Goggie Goggie Google(LXXXVII)

Not a day passed without me and Shantanu talking to each other sitting side by side, yet always with a little distance, as we stopped meeting at isolated places. I would patiently be listening to his rantings about what would he be in 5yrs time; what kind of home we will live in; what sort of car he would be driving.

“-when my Bentley stops at the entrance of a Taj Hotel, the manager will come to the doors to greet me and- “

I never cared whether it’s a Bentley or a BMW, all I did was to dissolve myself in the bliss of his company in every second I spent with him.

It was one such evenings, when I walked down to meet him, he came running to me, panting, “Google- placements- 14laks- next week”

All the air in the campus was suddenly filled with Google. One could very well see, smell, hear Google anywhere and everywhere in the campus. It was the second time Google came for campus recruitment. They had come after 2 yrs. The last time they came, they went back without even recruiting a single soul.

Not just 4th yr Computer science students everyone from every year and every department got too worked up, waiting to see the person who would make history. People couldn’t contain their excitement. People have started to speculate about that would be legend.

People who already got placed in dream companies where also allowed to attend Google as it was given a Super-Dream status. After over six months my name hit gossips along with Microsoft fame names Thanu and Anu.

I clearly had winnowed out, that, I will not be attending Google like I hadn’t any other placement. I told a foiled Shantanu, that I had no intention of leaving him. I wanted to work with him in Infy, and what else they may very well put the arrear constraint once again.

5 days before that great day, we met as usual. After a few minutes of disturbed rantings he ventured, “I urged our placement rep Surrendar to call up the HR person in Google, and get the eligibility criteria confirmed with him-”

I didn’t respond. Boosted up by my silence, he continued, “He confirmed that it wouldn’t be a problem to have a history of arrear- The HR person said as long as someone doesn’t have an arrear they can attend.” He stressed on the word ‘have’. I gave him a disdainful stare.

“Not just that. He had also confirmed this with the placement cell authorities that the eligibility criteria will not change for sure. It’s only people with current arrears; history is not taken into consideration.”

I got up, thoroughly miffed, “How many times should I tell you? If at all you want to marry someone, who will work in Google or earn 14laks per annum, well good-bye then” and I stormed away.

Within a few strides I regretted my words badly. I reached my room amongst my urging friends, who never stopped nagging me to give it a try.

“It’s all you could do to prove your love to Shantanu-” “He needs no proof.” I retorted. “Well I don’t mean proof but, ya you would love to make him happy, won’t you?” Divya uttered in a desperate last attempt.

I just frowned. Later that night the thoughts kept reeling in my mind. I felt a strong resentment about myself. I had ignored Shantanu’s good night call. I was rolling on my bed. A feeling of deep rancor lurched inside my intestines.

I reluctantly picked my mobile. Called Shantanu, my heart banging, “Hi honey” the words shuddered a little.

“Hi sweetheart”

“Hmm..” I groped for words, “Do you really want me to attempt Google?”

“Hmmm… not if you don’t want to...”

I waited in silence. He weekly added, “Nevertheless I will…”

“If that is what will make you happy…” I took a deep breath.

“Hey I have got contacts of people, who recently got placed in Google”

“You wanker. You.. you were hoping that I will finally give up”

“What then? I can’t let this ‘one in a life time’ opportunity to slip off.”

“You talk as if it were you.”

“You or me, it never matters darl. Well so let us start working on making Mrs.Shantanu a computing wizard at Google.”

It sounded good, but my chances were unlikely. I had long given up assiduous academics. There was less than a week’s time. Most of them were already half-way into preparation.
Most of them had scored better than myself in the 7th sem exams, and what more they had become better at placements and stuff with astute hard-work and with a good deal of experience in attending placements within and outside campus.

I had already heard people say that Google used to give very high importance to the candidate’s academic excellence. I worried about the history I made. The last thing I wanted was another debacle. Nevertheless I wanted to give my best to the one person, who mattered to me the most in the all the universe.