'Tee tee tee'

'Tee tee tee'

Am I hearing something? I tried to concentrate harder.

‘Tee tee tee – tee tee tee'

Oh the alarm! - 'tee tee tee', it continued.

Gradually, I was coming back to senses. The Sunday night hangover does this to me every Monday morning.

Okay, where's my other hand? For a while, I could not figure out where my left hand was. Oh under my chest! I took it out and turned upside down. The left hand was aching as it was kept crushed under my mass for the entire night.

'Tee tee tee' – the irritating orchestra kept its show on!

I put it on snooze for 10 minutes. Now peace for the next 10 minutes. I thought.

I gave a glance at my cozy little and messy 1 BHK apartment. It seemed gloomy and dark. Is it cloudy today?

I looked at the window to confirm. No, it was not just cloudy, it was raining. The window is just near behind my bed. I stretched my hand to unbolt the window lock and opened it. The wind was chilling and that felt reliving. Next, I turned off the A/C switch. Though, timer makes the A/C off at 4 am but the main switch remains on until I wake up at 7.

Shit I wasted too much time! I could have done these after 10 minutes, now I have around 9 minutes left. I quickly grabbed my paashbalish, shut my eyes and tried to rest. And then, numerous thoughts began to haunt. Unreachable corners of my body felt like itching. Head started to sing out songs and what not.

Just 9 minutes, C'mon, just 9 minutes, quite quite…shh. Now it should be some 8 minutes 30 seconds left. Shit shit shit, why am I even thinking these? Shh…sleep

After a struggle of few minutes, finally, I found my head resting, mind numbing, limbs losing senses and…

Hi I'm Raktim Roy. Average in studies, middle class parents, general cast – all deadly combination!

I somehow managed to get a seat in a decent private engineering college to study computer science engineering. IT is the only sector Kolkata can offer a job into. Like running in a rat race, I completed my four years of engineering life and received the esteemed degree. I got placed in TCS, the biggest recruiter of our college with a package of 5 LPA. I happily joined the company and worked there for 6 months and then came to know that my batch mates are earning 1 lakh a month. ”How?” – I asked one of them.

“keep changing companies” – he replied.

“what?”

“see bro, when you leave one job, what do you have?”

“Quest to look for another job”

“no, idiot!” – he laughed as he said that. Though I said it as a joke but still felt ashamed of not knowing the answer.

“what do I have?” – I came back to the topic.

“experience, you have experience when you leave a job.”

“I know that” – I said the obvious.

“more experienced you are, more will be the starting salary”

I began to think deeply about it. What if I could not get new job?

“try it” - he said lastly.

Three days of hunt for a new job and I had offers from three IT companies. With a salary of 8 to 9 LPA.

Where have I been?

I quit my current job and shifted to IBM, another IT firm.

I worked there for one year and still working, finished and broken from inside. I felt like a slave sometimes. A black African villager working for white British lords.

Did I tell you I had a passion? I mean I still have. I have a passion for music. Metal and rock music. I had a college band comprising of seven young buddies like me. I had long bushy hair up to my shoulders, unshaved beard, I wore black T shirts, funky goggles, ripped jeans unlike now where I look like a little school boy, I looked like a giant lion.

Well this story isn't about me, neither it is about my urge to follow my passion nor my sacrifice of a secure job. it's about another guy. Not a very likable guy.

'Tee tee tee'- ten minutes are over.

5-4-3-2-up. I woke up with all the strength and will power I gained sleeping the extra 10 minutes. The daily routine resumed. Pee, brush, poop, bathe, pour milk, boil, dress up, make hair, pour cornflakes… cornflakes! This reminds me of our college band...

“see this, people!”- said Rohini as she entered the canteen and banged her bag on the table, spilling a half filled tea cup.

“shit sorry”- said Rohini blankly looking at everyone as she didn't know whose tea it was.

“it's okay”- said rohan da. Clearly it was his 5 rupees got spilled. “show what you made”

Mohini took out an A4 size sheet and showed us. She was asked to design a cool audition notice for a electric guitarist. It said –

‘ELECTRIC GUITARIST REQUIRED FOR OUR BAND AUDITIONS TO BE HELD ON 22nd JULY AT 4:00 PM SHARP.

VENUE TO BE INFORMED ON PHONE.

CALL US ON 987******* OR CONTACT ROHAN CHATTERJEE.’

“cool”- said Rohan da, the founder of our anonymous band. “But what about the name? you have left a space I can see.”

Rohini, the youngest member of the band intelligently left a space for the name of the band.

“I don't know.” – said Rohini.

“you Raktim?” Rohan da asked me now

“something related to City life”- I replied.

“metro life?”- suggested Sayan.

“nah, seems copied”- said Rohan da.

“yeah, life in a metro – metro life, sound same”- I said.

Let me first introduce you to my band members, Rohan da, our vocal lead and guitarist, then comes me, the supporting vocalist and Casio player, then Rohini, the lead female vocalist, Sayan the drummer, Upen da at base guitar and Shruti at violin. One thing without which a rock band cannot exist is electric guitar and that was missing.

That day, I don't know what I felt about cornflakes, it just slipped out of my mouth.

“cornflakes?”

“what cornflakes?”- asked Rohan da.

“band name- cornflakes, morning breakfast of every bachelor living in cities away from the parents.”

Upen da who was quite till now suddenly patted my back. His eyes are always red out of weed and always wears short kurta. Sometimes I feel, why this guy is not in JU, he doesn’t belong to be in sophisticated private colleges.

“brilliant!”- said Rohan da.

Mohini scribbled 'CORNFLAKES’ on the poster with her pearl like handwriting.

This way the dream started…

‘tringg tringg' – my phone rang. it's boss. I somehow swallowed the cornflakes stuffed in my mouth and picked up the call.

“yes sir…okay sir….yes sir…yes sir…okay sir, thank you”.

So, was I telling you about a guy? Unlikable guy? Anyway that guy is dead some one and a half year ago. he's living a zombie life now. I have to go. Cornflakes are finished…..