The Quandary - A Short story

The alarm clock did its job finally. Against my will and bodily intuition I woke up and started walking like a zombie. It was already quarter to eight and I will have to rush to catch my bus at 8:07. This life sure is challenging. Having drenched myself in deodorant, I ran off to catch my bus. 18 months back I did think that I was the luckiest person on earth. A decent job during the recession was like a shady tree on a hot summer noon. But once I entered the corporate world, after the initial honeymoon period, I realised that I should switch jobs as soon as I can. It was not only me but also my desk pal at the office Rahul. 

Managing through the morning rush I found myself a comfortable spot to stand in the bus. Finally there was 35 precious minutes to contemplate and reflect on the tricky but simple quandary that bugged me for more than a couple of days. Last weekend, I found an excellent job opening in the one the biggest IT solutions company. It was a tailor made opportunity for me to further my career. The biggest question was - Should I inform Rahul about this opening also?? 

A couple of school kids just got down, giving more space to stand properly. We both have exactly the same profile. I met him for the first time during our training. And we have shared a cabin for the past 8 months. I am not sure what kind of a relationship we have. Some how my social circle has been pretty messed up since I left college. Cut-throat competition is something I have got used to. We both have been looking for opportunities to move places. As colleague we share immense mutual respect. But still there is something that is preventing me from sharing this useful piece of info with him. In a world of survival of the fittest one less competition is always better. So by the time my stop approached, I made up my mind to keep the opening to myself.

So as the day progressed I completed the necessary letters. My profile was pretty much in sync with the requirements of the position and I was very confident. At the last moment I saved the mail in drafts rather than sending it to the HR.  I was feeling very uncomfortable. This is the guy whom I will see at least 10 times a day. And afterall he is also desperately searching for a new job.

Torn apart by my own thoughts, I looked at him sliding sideways. “Rahul !! Lets go to the canteen and have lunch”. We sporadically ate together. But today was different. “No problem. Just give me a moment”, Rahul retorted.  Keeping my face stoic I walked with him to the canteen. Finally gathering all the courage and  overcoming my own fear I told him, “Rahul I saw a job opening in ABC corp. for a project analyst. I think we should apply. We fit the profile perfectly.” “Do you mean the one in Bangalore? – I have already applied for the job. Lets see what happens!!”