Act I:
Two Indian educated youths, RAHUL and KABIR, are standing on a street corner. They are both dressed in smart clothes and carrying briefcases.
Rahul and Kabir carry their briefcases with them everywhere they go, hoping to impress potential employers with their professionalism and preparedness. They both carry what they think is their best armour inside their briefcases?
Rahul. The first thing you notice when you open his briefcase is the overwhelming smell of desperation. He's got a folder filled with his resume and cover letter, all printed on fancy paper with a watermark. He's convinced that this will make him stand out from the crowd, but really it just makes him look like he's trying too hard. He's also got a notepad and a pen, just in case he needs to take notes during an interview. But really, he just doodles pictures of himself in a suit, looking successful and important.
Kabir's briefcase, on the other hand, is a little more practical. He's got a laptop. He's got his resume saved on there, along with a few writing samples and a PowerPoint presentation he made about his skills. He's also got a few granola bars and a bottle of water, just in case he gets hungry during an interview. But the real star of Kabir's briefcase is his lucky pen - a cheap plastic ballpoint pen that he's had since college. He's convinced that it brings him good luck, and he never goes to an interview without it.
Overall, Rahul and Kabir's briefcases are filled with the same things that most job seekers carry with them - resumes, notepads, laptops, and the occasional lucky charm. But the real question is, will any of it actually help them get a job? Or are they just carrying around a bunch of meaningless junk, only time will tell.
RAHUL: (Looking at his watch) It's already 10 AM. The interview was supposed to start at 9.
KABIR: (Sighing) Don't worry. It's not like we have anywhere else to be.
RAHUL: (Frowning) That's true. We've been waiting for Jobot for so long now.
KABIR: (Nodding) Yeah, I heard he's a busy guy. Lots of people waiting for him.
RAHUL: (Sarcastically) Oh, I'm sure. He's probably on his way right now. (Looks around) Any sign of him?
KABIR: (Shrugging) Not yet. But we've got plenty of time.
RAHUL: (Rolling his eyes) You say that every time, Kabir. We've been waiting for Jobot for months now. When is he going to show up?
KABIR: (Shrugging again) Who knows? But we can't give up hope. He's our only chance.
RAHUL: (Skeptically) Right. And what happens when he finally arrives? Do we get the job of our dreams?
KABIR: (Smiling) Of course! Jobot has the power to make all our dreams come true.
RAHUL: (Sighing) I hope you're right. I'm starting to lose faith in this whole thing.
KABIR: (Patting his shoulder) Don't worry, my friend. Jobot will come. We just have to wait.
Act II:
RAHUL and KABIR are still standing on the street corner. It's now evening, and the sun is setting.
RAHUL: (Looking at his watch again) It's almost dark. Should we call it a day?
KABIR: (Shaking his head) No way. We can't give up now. Jobot could come at any moment.
RAHUL: (Exasperated) But he hasn't come all day! Why would he come now?
KABIR: (Optimistically) Because we're still here, waiting. We haven't given up.
RAHUL: (Sarcastically) Oh, great. So we get a gold star for waiting around all day?
KABIR: (Laughing) Hey, at least we're doing something. We're being proactive.
RAHUL: (Shaking his head) I don't think this counts as being proactive. It's more like being delusional.
KABIR: (Grinning) Delusional or not, we're still waiting for Jobot. And that's better than doing nothing.
RAHUL: (Sighing) I guess you're right. But I can't help feeling like we're wasting our time.
KABIR: (Putting his arm around RAHUL) Trust me, my friend. We're not wasting our time. Jobot will come.
They're both feeling frustrated and bored, so they decide to engage in a conversation to pass the time.
Rahul looks at Kabir and asks, "Hey, Kabir, do you know anything about engineering?"
Kabir shakes his head. "No, I don't. I studied philosophy, remember?"
Rahul nods. "Oh, right. Well, let me ask you something then. What's the difference between a screwdriver and a wrench?"
Kabir looks puzzled. "Um, I'm not sure. Aren't they both tools?"
Rahul shakes his head. "No, they're different. A screwdriver is for turning screws, and a wrench is for tightening or loosening nuts and bolts."
Kabir responds, "What do I need to fix your brain then, Wrench or screwdriver?"
Rahul thinks for a moment, then responds, "Maybe we need a doctor here to tell us that. Engineers don't know stuff like that. "
Kabir responds, "I guess doctors are waiting for Jobot too. Maybe on some other street."
Rahul laughs. " But do you know anything about physics?"
Kabir responds, "Of course, I do. But tell me, Rahul, what is the difference between science and spirituality?"
Rahul looks confused. "I don't know. What is it?"
Kabir responds, "Science is trying to understand the universe through the lens of the mind, while spirituality is trying to understand the mind through the lens of the universe."
Rahul grins "Those stupid people at NASA are trying to understand the universe through the lens of their telescope."
Kabir responds, "Oh, yes. We are living in a world that's ruled by idiots."
Rahul grins again. "Hey, do you know anything about computers?"
Kabir shakes his head for the third time. "No, not really. I'm not very tech-savvy."
Rahul looks disappointed. "Oh, too bad. I was going to ask you what the difference between RAM and ROM is."
Kabir looks intrigued. "What are RAM and ROM?"
Rahul looks surprised. "You don't know? RAM is random-access memory, and ROM is read-only memory. They're both types of computer memory."
Kabir looks impressed again. "Wow, you really know a lot, Rahul. I wonder does God have a RAM memory or a ROM memory?"
Rahul looks bewildered. "I don't know. What does that have to do with anything?"
Kabir responds, "Well, in some traditions, they call God as RAM, so I assume God has a RAM memory."
Rahul chuckles. "Okay. But seriously, Kabir, why do we even bother learning all this stuff if we can't get a job?"
Kabir responds, "Because, my friend, knowledge is its own reward. The pursuit of knowledge is like chasing a rainbow. It may lead to a pot of gold, but even if it doesn't, the journey itself is worth it."
Rahul nods thoughtfully. "You're right, Kabir. We can't give up. We have to keep learning and improving ourselves, even if it seems futile."
Kabir looks down at his briefcase sadly. "Yeah, you're right. It's frustrating."
Rahul "Hell yes. This Jobot isn't arriving. It's getting frustrating now."
Act III:
It's now nighttime and RAHUL and KABIR are still waiting on the street corner. They are sitting on the curb, looking tired and dejected.
RAHUL: (Rubbing his eyes) I can't do this anymore. My back is killing me.
KABIR: (Patting his back) Hang in there, Rahul. We've come this far. We can't give up now.
RAHUL: (Looking around) But it's so dark and quiet. I feel like we're the only ones left in the world.
KABIR: (Chuckling) Don't be so dramatic. There are millions of other people waiting for Jobot just like us.
RAHUL: (Groaning) That's exactly the problem. There are too many people.
KABIR: (Nodding) It's a tough market out there. But we can't lose hope.
RAHUL: (Sarcastically) Oh, I'm not losing hope. I'm just waiting for Jobot to come and give me a magic job wand.
KABIR: (Smiling) Hey, that's not a bad idea. Maybe we should start a petition for Jobot to give us all magic job wands.
RAHUL: (Rolling his eyes) Yeah, because that will definitely work.
KABIR: (Laughing) Hey, you never know. We've got to think outside the box.
RAHUL: (Sighing) I guess you're right. It's just frustrating, you know? We've got all this education and no one wants to hire us.
KABIR: (Sympathetically) I know, Rahul. But we can't give up. We've got to keep trying.
RAHUL: (Nodding) You're right. We can't give up. We've got to keep waiting for Jobot.
Suddenly, a man approaches them. He's wearing a suit and sunglasses, and he has a cane in his hand.
"Hello there, boys," the man says in a gruff voice. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. You're looking for a job, is that right?"
Rahul and Kabir look up, a little bit wary. "Uh, yeah," Rahul says. "Are you the Jobot ?"
The man chuckles. "I and the father are same."
Rahul "You are Jobot's son?"
Kabir "No. He's just quoting the Holy Bible. Seems like a religious man."
Kabir stammers. "What do you mean?"
The man leans in closer, his sunglasses glinting in the sun. "I mean, I can help you get a job. But it'll cost you a little something under the table, if you catch my drift."
Rahul and Kabir exchange a nervous look. "Uh, we're not really sure that's legal," Rahul says.
The man laughs again. "Legal? Who cares about legal? I work for the government, boys. We make our own rules."
Kabir furrows his brow. "But aren't you blind? How can you work for the government?"
The man bristles. "I may be blind, but that doesn't mean I can't be corrupt. In fact, it makes it even easier. No one suspects the blind guy."
Rahul and Kabir look at each other, feeling uneasy. "We don't think we want your help, thanks," Rahul says.
The man shrugs. "Suit yourself, boys. But just remember - if you want to get ahead in this world, you've got to be willing to bend the rules a little bit. It's a dog eat dog world out there. And I'm the biggest dog of them all."
With that, the man turns on his heel and walks away, tapping his cane on the ground as he goes. Rahul and Kabir watch him go.
KABIR: (Standing up) What a douche !
RAHUL : Don't call him douche, he's blind, you ought to be respectful.
KABIR : (Standing) We'll be back here bright and early tomorrow, ready to wait for Jobot again.
RAHUL: (Standing up too) Yeah, let's do it. We'll wait for Jobot until the end of time if we have to.
KABIR: (Laughing) Don't worry, Rahul. Jobot will come. And when he does, we'll be ready for him. It will end all miseries.
RAHUL and KABIR walk off into the night, still waiting for Jobot.
The stage goes dark, and the curtain falls.
©MANJUL JAGOTRA
Image by stockgiu on Freepik
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