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"Well with the downsizing going on in the company. What do you think our chances are?”, asked Rahul.

“I don’t know bud, let’s take it as it comes”, replied Adarsh.

Rahul went to his cubicle and tapped on the “Ctrl+Alt+Del” button to log in to the system. There was an email from his manager - a meeting request to meet him in his office at 4pm. He hated 4pm meetings. There was always work to be done which meant he had to stay back until 8-9pm to finish it off. He now did this almost 3 times a week. He has been working at InfinitySo in Los Angeles for five years now.

He remembered times when he used to be a different person from what he is now. He used to believe in a god. Believed in his religion. Loved his parents. He could do anything for his friends. He remembered how they would drink half a beer bottle each in the night and drive around town at midnight feeling the cold night air hit his face in Hyderabad. He used to go home everyday looking forward to what his grandmother cooked that night. He loved reading books. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Sidney Sheldon's books. He used to get lost in the world they created seeing the characters take a life of their own in front of his eyes. Then came the final year of his Bachelor's. He did not have a job yet because of the recession era, so he decided to study further and gave the GRE thinking that going to the USA will be his shortcut to make more money. Due to the recession his college did not really have any jobs or assistantships to offer so he ended up borrowing most of his fee in loans and then he got into InfoSo and slowly paid off his loans in five years. There was little he saved in this time.

Even though that burden got lifted off his shoulders, he was a different person now. He did not speak much to anyone anymore. Hated almost everyone. Did not read much and drank almost every day to go to sleep. He was not really in touch with any of his friends from college. They sometimes called him to hangout but he preferred staying back home with a glass of scotch and some TV. He was just a skeleton of the person he once used to be.

The calendar app on his monitor suddenly filled the screen notifying him that it was 4 pm and time for him to go meet his manager. Sam was his manager for the last three years. He really liked the previous manager, who gave him only work enough to fill his week and let him go off back home by 6 pm at least. Since Sam stepped in afterwards, life hasn't really been that smooth.

He knocked on Sam's office door.

"Come on in Rahul"

"Hi Sam"

"Sit down Rahul"

Rahul pulled the chair back and sat on its edge hoping to take his assigned work and get started on it as soon as possible so that he could go back home and get his drink in his hands.

"So what did you want me to work on Sam?"

"Ohh well you are doing fine on your current task Rahul, I did not really have any new work to assign to you today. I called you in for something else today."

Sam was a social person, but he never called people to talk about something other than work. Rahul wondered what his discussion would be about.

"As you know with the new acquisition we are forced to cut down our personnel"

"But Sam I have worked for the past five years at this company and worked really hard"

"And i am not refuting that Rahul, you must understand that it has been a really tough call for us but we have decided to let you go. But don't worry we have a really good severance package lined up for you."

"I don't believe this. What am i supposed to do now?"

"You are an intelligent person, you will figure out something Rahul. Think of this as an opportunity to do something new now. We are really sorry about this but my hands are tied. You have to understand"

"Until when do i have?"

"Actually this is kind of urgent to streamline our company in a focused direction so we need you to vacate your cubicle by the end of this week"

"End of this week! I do not even have another job in hand yet and my visa will lose status if i do not have another job within the next one week!!"

"We are really sorry about this Rahul but you gotta understand my point of view"

The least thing Rahul was interested in right now was to understand his point of view. The company decided to streamline? Without him? His mind raced thinking about what he was gonna do and how he was gonna cope with this? He really needed a drink right now.

"Can i leave now? I gotta get back home"

"Sure Rahul, i will definitely recommend you in your next job, feel free to give my reference. Have a good rest of the day now", said Sam smiling.

He went to his desk dazed and unable to believe what had just happened. His entire life turned upside down in the last ten minutes. Adarsh peered over his cubicle wall and asked

"What did you get? I got the new acquisition merge design project !! Wanna get dinner since we are gonna be here late anyways ?"

"I actually did not get a project because because..", he choked and took his keys and stormed away.

He got into his car and sped away to his apartment.

There was no more scotch left. He had finished the last peg last night. He took his wallet and walked to the bar which was about a mile away from his house.

He ordered a pitcher of fat stout ale and finished it in about 15 min and then he drank another and then yet another. He was trying to shut the fear of having no job by drinking it out.

Then Adarsh stepped into the pub and saw him and came and slid into the seat opposite to him.

"I was worried about you man! I am sorry about your job but you will be alright dude, it's not the end of the world"

"Well its easy for you to say, you are not the one without a job!"

"Look i am not trying to console you or anything, what happened to you was horrible and i am gonna miss having you around. But i am here as a friend now."

"Sorry man, i am not myself and this beer has really fucked me up, can you drop me at my house?"

"I came on my motorcycle. Will you be able to sit on the back seat?"

"Haha it was what we always used to do back home!! Let's do this!!"

They went out to the parking lot and rahul hopped behind Adarsh on his bike. Adarsh tried going slowly at 25 mph to make sure Rahul did not fall down.

"Hey Rahul I just remembered that I left the door to the office open when I opened it in the evening to let some air in. Do you mind if we stop by there first?"

"Alright!"

Once they reached there Rahul wanted to take a leak so he said he would come in too. Suddenly something struck Adarsh.

"Hey do you wanna thank Sam for the kind offer he made you today ?"

"What do you mean ?"

"Follow me ! Trust me you are going to enjoy this "

Adarsh went behind the office building. He looked around and found an empty trash can lying there he brought it by the wall and laid it down to make a step out of it. He got onto it and pulled himself to the window he had left open. And then turned back to help the very drunk Rahul up.

"Why are we going this way dude?"

"You'll soon know dude."

After helping Rahul up he led him to Sam's office and went over to his desk opened his top drawer.

"Your toilet bowl awaits you sir !!"

"Dude I can't do this !! I will be fir ...."

It suddenly struck him. He unzipped his pants and did what he had to do while Adarsh stood guard outside and after he was done they ran out the way they came, this time closing the window behind them.

"I feel good.. No in fact I feel great dude!!"

Adarsh revved up the speed and soon they reached a bridge and the cool breeze hit Rahul's face reminding him of the night strolls he used to take back home.

"So do you have something saved up to last while you are off the job?"

"Yeah I have enough to last some time .. "

He got up on his feet behind holding Adarsh for support to feel the full force of the cool air as he remembered how they did it back home.

"And are you planning to end your lease as well?"

"Its gonna end this month anyways. I don't think I will renew it."

"What then where are you gonna go ?"

Rahul closed his eyes and tilted his head back and all the faces of his friends and family came streaming in front of him. Every small event of his life played in front of him on a screen with thousand different parts all playing at once.

"I am going home."