quite another day for most people.., opportunity to check their luck...for some, chance to fulfill engineering lives by getting placed....to some folks so lured by IT mania.ppl like me...
It was the first campus placements day at our college for our batch, for which we have been trained a couple of weeks to get into the herd.
And so the day began when i woke up the alarm (which happens on rare ocassions.....) and started to make my preparations for the day.....
resumes, certificates, photographs, ironed clothes, beard shaved, shoes polished.....every thing was done and ready. mom made the routine rice and delicious dal curry though i had expected something else for that day.......
having had my breakfast and dressed up in the "recruitment uniform" i was ready to leave for college when puneet called me up on phone....i went to take the call......
"ha...puneet.....wats up bey......didn't u start yet...?"
"about to leave....by the way how are u going to college ra....?"
"well.....by auto....but why do you ask....."
"saaley are you crazy........!!? how could you possibly think of going in an auto with ironed dress......are u mad.....come to my home...we'll both go on my bike....come here quickly.....ok.."
"aaalright ......if you are so interested to spend your petrol why would i say anything......i'll be there in 10 min....ok......see you....."....and i left for his home.
That idiot had just finished his bath when i reached his home....."you aren't ready yet....!! you fool.....this is crazy man.....we are gonna be late", i said in slight frustration.
"it's only 8:00 now, saaley....,what work have you got there that you want to go early.......have to welcome the recruitment team or what?",came the reply.....
"sit and relax for a while.....i am almost done....might take 5min more.....read the news papers till then....", saying that he handed over me that day's news paper and TV remote, letting me make my choice.....
In another couple of minutes he returned with a box, took out from them some studs and after listening to his parent's suggestions and some exhaustive selection finally picked up two metallic things from the lot and came up to me.......
"chary....put these things ra....."
"ok.....but what are these ra......where do i fix them.....",i said, never having seen them before....
"they are wrist buttons bey.....they look good instead of plastic buttons....now fix them to my wrist.....and do you want them too....."
"no babu......i am fine with this "uniform".....don't need any extra decorations...."
"fine then......we shall leave now....shall we....?"
"i am waiting for that....the earlier the merrier...."......
Some of our friends had gathered by the time we reached the college and Tejas was making some point there....we joined them making the place more horrible for others to stay there.....i asked tejas as why didn't he turn up for the training session.....waiting for an obvious reply........
"not worth it ra.....i am however not goin to join the company...this is just like a back-up for me mama...."
"what is that thing bey.....looks like hologram..."
"ohh.....yes it is.....i forgot to remove it.......i buyed the shoes only couple of days before...didn't open the box till today....."
just then i saw one of my batch mate passing by...he wore a neck tie......hmmm......too good to be an employee, i thought, and minutes later saw a girl wearing a scarf......wuooh.....
wrist buttons, holograms, ties, scarf.....all flashed at once and i wondered if i accidentally walked into some designer show........
At around 10:00 we were called into the auditorium.......the HR team made some presentation about the company....talked about training,posting etc.,etc., and an hour later began the written test, people shortlisted for the interview were announced after the lunch at around 1:00pm.
During the lunch there were discussions everwhere, about possible questions being asked during the interview and we were no exception......
Rohit,our humanoid reference cleared the doubts while Amar, in his ever cool fashion, made a note now and then that we were too much into the subject.Sandy kept eavesdropping as though sneaking though keyhole of bathroom......
The results were out and the interviews began.......some time after it was my turn......curtains for the show were raised....
"excuse me sir..., may i come in?"
the interviewer was a middle aged man, stout, dressed casually......i doubted how could he probably be working in CTS.....
"yes gentleman....come in...take your seat..."
"thank you sir.....", said i, taking my seat just as we were trained to do so.....
"you are Mr.nagarjuna chary.....mind if i call you nagarjuna...."
"no problem sir...its ok"
"so nagarjuna....tell me about yourself.." and some routine questions followed, then came the slow delivery...which i played terribly......
"hmm....so...how many years will u work for CTS..,if i took you...?"
"FIVE Years....", he at once raised his head which he kept buried examining my certificates...
"damn f***k what did i say.....how could i ever give that answer...'shit..devil take my stupidity", i muttered-in myself.
there was silence for a while........he got curious at the answer as i could clearly see in his face, next one came up.....
"what will you do after five years then...?",with a smile on his face....
"sir....we were told in the introduction meeting this morning that CTS offers MBA program for its employees.....i'll pursue it and get back......."
i had no words to blame myself now.....it was apparent by now that i'll be kicked out....but hoped some miracle thing to happen.......and waited for him to speak.....
I was hit-wicket......As for him.....he made up the decision, turned his role from bowler to umpire and went to see how worst i could go further........
some irrelevant, non-sense things were asked to his delight......and the interview ended....
I narrated the story to my friends who were waiting out...some gazed at me as though they were seeing an alien........some tried to cheer me up saying that those statements of mine would be overlooked........
It was 5:30 by then, final list of selected ones would be announced at 7:00......we couldn't wait so long doing nothing.......puneet suggested playing volleyaball....we all agreed at although some ridiculed it at first........while all other students were worried about being selceted.....we six people were seen playing......everyone who saw were surprised.....it was obvious.....of the 450+ who came that day, of the 250+ who attended the interview....we six stood odd.......playing......
Time was rolling......it was 8:00, still no news from the placement cell......we were all tired, hungry....the samosas in the canteen were all sold.....At 9:30 the list was out......once again all of us were called into the auditorium.......one of them read out the names of selected ones......those were to stay back.....names were read out dept.wise.......The obvious thing i felt happened....i walked out.....
couple of days later when this issue came to discussion everyone expressed their greetings for those who were selected.....and felt sorry for those who didn't....
There were many who, i thought, would make it to, but failed.
As for with me......people who knew what i did wondered what on earth made me say those things......those who didn't know were onto the interview personnel that they weren't fair and took only few aspects into consideration.......
the real thing....i know.....the backdrop of curiosity that was brought up in his face......the foolish reply.....the FIVE YEAR plan...
