Page 32 - You Only Live Once [BooksLD]

‘Like Raj Kapoor in Mera Naam Joker ?’ I imagine my mother’s face
turning pale with a dismal frown. ‘Or like Charlie Chaplin?’

My father says assertively, ‘Gone are the days of circus, Archana. He is a
performer. He will be speaking in front of a huge crowd.’ He feeds his ego
and continues, ‘A startup comedian, yes!’
‘Stand-up,’ I almost correct him as a reflex.

‘Is it okay if we tell everyone that you’ve landed a job with Taj Hotel and
Resorts in Goa in their IT team. Everyone knows that you are going to get a
placement soon and none of our relatives can afford to book the hotel. We’ll

never be caught.’
‘And what will you do when they upload videos on YouTube ? They will
certainly come across it someday!’

‘Beta , people hardly watch new videos. Sarika aunty has started a food
vlog. Last time I checked, it had 600 views, I kept refreshing for 4 days, it
now has 601. Moreover, once the ghost of stand-up comedy stops to haunt
you, you can get your respectable job in Pune back.’

‘Papa! I am not quitting the internship. I will surely get the final offer.
Please don’t believe in Ricky’s cooked up stories. Comedy is a hobby. It’s
temporary. Passion can’t be profession.’

I hang up and set my phone to flight mode.
The train whistles, indicating that it is time to leave. As the train starts to
move, I slowly regain my sanity, one breath at a time. My train

compartment is a classic scene, as always.
Sitting across from me is an overenthusiastic man who is dumping his
religious and political gyan on all. ‘Government job? That’s the best and the
only thing that you must go for!’ He shouts like a politician begging for
votes. His finger points to nothing in specific but a rust-clad ceiling fan that

should supposedly be on a table.
‘That’s what I told her. After all, she has to get married, look after the
babies. Why would she go for a corporate job? Money makes you

ambitious,’ says the other fellow sitting with her daughter.
‘Chai. Chai. Chai. Kadak chai,’ a vendor passes by yelling. ‘One
cutting!’ I tell him and hand him a 10-rupees note.

‘NaMo used to sell chai,’ the girl breaks the silence. ‘Had he not been
ambitious, he would not have become the prime minister of India,’ she