2. 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...
3. 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 Kiran, sardar as Inderjeet, the other jat as Rohit, and
the girly guy as Gautam. There were a few girls also, one named Meenu
(watch out for an exciting story getting unfolded), the other Neelam, 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).
4. Kiran's father suggested to everyone to take a 2-bedroom house nearby and
can be shared by Rishabh, Kiran, Inderjeet, Rohit, and Gautam. 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 Kiran's father 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.
5. Kiran, Inderjeet, and Rohit decide to take the front room and get the cooler
installed in that room (Kiran’s father had bought the cooler) and Rishabh and
Gautam 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.
6. 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.
7. They all reach office at around 8:30 after having bread sandwiches and idli
bada at a local South Indian reri (as it is called in Delhi). Around 35 people
have joined Web Control International hoping to become a Bigshot in the
www world. The office was on 2 floors with Reception, HR, training room on
the 3rd floor and Production unit (so called), MD cabin, Operations
Manager’s cabin, and General Manager’s cabin on the 4th floor. You must
have been impressed by now seeing the department names of Web Control
International.
