Speed breakers

“You know what, you will get the job this time” my fiend said after asking 20 odd questions in Java and getting right answers from me. “If you clear the written test then interview will be a cake walk” he continued. I smiled at him, felt very good and I was confident too. When others who have job can not answer these questions then why can’t I get the job. Went out of the room, took Rs 200 from his purse and declared to the room loudly “taking 200,  will return you after I get the job” and went to catch the train so that I can reach the examination hall in time. Not to mention that I had to wrestle to get into the train and get out too but reached the destination in time. Tried to fix the creases in the shirt and wipe out the sweat from forehead and walked hurriedly to reach the examination hall. There were several hundreds of candidates already waiting for the door to open. Waited there and looked at as many of them as possible, and was doing a comparison with myself. Some looked really serious type and some were casual.  Door opened and I entered inside the campus along with others. They had put the roll numbers and the corresponding rooms in the notice board. Somehow managed to see my room number after jumping, pushing others and many other physical activities.Went straight to the room.

Only sentence resonating in my mind, “If you can answer at least 50% of the questions correctly then you will clear the test and interview will be a cake walk”. Composed myself and murmured “Calm down, Calm down”. Sat in the specified place. Looked at others around me and thought “I am going to clear it today, YES!!!”. Bell rang and one gentleman wearing formal dresses and a serious look started distributing papers. Suddenly I got scared hearing a panic voice from the back of the room “Do not open the papers till you are told to do so, otherwise your candidature will stand cancelled!”. She was middle aged and was more serious than the person who was distributing the papers. I did not touch the paper. “This is my one best chance to get a job, won’t make any mistakes today’ I thought. Then after few minutes heard a second bell and again the lady from back of the room shouted “You may now start opening the question papers and…..” continued giving the instructions. I heard only half of it because as soon as I opened the paper I scanned all the questions and realized I know what to answer, most of them. I started answering. I suddenly felt, as if answers are flowing from my mind through my hand on to the paper like a river. I was able to answer every question without any doubt. Then after sometime I heard another bell ringing and the lady started shouting “5 more minutes” and I was answering the last question. I finished it. I was in 7th heaven and 9th cloud. I could answer all up to my satisfaction. I was so happy. Then she announced ”Time up, nobody should touch the answer paper now”. I took my hand off the table and suddenly noticed there was a coupon on the table. Before I start thinking about it, she announced “we have kept lunch coupons on yours desks you can use this have lunch that is served downstairs”. I extended my hand to grab it and went in to my dream world. “So, finally I am going to get a job. My friend has told interview will be easy enough, only difficult part is the written test. I will call my parents as soon as I get the job. They must be upset as everybody is asking them about me. I do not know why people ask questions which hurt others. I will get job someday. I am not that bad. Once I get the job I will ask them to come and stay with me. What they will do there staying alone there. I will buy a car, house and take them to different places around”. Suddenly I saw that lady rushed towards me and stroked through my answer paper and wrote ‘Disqualified’ and she shouted at me “I told you not to turn the papers after time is up” and then I realized that when I was in my dream world I was turning the papers. I was dumb-founded, not sure what to do now, even she did not stay there for a minute to let me explain. She just vanished taking my paper. I was not sure I understood the entire situation at that moment. I picked the lunch coupon. I heard people are discussing about their answers and what they did right and which one wrong. I was not sure what to do. Stood outside the door for few minutes then thought, may be she look at my answer paper and if she finds I answered all right then she many consider me. I went to notice board where the results will come out. One person came to paste the Results on the board, Everybody jumped to see the results, some were extremely happy as they cleared and some went out silently. I waited till it is free. Once I saw not many people are there, I went to see whether my name is there or not. As expected, it was not there. I thought may be they will go through the papers after they go through others. Waited and thoroughly reviewed results of all batches. It did not appear in any of them. I realized that I am not able to see properly, may be something went inside my eyes but I discovered tears. Wiped them and thought “Let me wait, if anybody comes out I will explain them the situation” but none came out. And I saw all the staffs left in a van through the other door. One peon closed all the doors and carried many papers in a bag to throw them in the big dustbin kept on one corner of the garden. I slowly walked out of the campus, took the train to my friend’s room. In the train I realized that I was still holding the lunch coupon. Once again composed myself before entering my friend’s room.  I consoled myself  “Something big is waiting for me”.