By Ananya S Guha
He looked up and said: “I’m looking at, in fact scrutinizing all my certificates”
“Why?” I asked nonchalantly. “Any interview to appear?”
“Oh, cut that out,” my friend remarked.
“I have gone beyond the interview stage the receiving end. Now, is the time that I should interview people”
“Oh have you done that?” I asked with a tinge of awe in my voice.
“Well not exactly, but soon I will I am sure. In fact my dream is to sit in one of the UPSC boards. Since I did not pass in any of their exams I would love to sit in on one of their boards”
“What travesty” I thought but didn’t say anything.
He continued: “So I have to check all my credentials upto my Masters.”
“Of course, of course” I said.
“What with all fake certificates and pilots faking their qualifications!”
“I am not a fake” he thundered. “But I fly all the same”.
“I am as genuine as can be. The only thing is that, I would, before my retirement love to sit on selection committees.”
“Why this obsession with selection committees?” I asked.
“Because they are very powerful. They make or break, they shape fortunes and promotions. They can ask anything they want to. They get summoned by the big wigs . . .”
I was getting tired of his desultory rambling.
“But just remember” I warned.
“Just check on your date of birth. Sometimes there is a grand conspiracy to reduce it!”