The Billion Dollar Giveaway - Chapter 1
The fans overhead were all still. The candidates for the interview in the waiting room were striving very hard to give an appearance of being calm, cool and looking presentable. It was all so incongruent to the oppressive weather and surroundings. There was a ring of wet, blackish grime already on the collars of most seated wearing white, pressed and starched shirts and polished shoes. Dust had coated them by the time they arrived here and many had cleverly packed a rag or tissue paper to give the shoes a polish in the waiting room, just in time for the interview. A couple of them were even wearing neckties!! Most were young men/women in their twenties. Many were complaining about the weather, the terrible state of the city electric supply and were secretly hoping that this job would give them a chance to get away from this place or atleast provide them with an air-conditioned car to get around. A middle-aged man too sat quietly, dressed in casual clothing - in a coloured, check-patterned shirt that did not show up the sweat or dirt. He wore dark brown leather sandals that hid the dirt too. He sat quietly by himself while the youngsters talked among themselves and twiddled often with their mobile phones. The two receptionists at the table in the corner seemed too old to still be working as receptionists. One was obviously a visiting foreigner, a white-haired, white European looking woman and the other was a local. They looked totally bored and sleepy eyed even as they looked out at the candidates seated in the waiting room. There was a water dispenser in the corner with cups.
The door to the interview room opened briefly, a young man, the previous candidate stepped out looking stiff and formal. He turned back once again, standing at the parted curtains and said in a cultivated accent,"And thank you Sirs for the interview!"
"Miss. Tara!" announced an assistant that emerged from behind the curtains at the door.
A young lady stood up, in a flash gathering all her attachments- her handbag, mobile phone, water-bottle and a traditional scarf worn over the shoulders, all clustered up around her seemingly attracted by some magnetic mysterious force.
She interrupted her phone call,"I have to go in now. They have called my name. Ok, Thank you for wishes and prayers. Hari Om!"
She then marched in, leaving behind a scented trail of some kind of perfume in the still air, as the assistant held open the curtains for her to enter. The door shut behind her.
Some young men seated sniggered behind her as they found her amusing. The middle-aged man sat quietly, with a barely noticeable faint smile on his face that came and went. The candidate who had just finished his interview went over the corner of the room and was immediately mobbed by many.
"What kind of questions?"
"Come on man, atleast give a sample or two"
Their entreaties were heard by their target, who basked for a few moments in his importance and their attention.
"It was mostly trick questions. I could not figure out their exact business, but it must be customer relations. I think they asked many strange questions to try and see if you get annoyed of frustrated or trap you. You've got to think and be clever about money." said the young man.
"What exactly did they ask you?"
"One question was - If we gave you the job of giving away a hundred million dollars a year to deserving and needy people, how would you go about it?"
Laughter erupted around the waiting room.
"Did they say how much this job pays you?"
"Yes, I asked and they said it was the same as they adverstised this job, about ten thousand dollars a year. That is very good money in India."
"That is certainly a trick question!"
"What did you answer?"
"Well, I am sorry, I would like to tell you, but I have to go now. I have to be at another interview in an hour. See you all. Good luck," said the young man, smiling smugly. He left the room and out into the furnace like street.
Copyright (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved
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