Free Meals

Four eyes glued at the doorsteps, mist eyed, an ocean of expectations beneath, trying to avoid the glaring eyes of “others”, the others being everyone including the radiant sun, the soothing wind. The hair is slowly turning silver. There is a lump in the throat. They are scared. For a fleeting second, some good omen plants a tree of hope in their hearts which the doctor feel is stressed out, owing to years of honest sweat. Alas, the moment does not last long. The slow resignation to fate is imminent. God is not kind, yet they chant his praises with the hope that He will prove He is indeed the kindest, the noblest of what we have ever known. She has promised Him whatever she can, if her ONLY wish is granted. Their only son has gone for a job interview. This is his umpteenth interview without coming home with the offer letter.

Although this scene is “kahani ghar ghar ki”, seldom have people understood the plight of the turmoil. Their son is a first class graduate from a private college without any vices and was once, a very popular and cheerful person. Sometimes, you felt confidence is a trait that would never desert him. Indeed, he never bowed to the customs that an interview dictated. Probably, that was his undoing. There was always a second chance. But, his chance never came. Slowly, the famed confidence deserted him. The tears started replaced the smiles. The romantic FB updates were replaced by subtler and melancholic updates. Every failed interview pushed him into his dungeon more. The number of times he yelled at his parents increased at much as the number of times his jokes started decreasing.

Suddenly, every word hurts a person. Now, when his dad said, “Wish we had a car like them!”, there is a sense that he would never be able to realize his parents dreams. He was an expression of their parent’s dream. Their dream was getting distorted. Their only son was not begging in front of companies for a job. Pity that they cannot let their tears out. Probably, they cry alone, away from everyone. Sometimes, its puzzling trying to figure out who is suffering more, their son or parents.

To them, every relative in a good company now resembles God. Thousands of place, each of them have begged for recommendations. They are prepared to go to any length only for that ONE wish. Every job advertisement is an oasis in this desert of excruciating uncertainty. Every time, the mail box is opened, the hurt pumps a million times faster with the false hope of finding an opportunity only for it to come crashing down in MBps!

He is a job hunter. Till he hunts for his meals…only till..