The Training

Disclaimer: All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.


CHARACTERS

Billu: No he is not barber; he is a YASE (Yet Another Software Engineer). Billu is a industrious in nature but he has just one problem, he don’t use his brain hence all that he do is work like a donkey for a whole year and in the end gets a BAD appraisal. But in spite of all these failures he never leaves his hope and every morning he listens to his favorite song “Hum honge kamayab ek din…”

Shekhar: He is a Billu’s Project Manager, graduated from one of the India’s best technical institute and unlike Billu he is highly successful in his career.

Suri: He is Billu’s colleague, he likes two things in life first his girl friend Taani and second the evening dance classes where he met Taani for first time and fell in love with her.

Taani: Suri’s girl friend. She hates anyone who calls her “Taaniji”


ACT ONE

It’s 2:30 PM, Wednesday and Billu is as usual working on computer. A new mails pops up. It is regarding a 2 day training starting from next Monday. The training is on Cloud Computing and will be conducted by renowned Prof Kapoor of IISc

Billu: Shekhar there is 2 day training on Cloud Computing starting from Monday. Can I attend it?

Shekhar (bit annoyingly): Well as you know economy is not doing well and I can’t afford to loose any productivity as this training is not related to our project.

Billu: Shekhar I had been working on Cloud computing over the weekends for past 1 year. I had developed some Proof-Of-Concepts (POC’s) on it. Please can I attend it?

Shekhar: Hmm. Ok you can attend if you can finish the component on which you are working by Friday.

Billu: But this is a big module and it’s very difficult to finish in such a short time.

Shekhar (remains silent)

Billu: Ok I work till late night and finish it by Friday.


ACT TWO

Billu works till late night for 2 days and finally is able to finish the module by Friday noon time. He now goes to update Shekhar

Billu (jubilantly): Shekhar I had finished the module and checked-in the code. Can I attend the training now?

Shekhar (as usual annoyingly): See as you know economy is not doing well. Suri has lot of work. You can attend training if you can help him finish his work.

Billu (bit depressed): Ok Shekhar.


ACT THREE

Billu goes to Suri’s cubicle to help him. As usual Suri is busy on Orkut checking out gals profiles.

Billu: Hi Suri. Shekhar has asked me to help you with your module.

Suri: Thanks. Shekhar has given me the toughest module. I am struggling hard with it. I have been working till late nights for past 1 month.

Billu: Ok tell me what all you have done

(As expected Suri hasn’t done anything)

Billu (thinking): This stupid is full time busy on Orkut. I am screwed big time. Oh god my training??

(Billu now start helping Suri. Suri gets a call from Taani)

Suri: Hello Taaniji!! How are you?

Taani (irritatingly): WTF! How many times do I need to tell you don’t call me “Taaniji”

Suri: Oh sorry. Anyway tell me what happened?

Taani: Just to remind you that tomorrow we are going to Goa so finish all your work today.

Suri: Ok Taaniji!!

Suri (to Billu): Hey Billu I am leaving now. I need to do packing as I am going to Goa tomorrow.

Billu: WTF! How can you go to Goa? You haven’t done anything in your module.

Suri: See I cannot work more than this. I had my personal life also.

(Suri leaves office and as usual our poor chap Billu works late night over the weekend and finishes Suri’s module .He attends the training on Monday, Tuesday. In the training he presents his POC’s to prof. The prof is excited to see the POC’s and asks Billu to file a patent.)


ACT FOUR

It’s Wednesday morning. Billu is very ecstatic over the idea of filing a patent. He reaches office.


Billu (to Shekhar): Good morning Shekhar. The training was very informative. Prof Kapoor was very impressed with my ideas and POC’s. He had asked me to file patent on it.

Shekhar (remains silent)

Billu: Shekhar is everything alright? You seems to be bit disturbed.

Shekhar (looking straight at Billu): Well as you know the economy is not doing well. Over the weekend there has been a major restructuring in the organization, some of the projects are ramped down including ours. We had been asked to ‘rightsize’ the work force. We are decreasing the headcount in India operations.

Billu (worried): Oh. Is anyone getting fired from our team also?

Shekhar (in a serious tone): Well yes there is a structuring in our team also. Unfortunately you are in the list. I am sorry but there are few things which are not in my control.

Billu (in alarming tone): Shekhar but I had always worked so hard and now I am on the verge of filing a patent. Why me?

Shekhar (remains silent)

Billu: What about suri? Is he also in list?

Shekhar: Since our project is ramped down and there was an urgent requirement for a project in US hence suri will be flying in a week’s time. Anyway Billu here is the check of your severance package. You are relieved of all your duties from today onwards.

Billu: Sir please help me. I had worked so hard for you.

Shekhar: Sorry Billu it’s a decision taken by upper management.

(Billu takes the check and starts sobbing. Suri is in his cubicle and plays a song loudly as Billu leaves office “Hum honge kamayab, honge kamayab ek din…..”)

So as we saw the poor chap just couldn’t understand that “Economy is not doing well” and ultimately lost his job.