his uncle after his 10th exams…never thought Indians could have the same. They sat in the lounge and started to chat ….the HR executive came, introduced herself …

“Hi! I am Bindu. Are you both here for the interview?”

She was a South Indian, little on the darker side, big glowing eyes …her smile could kill a million in a second … Before Hussein could say something Debojyoti said in a loud voice “YES”. Hussein looked at him and smiled. Bindu guided them to a room where another 15 candidates were waiting, then Bindu said,

“ First we will have the Group Discussion round, those who pass will go to the next round… Topic for today is Kashmir: What would be the best solution”

…rest of course is history … Hussein no longer works in Synergy; he went to US of A last year.

Debojyoti joined Synergy while he was waiting for his 3rd year results, as an agent in a customer service process. When he told his folks that he was going to work in a Call Center, his dad was furious

“ … is this the reason that you studied science…no never…. you will go no where…prepare for GRE and TOFEL … you are going to US … me and your uncle have decided it all …MS is what you will do…. No call center shit.”

And mother on the other hand was surprisingly supportive

“…Let him do what he wants to… still 3 months left for his results to be declared … what will he do sitting at home…”

In this confusion of “To be or Not to be”…. he joined Synergy…. Happily…