The job......part 2

read part 1 here

Abhijeet had made up his mind to join Life Biotech, and this time as he walked into the Life Biotech tower, his stride was more confident. He had been contemplating joining the organization weighing out other job prospects. He originally hailed from a village near Noida and shifting to Panchkula had looked difficult.

But the salary package was good enough to outweigh every other offer he had at hand. He had spoken to his school buddy Sanjog, who lived here and was convinced that it would be a good organization to work with. That the city smelled and looked great would be an added advantage.

He finished his joining formalities and walked out feeling rather proud of his decision and couldn’t wait to let his wife Sahana in on the good news. He couldn’t wait to enter the research lab and do what he had always dreamt of doing. He would have a discovery of his own one day and have an exclusive patent in his name. The world famous scientist Abhijeet Sharma!

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For the first time in 28 years, Abhijeet felt like a free man. His mother had worked at a garment factory and his father was a taxi driver. He was fortunate enough to be sent to the government school at Rampur village near Greater Noida. Abhijeet had been a bright boy, always topping his class. Studying in a government school had never been a setback for a boy of his caliber, and he had been quick to learn the subjects. There was a fire that raged within him, a hunger to achieve, to free himself of his humble background.

His teachers had been proud of him. The local MLA had magnanimously offered to finance Abhijeet’s higher education if he wanted to study further. Step by step, Abhijeet had climbed the ladder of education and had completed his B.Pharma degree and his M.Pharma in pharmacology.

He walked into his office wearing starched new clothes and a white lab coat, looking every inch the scientist he had come here to be. He was ushered into Mr. Narayan’s chamber and they got busy with the various work related technicalities.

He was taken for a tour of the whole building upto the 4th floor. He wondered what was beyond it, the tower seemed to be eight floors tall. The research units had a 3 door entry where they got sanitized and disinfected and changed clothes and wore protective gear to avoid any contamination and infection. He did not even have enough time to have lunch, not that he minded.

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It was almost 6 months since his joining and Sahana had been complaining that he had been so busy with his work that he not even bothered to go on an outing with her.

“I know of a lovely place,” she said animatedly, “Morni hills. Shall we go there for the weekend?”

They drove to Morni hills in their brand new car and spent the day loafing around the place. Among the spurs of the hills were two lakes and a hill divided the lakes, but locals said there was a hidden channel or tunnel as the level of waters in the two lakes remained the same.

Abhijeet and Sahana had reached one end of the hidden tunnel, and Abhijeet suggested that they venture in and swim across to the other end. Sahana was not as enterprising and suggested they race instead, she over the hill and he through the tunnel.

“Let’s see who reaches the other side first,” she winked.

“Ok then, let’s start.”

Sahana climbed up the hill slowly and steadily and Abhijeet entered the tunnel. There were very few people inside, hardly 4 or 5. It got darker as he waded through the waters and that is when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He couldn’t see who it was and he felt a stranger tap him gently on his shoulders.

“Hello Abhijeet.”

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read part 3 here