Yet Another "Cup Of Coffee"

Dream - fantastic one but bestowing a vain hope. A cherished desire, one of the most beautiful thing one can have in life, a thought which turns on the depressed soul, or say a passion to achieve a target .Every soul dreams – a child dreams to fly, a boy at some point of time, dreams to become a star cricketer, so does a girl dream of becoming a super model and a student of any given profession, harbors a vision to grow to be an entrepreneur like Narayan Murthy or Ratan Tata or atleast to be a COO or CEO of some firm of repute, some day.

The day has finally arrived. I was holding my Cup of Coffee in my exquisite 10 x 10 glass cabin, looking at my team juxtaposed to my cabin. An apple macbook was lying at my table. I finally looked at the portrait of Lord Ganesha hanging on the wall. I thanked him for making my dream come true & putting me where I am today.

 I closed my eyes & re-lived those moments which occurred just 40 minutes back –

 It was a 12 storied glass building, a masterpiece in itself, in front of which I was standing. I stepped out of my spanking Black BMW 5 series, clad in a black tuxedo with a black briefcase in the left hand & dialing a number on my Blackberry in my right and walked towards the building wearing a pair shining Black shoes. Everything was just perfect and perfectly complementing me. Here comes the Real Corporate. I entered through the automated, sensor equipped Glass door, which opened of its own and ushered me in. I had already called up the HR head of this multinational IT Giant as it was my very first day of my very first job. A beautiful lady was already present to welcome me. She greeted me “Good Morning Sir”. I was astonished to receive such a warm welcome. 

The alarm bell suddenly woke me up. What a wonderful dream that was. I could do nothing but just wish that it may come true some day. But that dream definitely left a smile on my face. I got up, went to the kitchen and fetched my cup of coffee to boost up my energy as coffee keeps me alive like nothing else does on the planet Earth. I hurried as I had to get ready and I couldn’t afford to get late.

I had no other option but to get ready as today was my last exam of my final semester of engineering, I still remember the day - May 30th 2007 and I was sure that it’s going to be another disaster as my preparation was horrible. But somehow I managed to scribble something with black ink on the blank white paper. The answer sheet ensured my chances of turning out to be an Engineer. 

I joined an Automobile Manufacturing company as a GET (Graduate Engineer Trainee). This is how a Mechanical Engineer starts and so did I. I‘d always thought that I would be a great engineer one day as I presumed that I had great passion for bikes and other machines and that will enable me to reach the sky as I always believed in the adage, “Sky is the limit” Time passed by and I could find no ways to design a new bike. During my early college days I thought that I will design a Bike someday & that will make me rich, famous & successful. So finally I decided to move to IT industry as a Domain Consultant so that I could make some better money.



December 2010

The year was about to end. New Year was about to arrive. As people believe that New Year brings new hopes, new desires and new life but for me, it was just another year. It has almost been same the last three and a half year but still, I was waiting for the big day to arrive. I was still waiting to get a job in my Dream Company, for which I tried several times. But Mr. Fate always manages to keep the ball in his court.

It was 30th day of December, with just a day left for the New Year to arrive. It was 9:10 in the morning when suddenly my cell phone buzzed. As usual, I was doing nothing but sleeping. That’s the benefit of working in shifts as you don’t have to bother to get up early in the morning. Anyways I pressed the green key of my cell phone which is done most of the times to take the call.

“Hello” I replied, partly yawning.
“Hello !!! Is that Yash Aggarwal?” That woke me up and that would wake up any other creature on this planet. A silky voice breezed through my ears. I could hardly believe it. The voice sounded to be a miracle, it sounded mellifluous as if the legend Lata Ji was humming some Sri Gulzar Saheb’s song.
“Yes” said I, “May I please know with whom am I talking to?”
“Hi.This is Aarti Bansal from …….”, said she and enquired “Is it a right time to speak to you?”
“Yes, sure”
“Remember I had a word with you two days back regarding this opening……….”
“Ya off course, I do.” I replied, though I didn’t remember any such conversation.
“Your CV has been shortlisted and the panel wants to conduct your Interview today. So is it possible for you to attend the same at 12:30 noon today?”
“12:30? Is it not possible to schedule it for tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? At what time?”
“Possibly at 11: 00”
“Let me check with the panel. I will get back to you after confirming with the panel. Shall I call you in another fifteen minutes?” said she.
“Ok”, I replied.
“Thanks and have a nice day”, she said.
“Ya same to you” said I, thinking “you had already made my day dear. I wish this sweet voice of yours may breeze through my ears everyday and wake me up every morning.”

At 9:25am, almost within 10 minutes since my last conversation, my cell phone bell rang again. I placed my Coffee Cup on the table which I had already prepared in the meanwhile as that was an integral part of my daily routine. The cell phone reflected the same number from which I’d got a call 10 minutes back. I was excited not to hear about the Interview schedule but to hear that sweet voice once again which sounded magical.

“Hello”, said I.
“Hi Yash, Aarti,  Aarti Bansal here.”, she said.
“Ya Aarti tell me. . . Any updates for the schedule?” I responded very meekly.
“Yes, Panel has agreed to schedule it for tomorrow but at 12:30 instead. So is it fine with you?” she said.
“No” said I. “I have to reach office at 1:00 P.M. that’s why I asked to schedule it at 11:30.”
“But I had words with the panel and for them it’s not possible to schedule it before 12:30 so you can ………..” she explained few more hurdles because of which the interview had to be scheduled after 12:30 only, either today or tomorrow or next year.
  “I need some time so that I can check with my boss and only then can I confirm”, I said. “So is it possible for you to give me a call in some 15-20 minutes?” All I wanted was to hear that mellifluous voice for as long as possible and as many times as I could.    

Without wasting any good time, I called back on that number at 9:50AM, because I wanted to hear her again & again & it turned hard for me to resist that silky voice.

“Hello Aarti”, I asked
“Yes Yash, tell me”. Surprised I was. She continued “So what have you decided for tomorrow”
“Aarti actually I would like to have it today itself as tomorrow is 31st & I don’t want to spoil my New Year eve as I know I won’t be able to crack the interview.” I said with a poor sense of humor.
She smiled very cutely which I could feel even on the phone.
“Fine”she said  “So I am confirming it for today at 12:30 & I will be sending you the venue details on …..” She confirmed my mail ID.
“Aarti “, I interrupted “Is is possible for you to text me the venue details as I don’t wish to rush cyber café to get the printout at these early hours”
“Yes sure” she said smiling once again, with her own style which almost killed me, as the clock hands were indicating that it was ten already.

It was 2:30, I guess, I was just entering my company’s main gate, when I felt some vibrations in my trouser’s right hand side pocket. I put my hand in the pocket to find out the abnormality & realized that it was my cell phone buzzing, took it out to check the caller details. I smiled once again as if I was a newlywed bride sitting in front of her hubby on the first night of the marriage.

I picked the call.
“Hello”
“Hello Yash, how are you doing”
“I am doing good, any updates ?” I asked without wasting any pretty time.
“The project Manager has still to confirm & my colleague Divya will call you then for further discussion”
“Fine” I said but still I continued that conversation for some more time.

January, This Year

Two days hence, the screen saver of my office system displayed 4:09 P.M., the moment I was sipping a “cup of coffee” when I got a call from “Divya from…….”  the same girl of whom Aarti was talking about. After some discussions she asked me to submit some hard copies of some documents at one of their offices. I inquired about the venue confirming to which she told me name of some girl to whom I was supposed to hand over the same.
“Is this the same place where Aarti sits” I asked
“Yes, this is the very same place” she replied.
This is something I was looking for, a reason to meet Aarti & here it comes.
“So can I handover these documents to Aarti if you don’t mind” I asked but I was not ready to hear no at all in this case.
“Yes you can handover to her as well” replied she & I didn’t had words to express my gratitude to that generous soul but I didn’t expressed any emotions & simply said “Fine, I will” I said which bringing an end to the conversation.

I got yet another reason to call Aarti & I wanted to make best of it. I called her & briefed her about the conversation with Divya & inquired her availability & it was decided that I’ll be reaching her at 11, next morning. I felt like flying & here comes the moment I was waiting for, my chance to meet Aarti for the very first time. She confirmed the venue details & mentioned some instructions of the route that I needed to follow to reach the destination.

Next morning I wake up early in the morning, it was hardly 8:30 in the morning. Although I just hate to wake up that early but today I didn’t mind. I got ready, grabbed all essentials & itinerary needed, finished my “Cup of coffee” & at 10:05 sharp I was in the lift of my 12 storied apartment which hardly took any good time to take me to the ground floor & here comes the buzzing moment, my cell phone was ringing. It was Aarti’s call which wanted to confirm my arrival. 

I reached the venue at quarter past 12, late as usual, nothing surprising. I introduced myself to the security officials & I came to knew that they had already received my gate pass & that Aarti had inquired several times to them about my arrival. Aarti called me almost 3-4 times while I was on my way & every time I responded that I would be reaching in another 10 minutes. The security officials informed Aarti about my arrival & asked me to wait at the huge waiting lounge & a true reflection of the big brand. My eyes were steadily looking at the entrance door. I was waiting for her to arrive & I could hardly wait anymore. The glass door opened & I saw her coming. She looked amazing. I cannot explain it better. She was like a painting, a song. Everything about her was so graceful and fluid. Like breeze, she flowed towards me, her hair flying and ear rings dancing. She was the breeze with a whiff of perfume. And I was stunned. She was a perfect blend of Indian beauty and a professional. These beauties hit you like a storm and you never recover. Never ever. That was my case, entirely. I was completely lost, enraptured, mesmerized... the moment will remain with me forever, framed and glided. When I close my eyes, it all came back to me, and my heart danced with delight; the perfect picture... her glowing face, her shiny, flying hair, her smooth walk, her dangling ear rings, her white striped shirt, her black trouser and her searching eyes.

“Hi Aarti, Yash” I greeted her & introduced myself in a single shot.
“Hi Yash” she greeted back & her magical voice sounded as innocent & cute as her face that can make anyone believe as if she was just an 7 year old school girl playing & chatting with her “Barbie Doll Rapunzel”. I correlated the Newton’s law of gravity with me, if an apple has to fall on this earthly place because of gravity so do a guy’s heart has to fall for such an innocence, beauty, grace & professionalism. What a perfect equation it was.

She asked me to come inside & I walked along with her, entered in a glass cabin. After having few minutes of pleasant conversation I handed over the documents to her which was the highlight of the meeting.

“Would you like to have Coffee” she asked while I was just putting some of documents back in place, astounding me as this is what I wanted to ask her with little modifications “May I have an privilege to invite you for a Cup of coffee”.
“Sure & you have to accompany me” was what I wanted to reply but I had to pretend myself so I said “No, Thanks, May be next time”
“Are you sure” she asked again & added “you can have tea or coffee or anything else in the cafeteria” she signaled towards a big hall, with a board hanging on the door of it that announced “Cafeteria”
“No, thanks. I don’t feel like having anything as of now & I need to rush for office as I am already late” I replied although I was very much interested to have a “Cup of Coffee” with her.
“Fine” She said smiling.
“Ya” I said & urge her permission to depart.

“DREAM-A fantastic but vain hope”  is an imaginary Quote, infact I will like to redefine it as  “DREAM-A fantastic and passionate hope”.
  
Today, I have reached my Dream Organization, not in a 10x10 cabin but in a 4x4 cubicle off course, but I still enjoy my “cup of coffee” at the place where I always wanted to be, no matter, not wrapped in a Black Tux, but at least wearing a formal Black Trouser; not having Blackberry but a Nokia indeed & now further I am just waiting for the day I will be having “Yet another Cup of Coffee” with Aarti