Short Story: Ratiocination at the Interview, Part 1.

Okay, this is my first real attempt at writing a short story. Hope you like it.

Ratiocination at the Interview:

Characters in the story:

*-A ‘so called’ Engineer- The Main protagonist. An average engineer, whose name will be kept a secret for copyright protection.

*-The Interviewer- Again, his name will not be made visible to the reader for the same reasons as above.

*-The Second Interviewer- A so called friend of the first interviewer, who is rather too determined to take his friend’s position.

*-A Beggar- Who is actually a Soothsayer in disguise.

The story begins on a fine Monday morning. Our protagonist, Mr. Engineer gets up sharp at 6 O’clock. This is supposed to be the most important day of his life: His MBA interview. Already fed up with his short stay in an IT company, he is really anxious to join a reputed Bschool. He has prepared for this main event for the past few months. Now he is ready to deliver. He gets ready, puts on his best suit(with a matching tie), has a light breakfast and keeps all his files(with his most precious possessions- His certificates and marksheets) in order. Finally, he takes off, in his Hero Honda Motorcycle.

On the way, he stops in front of the traffic signal(which is obviously red). His interview is scheduled to start from 10am, but he is to report at the venue by 9. Suddenly, a hand grabs his back. He turns around to see a beggar dressed in rags.

‘Alms, my dear sir, please give this poor man some alms’, pleads the destitute.

‘Scram! Get away from me, you filthy idiot. You spoiled my brand new suit,’ screams our not-so-suave engineer.

‘Please sir, I haven’t eaten for three days. I have 15 kids and 2 more are on their way(twins, he is not polygamous). Please sir, have mercy.’

‘Will you get lost or should I kick you aside? Do you know how learned I am? And look at you, the only thing you have achieved is to know how to increase our population.’

‘Okay sir, I am going. No need to release your anger on a poor man. But before I go, I will give you a curse, a prediction. Today you will speak only the truth, and nothing but the truth.’ Saying this, the beggar sped off leaving her hero speechless.

‘What did that mad guy mean by that? Who cares, I must reach my destination on time.’

The Engineer does not make it on time. He is exactly 2 minutes and 27 seconds late, but such delay does not make much of a difference. He gets himself registered and proceeds upstairs for the Group Discussion(GD) round, along with 9 other aspirants. However since this story is called, ‘Ratiocination at the Interview’ and not ‘Rationcination at the GD’, we will skip this part and go straight to the interview.

Time: 2 pm.

‘Mr. Engineer, please come in,’ says a voice from inside the interview room.

Our hero steps forward, extends his hand and stumbles. Instead of handshaking the interviewer, he manages to shake his moustache.

‘I’m sorry sir, I slipped. I apologize.’

‘That’s okay, Mr. Engineer. Please have a seat.’

The engineer sits down and gives his files to the interviewer.

‘Okay, Mr. Electrical Engineer, tell us a bit about yourself,’ remarks the first interviewer after glancing through our hero’s file.

‘Sir, I am an electrical engineer but I have been working in a software company for the past one year.’

‘Hmm… Go on.’

‘I have no interest in software. Or I.T. for that matter. Its all crap, just typing bunches of redundant code, while sitting on a chair all day long, in process spoiling our eyesight as well.’

Something was wrong. This wasn’t what he intended to say, it just came out automatically.

‘If that is the case, why did you join an I.T. company in the first place?’

‘Simple, sir. For the same reason as the remaining 65% of the engineers who take up an IT job. They take an IT job because it is quite easy to get into one. The company doesn’t even test you on I.T., so almost any guy without any IT knowledge can get through. But getting a Core company job or even a PSU job is really difficult. Moreover, who wants to run around working like a slave when we can sit in a chair, and enjoy the comforts of an Air Conditioner?’

Now our hero started to panic a little. This was definitely NOT what he had wanted to say. He was actually blurting out the entire truth, instead of speaking the lies he had carefully constructed over the past few months.

‘I think you are contradicting yourself a bit, over there, Mr. Engineer. Anyways, tell us then, why do you want to do an MBA,’ the second interviewer asks.


*To be Concluded