Guy: So what do you do for a living?
Gal: You saw me doing it…
Guy: What seriously? C’mon you must be kidding me..
Gal: Nooo… This is what I do…
Guy: C’mon…
Gal: Really this is me… This is what I do…
Guy: Why, are you telling me that you always wanted to sing?
Gal: Hmmm…
Guy: Really…
(Gal assures with a silent nod)
Guy: Wow… That is so great…
Girl: Why would you wanna do anything which is not close to your heart?
Guy: Frankly, I am doing something I hate… Yet… I don’t know… Not sure… Why do I do it?
Girl: That’s why… just look around… we say that we have done all the technological progress… actually all we have done is complicate life… Don’t you feel so?
Guy: I do… Really do…
Gal: See… All what man needs is a little bit of food and shelter… and of course, lots of love… Now it’s in reverse.
(Gal looks straight ahead… Guy thinks looking down)
Guy: I often think about this… I often wonder how life should have been… and I see how life is… and I can’t even afford a smile to all that could have been… My life that is.
(Gal looks at the guy as if she understands; guy is grim and still looking down)
Gal: There was a Greek philosopher… Diogenes was his name. He was a very unique man… Heard about him?
Guy: I have… Are you going to tell me about him and Alexander the great?
Gal: No… Legend has it that one afternoon he went to the market with a lamp… People, although aware about him, asked why he carries a lamp.
Guy: Hmmm…
Gal: He says that he is looking for a human and he does not see any…
(Both look at each other with a hint of laughter)
Gal: Sometimes I really look around… After I sing a song… And sipping over a coffee… I look for them… someone who has those eyes… those eyes of a human... I never see any…. Till today.
(Guy acknowledges the girl as they look at each other)
Guy: Look at me… I work in a corporation… I keep looking for a genuine human… I never see any… It is like it is a stage and people are putting up some masks… playing their roles day in and day out...
Gal: I knew I would never fit in there.
Guy: Good for you… and as I see it you would not make the cut there… I mean… They do not want genuine people… What they want are cunning and diplomatic people… They are admired… they are leaders… They are the people who succeed in that world… Corporates… all they are concerned is about profits… People are so secondary… You know the recession in 2008 end, right?
Gal: Heard about it… that’s all…
Guy: It cannot even touch people like you… In short, world economy was falling down… There was no business or investments happening in a large scale… these companies… who till yesterday were thanking their employees for the hard work… principles like “We are our people”… Now, they are downsizing… and you have different words to hide behind... “We are dynamic and will have to change with the changing times” all at the same time firing people so that profits can be maintained…. The key word being Profits… And what do they say... “You see—with the current market conditions and in order to provide cost effective service, we will have to terminate, blah, blah”… You see what I am saying….
Gal: Yes, yes
Guy: We say that slavery has ended… but actually it is still there… in a polished and perhaps, more dignified manner… (Pauses, looks down)… That’s what I see… (Looks at the gal) and I am one of them…
Gal: In some way or the other… We all are…
Guy: But not you? So you always wanted to be a singer…
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