'Nagpuri Naukri'

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'Mohabbat barsa dena tu saawan aaya hai..'

This song kept on playing in loop on my car stereo till we three reached 'Meet-The Food joint' to celebrate the commencement of Saawan or Shraavan, as it is fondly known in Maharashtra.

Rahul had got the Black Label (Music CDs) with him which he asked the owner of the joint to get served like the way we are used to.

Suhas took the couch and asked the waiter to play some seasonal songs.

'Saawan me lag gayi aag' shouted Mika Singh from the 240W Woofer of the Soundbox and Rahul jumped..

'Jabra' He said and high-fived Suhas.

'This song reminds me the days of the Music channel 'Music Asia' which used to play this song of Mika repeatedly', I said.

'How can someone like Mika become famous by singing such a song, I used to think then,' Opined Suhas. 

'But see now Mika is the king of hit songs', Rahul said, 'And there was a time when all his songs were chartbusters every year.'

'Just like now Arijit Singh's songs are, right?' I asked.

'Yeah, and even your favourite Himesh rocked the charts during 2004 to 2008' Rahul winked.

'I still like his songs' I admitted,' Frankly speaking, I liked his style of making the listeners feel what he actually felt.'

'It's like making the interviewer ask the questions that you actually want to answer, right?' Asked Rahul and we burst in laughter.

'Cheers!' said Suhas 'You know I have attended so many interviews while preparing for Civil Services that I can actually predict what the interviewer is going to ask next.'

'I hope that is not the reason you are moving out from your current job,' Asked Rahul.

'Definitely not, Rahul. Yes, I was very happy with my current profile and the best thing was that I was in my hometown, Nagpur. But you know now in government sector there is a lot of politics, even more than corporate.'

'But again you are moving to government sector only na?' I asked.

'Yeah, that's because private companies think that if you have worked in government sector, you may not be able to work in private. So they don't give opportunity to people like me', Suhas described his plight.

'But that's not the case, at least with you. I have seen you working very efficiently at NABARD in Pune.' Rahul said.

'Yeah, but Nagpur has got a different scenario, Rahul. And I hope Raj would agree with me.'

'Boss, the curry is lil bit bland, make it a bit spicy like Saoji', I waived at the owner after gulping the khur in it, ' Oh, you were asking something Suhas, sorry I was engrossed in the Khur, my temptational weakness' I confessed.

'That's ok. We know it since college days', Rahul quipped with a smile, 'now tell me what's different in the work culture of Nagpur than Pune or any other city?' Rahul was berserk to know the fact.

'I have been working in Nagpur for sometime and from my personal experience what I can say is Majboori ka naam hai 'Nagpuri Naukri' , you don't feel it's great but it feeds you and keeps the family at one place. A job in Pune, Mumbai or Bangalore seduces you but then you always have crave for Nagpur which is your native place. A job in Nagpur may not reward you professionally, but personally you feel at home, if you are a Nagpurian.'

'True', said Suhas raising the glass, 'Actually Raj, majority of the people at Nagpur are not thorough professionals, may be because they have a lot of time with them which is saved by the non-congested roads and proximity. But they poke their nose in others' business more than their own business. And if someone is doing great in his job, they immediately starts pulling him down.' Suhas explained his views.

'Oh, that's the reason Pushkar left his IT position in Nagpur and shifted to Pune!' Rahul exclaimed.

'Not only Pushkar, but Amit, who was working with one of the fastest growing IT company at Nagpur joined at Hyderabad due to the office politics and growth', I informed.

'See Rahul, people having a good job in Nagpur doesn't quit as Nagpur offers a good quality of life. But the companies in Nagpur doesn't pay quite enough, as many people are ready to work here at less salary. But that reduces the purchasing power of Nagpur,' Suhas opined.

'It's like the people of age group 20 to 35 who have the willingness to spend doesn't have enough money to spend and those who have spending power do not want to spend, rather they spend the money visiting abroad to meet their children,' I tried to put my point.

'Egg-jactly', Suhas shouted, 'There are many factions within Nagpur business arena apart from the usual caste and creed. And this groupism started by community difference breeds office politics'

'And although politics is across the cities and territories, there are not enough opportunities at Nagpur to accommodate so many ambitious guys, so they move to Pune, Hyderabad and so on, like Suhas is moving..' I was about to complete when Suhas interrupted, 

'Actually you know Raj, Nagpur job market is not able to accommodate the rockstars or star performers, reason being that they are threats to the existing lot. So the group of existing mediocre lot displaces the star performers through cheap politics. Nagpur this way promotes mediocrity' Suhas completed and finished his third glass, after which we targeted the main course.