Patna to Delhi

Magadh Express reached Delhi late by almost 6 hours in the boiling afternoon of Delhi. Rishabh somehow manages to reach Janakpuri Community Center by 4 p.m. and barges straight into the office of Web Control International with a big hope of joining a software development company at a starting salary of Rupees 10,000 (in 1998). The security guard (properly dressed) asks him to fill up the register and instructs him to go to the third floor to meet HR. A lot of young guys and gals seen happily merrying around after finishing their joining process. Rishabh reaches the third floor huffing and puffing not wanting to get late even for a sec now. The receptionist gives him a gentle rebuking for being late but then asks him to go meet the HR. Rishabh enters the HR cabin and finds a beautiful and tall lady dressed in a shirt and jeans seated who gives a warm smile to Rishabh and Rishabh almost feels fresh gush of blood inside his trouser. After a gentle introduction session, Rishabh is asked to deposit the draft of Rupees 50,000 as a security money and given the joining letter to start working from tomorrow...

After having received the joining letter, Rishabh comes down the floor to meet other joinees. He gets introduced to a few of them, 2 guys from Orissa, 2 jats from Haryana, a sardar from Haryana, and a very peculiar-looking short guy with effeminate characteristics. The one jat from Haryana introduces himself as Kartik, sardar as Maninderjeet, the other jat as Rahul, and the girly guy as Subhash. There were a few girls also, one named Tina(watch out for an exciting story getting unfolded), the other Sunita, and a 30-something Payal. Kiran had been accompanied by his father who is the leading kerosene dealer in Yamuna Nagar. The sardar also evidently had come from Yamuna Nagar, though they had been meeting themselves only in Janakpuri Community Center first time. Rishabh being sort of an introvert takes time to get friendly initially, still he finds these people interesting characters so joins them. Delhi was a new city for all of them except Rishabh (will tell about him further). Kartik's father suggested to everyone to take a 2-bedroom house nearby and can be shared by Rishabh, Kartik, Maninderjeet, Rahul, and Subhash. Getting a rented house in Delhi is not a big deal thanks to the property dealer boards you can see at every corner. All the five along with Kartikfather visits a property dealer office in Janakpuri C block and he just offers them a 2-bedroom house in C block only for a rent of Rs. 5000 per month with 2 months' advance. A rental agreement (they always keep it ready with them) is signed by the land lord (an old musician) and Rishabh (will go into detail later why Rishabh). Five folding cots, one fan, and one cooler is being bought and the five people move into the house.

Kartik, Maninderjeet, and Rahul decide to take the front room and get the cooler installed in that room (Kiran’s father had bought the cooler) and Rishabh and Subhash decide to take the inside room with the fan installed in (though later they will be happy with the decision). There was a small kitchen and a bathroom also. Landlord, landlady, and their son (a pucca Delhite) live upstairs on the first floor with their music training school also running on the first floor.

The next morning did come early after a late night sleep at the new home. Rishabh being an early riser since childhood, did get up at 6 a.m. (though sleeping only at around 1 a.m.) and gets ready by 7 a.m. only. Rishabh had lived in Delhi for 2 years earlier, so he knew well the water situation in the rented houses of Delhi. They don’t get water for more than an hour in the morning, so the same happened. There was only a bucket of water left for all the 4 to get refreshed and take a dry bath.

To be continued...

© 2009 Ranjan Kumar