Revolution 2020 by chetan bhagat

Author:chetan bhagat [bhagat, chetan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Rupa
Published: 2011-11-11T16:24:20+00:00

‘Good, you are like me then,’ he said. ‘Practical enough to leave the people who do the funny stuff alone.’

I nodded and bowed to him before I left his room.

♦

‘One chocolate milk shake with ice cream, please,’ Aarti said. We had come to the same CCD in Sigra where Sunil had brought me after the career fair debacle.

‘Black tea,’ I said.

She wore a mauve chikan salwar-kameez. Her father had bought it for her from Lucknow. She removed her white dupatta and kept it aside.

The waiter placed her milk shake on the table. She put her lips to the straw, without touching the overflowing glass with her hands. ‘I often spill this. I better be careful,’ she said.

Wisps of her hair brushed the table as she sipped her drink. The entire cafe checked her out.

‘We should totally do this more often,’ she said, coffee meetings. Even though neither of us is having coffee.’

‘I don’t think so’ I said.

‘Why? You don’t like meeting me?’ she said. ‘So much for being my best friend for over ten years!’

‘Raghav won’t appreciate it,’ I said.

‘What is wrong in meeting for coffee? Besides, Raghav is too busy to be bothered by such things.’

‘Of course, big reporter now. I met him,’ I said as I lifted my cup.

‘You did,’ she said, still sipping her milk shake as her eyebrows shot up.

‘He interviewed me, for his paper.’

‘What for?’ she said.

‘Local boy starts college.’

‘It’s true. Quite an achievement.’

‘Yeah, for a loser like me.’

‘I didn’t say that,’ she said. ‘Hey, you’d like something to eat?’

Before I could answer she ordered two chocolate chip muffins. If Aarti had a choice, there would be nothing but chocolate to eat in the world. ‘How’s your job-hunt going?’ I said.

‘I have an offer. I am not sure I want to take it.’

‘Really? What is the offer?’

‘Guest relations trainee, Ramada Hotel. They are opening up in Cantonment.’

‘Five-star, isn’t it?’

‘Yeah, they came to meet dad for some work. Dad found out about the vacancy, I applied and now they want me to start next month.’

‘Go for it. I know you, you can’t sit at home ’ I said.

‘You know me better than most people, Gopal,’ she said, ‘but...’ ‘What?’ I said.

The muffins arrived but she didn’t touch them. I noticed her eyes. They had turned moist. A tear trickled down her cheek.

‘Aarti, are you okay?’ I passed her a tissue.

She wiped her eyes and returned the eyeliner-stained tissue to me. ‘Once I join, my parents will say - this is a good job, close to home, stay here. If I sulk at home, maybe they will let me try for some airline.’

I scoffed at her. ‘What is the need to cry for this? You’ve got a good job. You have done a course in hospitality ...’

‘Aviation, not hospitality.’

‘Fine, but a flight attendant also serves guests, like hotel staff. And a guest relations trainee has better scope for growth. Trainee today, officer tomorrow, maybe GM of the hotel some day. You are smart. You will rise.’

She sniffed a few times to control herself.

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