Interviewer - ready.
Letter heads - ready.
Camcorder - charged and ready to roll.
C even managed to get a very original looking laptop from his cousin, to compliment the interviewer's professional looks. Black, sleek and rugged from outside, but had a static image of a smiling elephant, a hanging monkey and couple of other animals for a screen. It was a toy laptop alright, one that was never going to be opened, but just had to be there.
Hotels?? - no go. We hit a snag.
2 of the 3 'big' hotels we had earmarked for the operation were not ok about us setting up a candid camera. The third one, the biggest of them all, generously offered their banquet hall that could seat 800. "How many in your party sir?" D is asked. 4.. maybe 5.. D is thinking. "Sir, How many guests?", the ever eager hotel front desk asks D, hoping to get a last minute booking for their well-appointed banquet hall. "That, I will have to check" replied D taking his cell phone to call us and quickly making his way out of the hotel.
"Guys, we have a problem", D sounds desperate on the phone. "All 3 hotels are not going to let us place the camera" he explains. "May be we will try a smaller hotel" he suggested.
"NO" C and I shout in chorus. "No MNC will book a run-down hotel for their HR-Manager (or director I don't remember); it has to be one of these 3" we reiterate.
"Ok, how about we drop the camera plan then?" asked D nervously. "NO way.. you outta your mind!!" we shout back. "ok.. ok"- D surrenders meekly.
"Stay put. We are coming over" - C and I wanting to take control of the situation, meet D at the rendezvous point. D refuses to step inside any of the 3 hotels again with the same request. Poor guy had already tried every trick in the book and was politely shown the door at 2 and he walked out of the third voluntarily before being laughed at.
As one last ditch effort, we wanted to try this hotel on the outskirts of town, which none of us had ever set foot into. We weren't sure if the hotel was even functioning due to low occupancy, half a dozen police raids etc. But was still worth a try.
A couple of phone calls (we had our sources) and we know the hotel is open, even had a recent management change and the reviews were good. So we drive over. The hotel staff were all eager to please and willing to co-operate with us entirely. They said we could use any spot in the restaurant that suits our angles and lighting requirements as they weren't expecting anyone else that entire day. They even offered to partake in our plot with the only condition that one of us at least order for soup. We agreed.
Back to the base and we place the first phone call to A.
"Dude, we have someone in town, that C's sister wants us to meet. Some biggie from her company. Thought we'll let you know".
"What time?"A sounds excited. "say 30 mins" I replied. "Ok, I will be at your place" said A and hung up.
Second phone call to B. Same message.
"Wait for me" shouted B. "I need to shower and press my clothes. Can you come and get me?" asked B.
"No" was my cold reply."Your roomies!! don't tell anyone. Its just the 4 of us. So, you come here". B saw the point and agreed.
5 minutes later, the phone rings. "Ok, I get it. So why don't you guys go ahead with the interview and come back and tell me all about it", A sounding sarcastic. "I think I will just sit this one out".
"Whats the matter" I asked him.
"And you think I wouldn't catch it" boasted A. "That today was the 1st of April".
C could see the disappointment in my face and was hoping that I would come up with something convincing.
"Ok. your call. I dont have time to waste. Just so you know, C is already here and B is on his way" I replied handing the phone over to C.
"Hello" said C and the next thing you could hear was A scrambling to his scooter headed to my house. "but if this is still a prank, then it is not going to count 'cos I already guessed it" yelled A before punching out.
At my room, A opened the door to see C and I dressed to make quite an impression and B pressing his shirt. A, I should say was still in his Sunday clothes. Still did not want to believe us, but smart enough to have packed a clean set of formal clothes crisply pressed and neatly folded in the trunk of his 2 wheeler.
Clearly no one would go through so much trouble to pull a prank - I think he thought - and ran straight to his 2 wheeler.
soon there were 2 cars headed to this mysterious hotel. The one that got a good head start had D and the interviewer in it. A, B, C and I followed with C driving ever so slowly to give D enough time to set the camcorder rolling.
foot note: Again, apologies. But had to break it out..
This gets better 'n better, can't wait for Part 3...
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