Nakul couldn’t stop smiling. This was his best day yet!
The elevator was empty, save for one middle-aged guy in a suit. Nakul hesitated, then stepped in. Bursting with joy he turned to share the good news with the stranger. ‘I got a job today!’
The suited guy smiled, ‘Congratulations. Product development, right?’
Nakul’s jaw fell in surprise.’Yes. How did you know?’
‘One just knows these things. Hold on to it now. Job security is a fickle thing.’
That’s when Nakul saw the cardboard box behind the stranger, filled with all his items and labelled, ‘Shah, Amar: Product Development Manager’
***
Welcome to The Moving Quill!
For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I’ve taken up the theme of
An Oxymoron rendered in micro-fiction.
Each day’s title will have one half of the oxymoron while the second half will be revealed towards the end of the post.
Follow me as I unravel each tale in exactly 100 words.
Follow me on Facebook or Twitter to keep track of my updates
***
It gave me all sorts of ideas, including that of ghosts (yes I am thinking about them too much these days) except the one you have written 😀 good one 🙂
Nice ! Good twist and a reality in the world of today.
Ow that’s kind of sad. And bad luck for Nakul trying to share his happiness with the completely wrong person.
Ouch..That hurts..That’s the reality of life..One person’s gain is another person’s loss.
yikes… that ought to hurt :/
I agree with Sanch! Nakul’s exuberance and Amar’s sadness must have made made that elevator meeting really awkward. Plus, both of them must have spent time thinking about each other. Nakul wondering about Amar, and Amar being jealous about Nakul.
Oh poor guy!
I also didn’t know that job security was an oxymoron! What a moron I am.
Ouch! But true, there’s no job security in a private job at least. I liked it how you contrasted with one person leaving and the other taking his place.
I know how that feels. Job security is an eyewash. There is no real security in anything anymore. Not at work nor in relationships. The only security we can aim to have is that with our own self.
One’s gain is other person’s loss. Life!
Oh, that’s sad! I feel sorry for him! Great post again! 🙂
Bowled over by your fiction every day!!! Very touching story.
woW! I totally understand both sides of this story! what a moving story!
Job security is truly a fickle thing in corporate sector.
🙁 how sad for Amar. But I guess that’s life, eh?
Job security.. a well chosen oxymoron in these times
Uff! Poor Nakul..lovely story.
Oh the poor man. Feel sorry for him 🙁
Life, sometimes we say the most hurtful things unknowingly, one man’s be another’s man’s poison.
Oh! A grim reality in the corporate sector. There’s nothing called job security. And usually, one man’s loss is another man’s gain!
Oh no! Who knows better than the man who just packed his bags. Such a thing job security is.
oops! Now he knows that he has some standards to raise! Very nice one.. 🙂
Ouch! Last person you want to be sharing your news with…like rubbing salt on to wounds. Nicely done and in testing times, a good oxymoron