Sunday 5 April 2015

A Short story... JOURNEY CONTINUED

JOURNEY CONTINUED…
It was 1st of April. I had already spent a number of days just sleeping, eating and counting; January and then February then the march and finally the score is 67.20 out of 100. It states, “…you have not been selected…”.

So I told myself to get prepared for the next round. Of course there was no other option available. The only thing I gained is the highly admired word of this world called, “experience”. Some where I had read that those who read live many lives and those who write create many lives.

So finally after lot of mental arguments I am posting my 2ND INTERVIEW experience (the 1st one was for a fighter pilot for which I was kicked out hard by our dear INDIAN AIR FORCE).
It was on 5th of January this year; I was returning from Varanasi after getting rejected from IAF. There was no reservation but the ‘Bihari bhaiya’ TTE allotted a berth.

“ka seat nahi rejar-ab hai to nahi jaiega”, he said, “laiye 200 rupaiya”.

“kaha jana hai?”

‘Gomoh ka de dijieye’ I said.

‘Jana kaha hai?’

‘Ranchi’.

‘Haan, to ranchiy-e tak ka bana dete hain, Gomoh se phir 100 go rupaiya lagega. Ghabraiy-e nahi 200 may ho jaega.’

The train dropped me at Netaji junction with full respect and honour. But the time was 12:30, in night. Within 10 minutes or so I was alone on that holy platform. Next train for ranchi was at 4:00AM. In this chilly night, I took a cup of maati chukiya chai. I don’t prefer tea but it was the hearty call, much like Kajol who had some wine in DDLJ. There were only two persons on the platform, a beggar and I; both of us struggling with cold. He in his plastic rags and me in myself. Finally I passed those long four hours, listing to some Gazhals. The train arrived right on time to take me to my hometown.

Failure or success is actually not for you but for the society. No one wants to receive a NOBLE prize in secrecy, getting announced his name in his very personal ears only. We all are desperate to tell others about our merits. Similar is with failure, the world is desperate to explore our failures. There were mixture of comments from all around, the best was, “I thought you are coming with your very own MIG”. And to make your mind cool and calm the best thing is to get the responses filtered before it attacks your mind or the delicate heart.

In the evening of 6th January, the very next day, the written result of IBPS bank was disclosed. It was like cold drops of rain in a scorching day. The good news was that I made it in the very first attempt, without investing or rather say without donating any money in some institute. Thanks to my family and INTERNET. Youtube and radio samachar at 8:45 with some vedic maths tricks are enough for any one who aspires to pass IBPS BANK examination.

Next was the ‘next interview’ scheduled on 19th of February at 9 AM, venue was HOTEL ARYA, Ranchi. Embarrassed to say but I had not seen Hotel Arya, even I must have had crossed it not less than a hundred times in the last 7 years of my residence at Ranchi.

There were many candidates, all dressed in their best. The good thing was the number of girls. They were in equal proportion as boys. My father dropped me at the venue precisely at 8:30AM.

Expressions say a lot. I must tell every candidate deserved a BANK BRANCH. They all seemed to be quite intelligent to me.

‘sirf candidate log aiega, gaarjian sab bahar-e rahiega’, Darbaan sahib said.

We all were directed to the 4th floor.  I and some others took the stairs but some 30 candidates stood in front of the mini-lift in which hardly four persons could accommodate. And out of those 30, I guess, 22 were not boys.

On the 4th floor we all were seated in a big hall.

There were five desks each accompanied with a local bank staff. There we were to get our documents verified.

I was listed on number 2.

One of them provided each one of us a white sheet and directed us to write something in Hindi, with further instructions on how to arrange the documents in the proper sequence.

The good news was that I had forgotten my photo id card. I searched my bag and found a 75% crushed photo copy of my Adhar card. That was itself confused to confess as a copy of my photo id.

‘Sir,’ I said ‘I forgot my photo id card’. All our talk was in Hindi, so you may think of us talking in a semi polished version of Hindi, blended with some amount of Bhojpuri and accented with Magahi.

‘k-o, bat nahi’, he said ‘yahi k ho’?

‘yes, sir’.

‘Phone k-a  k manga lo’.

Wah! Etna asan?  I thought.

The next good news was, “aapke khate may maujuda rashi kam hai!...” I literarily said to myself, “You are just great, Nishant!”. As I had not talked to anyone on phone since last week I was not aware that my phone balance is 0.00 INR.

Wondering what to do next? In my front as well as in my back, there were only girls. I asked one of them who had just used my fevicol in her colored photograph but she refused, saying she had handed her phone to her mother who was down the floors. Thanks to Allan Pease. His videos have taught me enough about body language and I was sure, she lied. The audio mismatched the video!

For me it’s really hard to ask for something, especially from an unknown girl. All Biharis suffer from this! I stood up searching for the right face, and then the candidate next to my seat arrived. I gave him enough time to settle down and told him the entire procedure that we were told. Then I took his phone to call one of my friends and told him to get my voter id card which was in the house of another friend! My things are always scattered, and sometimes they just cross the limits! ; And they had demanded the same that I had provided at the time of written examination. Within 20 minutes both of my friends were in the hotel.

Taking the permission of the authority I went into the lift. The air was conditioned and some song was getting played. I was stressed and as no one was with me, I danced in the lift until the lift reached the ground floor. Both my friends were waiting outside with two photo copies accompanied with the original voter id card of mine.

I again went to that hall. Took that white sheet and wrote an article on the use and importance of yoga in our day to day life, got my documents verified and was directed to the 2nd floor.
There were other guys waiting for their turn. Half were engineers, the rest half of half MBAs & MCAs and the rest stupids like me.

The man who was calling our turns made a very specific point to one of the candidate and it really made me much comfortable.
Yaar, bank-e may naukri karna tha to doo saal MBA kar k barbaad kahe kiya, gajab ka laikan hai sab. Koi engineer nahi banna chahta hai sab bank-e may naukri karega?” 

I said in my mind,  asal dukh to student hi janta hai!” By the way It was 9:45AM and it was my turn.

Interview…

There were three men, and one woman. I guess one was in mid forties; one had just crossed sixty and the rest two in their fifties.

Me: Namastey madam, namstey sirs.

I2.:Nishant!… baithiye.

I took my seat as gently as I can, with a smiley face.

L1: Apne bare may batiy-e.

I told them.

In interest and hobbies I told them, yoga and reading Indian philosophies. And the whole interview was shifted to my hobbies.

L2: Elaborate …Indian philosophy means? (He asked in hindi).

M2: Sir, the philosophies of India, such as Geeta and the Upanishads.

L2: In the 18th section of Geeta, what has Bhagwan shree krishan told to Arjuna?

Me: Sir, he said that this entire world is one and its only he that manifests himself in many forms. The theory of Advaita is described in it.

I3 the one in sixties was impressed with my answer but I2 wanted the exact, as it’s written there. So I2 added some more to my answer.

I3: Give me an example of a true disciple.

Me: Sir, eklavya!

I3: No No, It was in the ancient Mahabharata period, I want the latest one.

Me: Sir Vivekananda.

I3: Good, very good. Look he knows.

Then I2 asked some basic questions about Vivekananda, which I told as I had have some six months regular visit to Ramakrishna Mission Library, Ranchi.

The talk shifted to some rumors about Vivekananda which L2 told me with great joy and enthusiasm. (There are tons of it, which he left untouched!!!!!!!)  

I1: what is the use of Geeta in bank? Were you going to teach Geeta there?

Me: No sir, I am not going to teach Geeta. Geeta gives knowledge how to talk and react in different situation and circumstances; how to deal with the right and wrong. These scriptures tell us how to behave with different person and in bank I am to interact with a lot people, so it’s useful.

He then asked some other things related to Geeta and looked satisfied with my answers. 

I1: What does bible say?

Me: sir, I have downloaded it but have not read it yet.

I1: Geeta says “karma karo phal ki chinta mat karo” and Bible says “karma karo phal awasya milega”.

Me : Yes sir.

The lady was not asking anything. She was lost somewhere in her own mental worries I thought.

Some questions were asked about my family background.

I2: What have you read about banks? Have you read or not? I will ask only if you permit. Should i?

Me: Yes sir, I have read the basics; their nationalization and the basic banking terms.

I2: What is reverse repo?

I replied 50% correct. I3 corrected it. I had prepared for it but with a wrong answer, thanks to internet again.

I2: Why has government stressed so much on Jan dhan yojana? What is its benefit?

Me: Sir, it’s for financial inclusion.

I3: No. Tell the exact thing.

I had heard it a thousand times on All India Radio, it’s for financial inclusion! I replied the same with some elaboration.

I3: Is it related to corruption?

Myself confused.

I1: …corruption in MNREGA?

Then I replied that it enables government for direct transfer of cash to the MNREGA workers into their bank account but was too late to catch it.

I was still not out and batting as smartly as I can but then came the Ganga, and she drowned me completely.

I2 asked if Ganga touches Jharkhand, I said yes but was not able to name the place!

I3 hinted a lot, I replied the correct name but once again I was late.

‘Thank you Nishant.’

‘Thank you sir, thank you ma’am.

Then from 19th February to 1st of April I passed these days learning decimal value of Pi. I learnt 2322 (Two thousand three hundred and twenty two) values after decimal without a mistake (enough to be declared mental!). :D  :)

In interview I scored 72 out of 100 but was not able to get into the merit list and missed the bus with 1.6 marks.

In the evening on the same day IAF written results were declared again, which I had appeared for on 22nd February and this time interview(SSB) is in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on 15th JUNE. Now Its 3:19AM, time to have some sleep; it may not be possible (or may be) in reality but In my dreams I have many flights on MIG, Sukhoi, F-22 raptor and the best one Eurofighter Typhoon!   

©COPYRIGHT NISHANT PANDEY, 2015. "Written between 10:38PM to 3:22AM, date 5-6 of April, 2015"





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