The phone call

Some incidents completely change our life, mostly for our good. Someday when we reflect back, we think 'what if it never happened? How would my life have been?'. One such life turning event for me was a phone call.

The story goes back to my post-college days, I wasn't campus placed and had returned home jobless. I had lost hopes in my skills and saw myself as a failure (Yes, I was that low in confidence). My life was not exactly going by my plan, my goal was to repay my education loan all by myself and get off the debt ASAP (Little did I know then, that it helps in tax saving :P). Well, I continued studying my subjects and signed up for some classes, but was not sure whether it was to crack any higher study exam or an interview. Hence, I lacked the required focus. 2 months later, I got a message from a friend about a walk-in interview in my town, which many of my batch-mates were attending. I decided to go for the interview against my parent's will. My dad did not want me to lose focus from my studies and wait for the result from the colleges in which I had applied (with my poor score). I did not have any expectation of being accepted anywhere, but my Dad thought I was much more capable than I see myself and should not appear for an interview for a company which he has never heard of (That is the beauty of parenting, you always find your child a star). But all I wanted to do at that time was to start earning.

I managed to crack that interview, but my father placed a condition that if I get selected in a college I'll have to study. I agreed because I knew what was going to happen. My father was certainly not happy seeing me working 10 hours a day, for 6 days in a week for mere 7000 bucks, but because programming made me happy, which was certainly evident in my changed behaviour, he kept mum. Now you may think, the jobless got the job, but where does the phone call come into the picture. (Picture abhi baki hai mere dost :D)

I started earning (and learning), but 7000 bucks were not enough for my goal. After getting my second salary I sat down to calculate, how long will it take for me to repay the loan with this salary (Pessimist plans). My calculations scared me. I was no more at peace, the happiness of the job was lost somewhere. I had to look for an alternate option but was completely clueless. After spending 2 more months thinking about this problem, I got a message from a friend. There was a mass recruitment drive for my batch pass-outs for an MNC in next 2 days (Sat) and my scores satisfied the eligibility criteria. The drive was 500 km away from my town. But, the problem for me was that my Saturdays were working and when I checked the train options, no ticket was available at such short notice. So I did not even tell anyone at home about the interview. (As usual, I was acting hopeless). Next morning the same friend called me to check whether I was going for the interview or not (Friends know you too well). I told that train tickets were not available, so I dropped the idea. She literally started shouting at me, that I am a fool who is skipping an interview because a ticket is not available. She asked me to check other options for transport and firmly told me to go for that interview. That scolding literally blew me away, I wasn't used to such scolding from anyone apart from my parents. I hung up saying that I'll see what can be done. But in my mind I was pretty sure I was not going, because if I have to reach for the interview on time, I have to be in that town by next day and it was already 10 PM in the night, I won't get any other mean and road transportation was very risky for me to travel alone, that to be to the city which was already in news for a major rape case. But, that phone call made me feel helpless and it soon turned into restlessness. Next morning, my dad asked what was bothering me, I told him the whole story and he ended up saying 'take a flight'. I stared at him for a few seconds out of shock. (Being in a middle-class family, you don't even think about flight and that to a flight being booked at such a short notice, it costs a fortune.) After some time I managed to say, you must be kidding. He looked into my eyes and said that if it is that important to me then I should go for the interview. (Not going for it is was clearly not making me happy.) But I turned down his offer and left for office. While driving to the office I was cursing myself that why did I waste so much time, and dragged the situation to such an extent. If at all I have to go for the interview now,  flight is the only option left. 

I called dad at around 2 PM, he asked me whether I was ok, I said yes and asked him to book my flight.

Well, I got through that interview and am doing well since then, yes the flight cost me my one month's salary at that time. How I managed to reach my interview centre and got through is another adventurous story altogether. But now when I reflect back, I think I wouldn't have made till here if my friend had not called (read scolded) me that day. And of course, my dad also has a key role to play. Through this, I want to thank you two for turning my life for greater good :). Thank you so much.