She walked away as fast as she could. She could still feel his stare.It made her want to jump right out that window, anything so she would never have to face him again. As she reached her desk, she was fuming,what in the name of the heavens did he think he was! Muttering to herself, she sat down to re-work her last 5 hours effort. That would mean another late night at office, more answering to her parents who would start off with the usual, "Being a girl, working so late, cant u tell your manager to let you go before 6". She could never give a straight answer. Damn the equality business, wouldn't it be great if you could cash in on being a girl. And what's the point being a girl if you cant make any profit out of it!!
Even as she thought it, she knew that, she wouldn't really try to back out of work using that as a trump card. She actually liked what she was doing, she always had fun,she had a great group of friends, and all seemed to be going good.
In fact, all was going good until that stupid manager came out of the blue, just to make life miserable for her. Why couldn't he have remained onsite? A weekly status report and he would keep out of her hair, and he didn't seem half as bad on the phone as he did now."Monster" the word escaped her lips before she realised.
And he materialized at that very instant.
And wouldn't he, its like he knew exactly where to be at the exact wrong time when she slipped. like today, when one wrong entry in that darned report needed for all the others to be re-worked. She didn't really have time for all that flashback, he was standing right in front of her, hand casually placed over the cubicle wall with a bemused smile.
He did have a nice smile,she grudgingly gave him that and then he opened his mouth to speak.And that was it, all thoughts of his stupid smile being cute went out the window.
"I am sorry sir, I was talking to myself" she cut him off. His smile became wider and she felt like kicking herself, why did you have to go and apologize for something that he probably didn't even connect to himself." Was there something else to be added sir? I have just started on the rework".He said something and she wasn't sure what it was, he was probably talking to himself. Well, why doesn't he go to his oversized desk and talk to himself, why bother me. But since she couldn't say that to him, she just put on her prettiest fake smile and hoped he would not hear her teeth gnashing behind.
"Do you want me to help you out with that? I know you spent a lot of time on it, its pretty unfortunate that you have to do it again"
Her mouth literally fell open, he! His Holy Majesty was offering to help !Did she hear him right? Was he mocking her and telling her that he doesn't believe she can get it right again? No, don't jump to weird meaningless conclusions, he's just offering to help. Maybe he realised he was harsher with her earlier that required.
"From next time on though, make sure you have the numbers right, it will save us the double effort when you could be doing something else"
How could you even think that he would help you with no sarcastic reprimands! Just a second back, she was almost going to say "Yes", she could go home early she had thought eagerly. Now, there was no way,stupid over-egoistic show-off, I don't need any of your help.
"No sir, its ok, thank you, I'll manage it myself. I'll mail it to you before I leave".
Another of those maddening all-knowing mocking smile and he was gone."Good riddance" and she immediately bit her lip, in case he was still hanging around. Thankfully, he wasn't.
She started on the task. Almost every entry she made, she had a curse ready for him.
Why did he have to come back here?
Why was I the only one who has to report to him?
Why couldn't it have been Ananya(she had gone home 2 hours ago!) or Saahil(he was around somewhere doing God knows what)?
Why me!!
Why couldn't I have confirmed the stupid number with him before having started off?
Who would have thought that he had a 'latest' report! He doesn't expect me to hallucinate it does he?He probably would.2 cups of coffee, a visit from the security guard checking and 4 phone calls from home later she was finally done.
Now to mail it to him and be off with it.He was probably in bed snoring away to glory. The choicest of abuses came to her, but she stopped herself, it was her mistake after all,and she was the only one who could do those reports and he did offer to help, she had been too egoistic to accept.
She stretched to relax her body, she had been in the cooped position for too long. She couldn't feel her legs. She rubbed her eyes wearily, the dark circles from today would take a week to go away. Another bout of curses for him came up.
"How are u planning to go home?"
"What the ... You scared me sir"? Scared would be a gross understatement, he had scared the living daylights out of her. She almost nearly fell off her chair,she told herself, not that she would,but she felt she could have.
"I am sorry about that, I got your mail, I thought you might be ready to leave now, do you have a ride back home?"and that smile of his again,Stop staring at him and answer to what he's asking.
"I .. uh ... no.. I don't have a ride. I mean, I ... uh .. I will book a cab now sir".
Stop stammering stop stammering stop stammering.
"I can drop you if you want"
hmm, he actually stayed back. To drop me? hmmm.
"Well, I stay in XYZ, its probably out of the way for you sir, I'll book a cab"
"Not really, I don't mind at all, in fact, I would appreciate the company."
No you wouldn't, not my company. She had heard that he was an absolute terror to people even onsite. No one could manage one proper conversation with him. People would go out of their way to avoid him.I would definitely not enjoy your company.and he was walking away, he turned over to say "Give me 5 minutes, I have to finish up something"
Oh, so, he was working.
She went to freshen up and one look at the mirror, she looked like she had been toiling in the hot sun without respite for a few weeks, how in the name of the heavens did he manage to look like he had just gotten up after 10 hours of sleep, all fresh and grinning from ear to ear like a donkey. Damn him.
She washed her face, set her hair, sort of satisfied with the end result, she walked out.A sudden thought popped into her head, and why did you have to make sure you weren't looking too bad.Before she could answer her own question, she saw him.
He was good looking in a good sort of way. She had never really noticed him like she would a guy before, he was always Akash, Akash the monster. He was just the boss, not a guy. He wasn't that bad looking at all, she thought as she tried to read in his features without seeming obvious.He was on the phone. She remembered, he stayed with his parents in ABC, that was way out of the way from XYZ. He was probably telling them, he'd be late.
When she came close enough to hear what he was saying, she realised he was on the phone with the client, at 2 in the night for heaven's sake. Doesn't he have a life of his own? Then she also realised, he was one of those untiring, unrelentingly hardworking people for whom work was life. She knew that all the people who were wary of his company or the people who were scared of him,anyone for that matter, would, without blinking say that he was probably the only reason the whole team was on this project. He was good at what he did, all respected him , just that no one saw him get pally with anyone. He was always barking orders. And all seemed to be on the receiving end of it, that definitely doesn't earn friends now does it.
With a start, she wondered, if he felt lonely around all the people he was surrounded by. suddenly, she was almost pitying him, he always went alone everywhere, he didn't really have a fixed lunch group, he probably missed lunch more often that he had it. But he never seemed a loner, he was always something or the other to all.It was like she was seeing him in a new light, he wasn't really a monster, now, was he. He's just doing his job, maybe a tad more roughly than one would want him to.
He was winding up the conversation, and did a "Shall we leave?"gesture. She nodded and they went towards the parking lot.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
An evening at work ...
She walked in to find Shreya crying, no, she corrected herself, Shreya had just finished crying and was trying to calm herself.Her face was streaked with tears. She wasnt sobbing, so it wasnt the hysterical sort of thing, something she remembered perhaps, there was nothing about her that shecould connect to un-happiness of any sort.She went upto her and put an armaround her, the poor kid hadnt noticed there was anyone else in the room.She looked into Ananya's face to find a warm comforting look but also thefamous raised eyebrow which was the unspoken question. She knew that shedidnt really have to tell her, but it was Ananya. Anyone could pour theirheart out to her, she would listen patiently, not once interrupt till youget everything off your chest.Then she would tell you how to handle it ifthat was what you wanted or she would convince you that you had done onlywhat you could or something else, but you would always walk away feelinglighter and maybe with a smile too.
Ananya saw the hesitation on her face and knew that she would tell her whatwas wrong. She had come in to look for Shreya, no doubt, her presence wasbeing missed. As it was. they were running short of hands to help and sheherself was away.The hostess. The crowd was piling up and Jeevan wasnt thatgood at handling big numbers as Shreya.Ananya had just walked in afterparking her car and noticed the huge crowd waiting outside her restaurant.A couple of minutes later, she realised the cause and thats where we comeback to the beginning of this story.
There was no point in reprimanding her for being away from her post whenshe obviously was in some form of discomfort.She got her to take a chairwhile she took the stool next to it and asked her "What happened?What upsetyou?" The story came out in bits and pieces and as the girl started toreplay the events, she seemed to lose her control again and startedsobbing. Trying to soothe her and understand her garbled words, Ananya finally made sense of what had happened.
Today was a very busy day for the eatery, people thronged and generally didnot mind waiting an hour to be seated. Turned out that one of the patronswasnt happy with the seat that he had been shown to.He was a regular too.He had been outraged that after waiting for close to 45 mins and being aregular customer too, the staff hadnt shown him enough courtesy.He had beengiven a table in the smoking section.That for some reason he had taken as apersonal insult. He had come back and told her that he did not want theseat he was given, she not knowing why, tried to convince him. With histemper raising, he had told her that he did not want to be in the smokingsection, she had the line of customers in front of her to tend to and thisguy was talking to her in raised tones. So, she told him , "Very politely Ma'am" , to wait a few minutes and Jeevan would attend to him.Less than aminute later, he came back to her and started shouting at the top of hisvoice about courtesy, common sense . So, she told him to give her a coupleof minutes and that she would find him a table in the seating area of hischoice as soon as one became free.Nothing seemed to pacify the man and hekept screaming at her.Nothing abusive thankfully, but very rude.When she could not take it anymore , she had just walked away just in caseshe lost her temper and would say something to him that she couldnt take back.
"I'll go back now ma'am, I guess he would have gone away by now. I dontknow if the hotel has lost a regular and I am sorry about this Ma'am, I should have handled it better."
,"Its not your fault, I know you well enough to say that you have handledthe toughest of customers.This guy must have been something totally out ofthis world to have affected you.Not to worry. Now smile a little, gofreshen up and come back when you feel upto it. I'll handle it till then"and she gave her a big smile.
She hoped Shreya felt better as she walked back to meet the crowd. She tooka deep breath and told herself it was ok, you can handle this.Taking careof the details, the behind the scene work was her forte.She liked stayingin the background and observing what people wanted.Studying people, theirreactions, expressions, animated voices , all that was what she enjoyeddoing.She always tried to shirk away from facing people.And now, it had tobe done. As she walked back, she wondered who this guy was who had createdsuch a huge ruckus that had actually ruffled one of her best.Must be an oldgeezer probably uptight about smoking.Old world grandpa with deeply setnotions of how senior citizens are to be treated.She conjured up and imageof a retired military guy, bald with snow white moustache which isgenerally treated as a symbol of pride, walking stiffly and upright like hewas marching under orders.And laughed. She could imagine him towering over Shreya while she helplessly tried to convince him to wait for a couple of minutes.
15 minutes later, she was too lost in checking in on the service, findingthe right seat, keeping track of which tables were getting freed-up, whichwere in the dessert stage , so she could add them to the next openings, atleast now people were contained into the seating area and not overflowingonto the street.It would show the Banerjee's on the other side how good herbusiness was but she had always thought it was demeaning to have to standon the street in a queue just to eat food. And in the same tone, she triednot to let it happen at her hotel.She would have to open another branchsoon , she knew it but had been postponing it. The brand was in the making,it had good wishes of quite a few regulars, people came from halfway acrosstown too on special occasions, there was a lot of good will that she couldcash in on.There was the investment for that, she had to get the rightbuiling , she had to start scouting for locations, then there was the ....No, she firmly told herself, not now, think of all that later leisurely.Notnow.Almost waiting to break her chain of thought, if she hadnt done soherself, up next was a man whose face was a weird pink. She smiled at himand she made the usual statement "Good evening sir, welcome to Ananya's.Will it be just you or will someone be joining you?"
"Ah, you are a different one.Let me start from the very beginning. It willbe just me.I want to be seated in the non-smoking section." Pause."Is thatclear enough or do I have to repeat myself?"AHA ! so, this was he. She stood silent for a second before replying tohim. She was about to open her mouth when Shreya opened the door to comein, one look at the guy and she stepped right back out in that veryinstant.She laughed.She couldnt help herself, the poor girl had to choose that exact moment to come back, didn't she.
"Something you find amusing?"
She looked back at him, the ring of laughter still in her tone, and said,"Yes, you seemed to have scared Shreya, the hostess for the evening. I had no idea that someone who seems as congenial as you do would have that effect on people. As for your seating request, I am flattered that you like our place enough to have come back after that mini-show you had put on.
Ananya saw the hesitation on her face and knew that she would tell her whatwas wrong. She had come in to look for Shreya, no doubt, her presence wasbeing missed. As it was. they were running short of hands to help and sheherself was away.The hostess. The crowd was piling up and Jeevan wasnt thatgood at handling big numbers as Shreya.Ananya had just walked in afterparking her car and noticed the huge crowd waiting outside her restaurant.A couple of minutes later, she realised the cause and thats where we comeback to the beginning of this story.
There was no point in reprimanding her for being away from her post whenshe obviously was in some form of discomfort.She got her to take a chairwhile she took the stool next to it and asked her "What happened?What upsetyou?" The story came out in bits and pieces and as the girl started toreplay the events, she seemed to lose her control again and startedsobbing. Trying to soothe her and understand her garbled words, Ananya finally made sense of what had happened.
Today was a very busy day for the eatery, people thronged and generally didnot mind waiting an hour to be seated. Turned out that one of the patronswasnt happy with the seat that he had been shown to.He was a regular too.He had been outraged that after waiting for close to 45 mins and being aregular customer too, the staff hadnt shown him enough courtesy.He had beengiven a table in the smoking section.That for some reason he had taken as apersonal insult. He had come back and told her that he did not want theseat he was given, she not knowing why, tried to convince him. With histemper raising, he had told her that he did not want to be in the smokingsection, she had the line of customers in front of her to tend to and thisguy was talking to her in raised tones. So, she told him , "Very politely Ma'am" , to wait a few minutes and Jeevan would attend to him.Less than aminute later, he came back to her and started shouting at the top of hisvoice about courtesy, common sense . So, she told him to give her a coupleof minutes and that she would find him a table in the seating area of hischoice as soon as one became free.Nothing seemed to pacify the man and hekept screaming at her.Nothing abusive thankfully, but very rude.When she could not take it anymore , she had just walked away just in caseshe lost her temper and would say something to him that she couldnt take back.
"I'll go back now ma'am, I guess he would have gone away by now. I dontknow if the hotel has lost a regular and I am sorry about this Ma'am, I should have handled it better."
,"Its not your fault, I know you well enough to say that you have handledthe toughest of customers.This guy must have been something totally out ofthis world to have affected you.Not to worry. Now smile a little, gofreshen up and come back when you feel upto it. I'll handle it till then"and she gave her a big smile.
She hoped Shreya felt better as she walked back to meet the crowd. She tooka deep breath and told herself it was ok, you can handle this.Taking careof the details, the behind the scene work was her forte.She liked stayingin the background and observing what people wanted.Studying people, theirreactions, expressions, animated voices , all that was what she enjoyeddoing.She always tried to shirk away from facing people.And now, it had tobe done. As she walked back, she wondered who this guy was who had createdsuch a huge ruckus that had actually ruffled one of her best.Must be an oldgeezer probably uptight about smoking.Old world grandpa with deeply setnotions of how senior citizens are to be treated.She conjured up and imageof a retired military guy, bald with snow white moustache which isgenerally treated as a symbol of pride, walking stiffly and upright like hewas marching under orders.And laughed. She could imagine him towering over Shreya while she helplessly tried to convince him to wait for a couple of minutes.
15 minutes later, she was too lost in checking in on the service, findingthe right seat, keeping track of which tables were getting freed-up, whichwere in the dessert stage , so she could add them to the next openings, atleast now people were contained into the seating area and not overflowingonto the street.It would show the Banerjee's on the other side how good herbusiness was but she had always thought it was demeaning to have to standon the street in a queue just to eat food. And in the same tone, she triednot to let it happen at her hotel.She would have to open another branchsoon , she knew it but had been postponing it. The brand was in the making,it had good wishes of quite a few regulars, people came from halfway acrosstown too on special occasions, there was a lot of good will that she couldcash in on.There was the investment for that, she had to get the rightbuiling , she had to start scouting for locations, then there was the ....No, she firmly told herself, not now, think of all that later leisurely.Notnow.Almost waiting to break her chain of thought, if she hadnt done soherself, up next was a man whose face was a weird pink. She smiled at himand she made the usual statement "Good evening sir, welcome to Ananya's.Will it be just you or will someone be joining you?"
"Ah, you are a different one.Let me start from the very beginning. It willbe just me.I want to be seated in the non-smoking section." Pause."Is thatclear enough or do I have to repeat myself?"AHA ! so, this was he. She stood silent for a second before replying tohim. She was about to open her mouth when Shreya opened the door to comein, one look at the guy and she stepped right back out in that veryinstant.She laughed.She couldnt help herself, the poor girl had to choose that exact moment to come back, didn't she.
"Something you find amusing?"
She looked back at him, the ring of laughter still in her tone, and said,"Yes, you seemed to have scared Shreya, the hostess for the evening. I had no idea that someone who seems as congenial as you do would have that effect on people. As for your seating request, I am flattered that you like our place enough to have come back after that mini-show you had put on.
An incomplete attempt
She looked at the clock. The hour hand hadnt moved.Why did'nt it? She had patiently waited for a year, but this last one hour was taking forever. She looked at the clock again. Did it move ? or were her eyes just playing tricks on her? She looked around her. There was almost no one else in the station, just the porters lying around. She got up, went and got herself a coffee. It did nothing to soothe her nerves. She walked up and down, sat on the bench, the beautiful sunrise went un-noticed. She paced up and down the platform more than a hundred times and yet that darned clock hand wouldnt move.
"I will be back on the 17th". There was no hi-hello, she picked up the phone at the first ring and she heard the hoop of joy and "I will be back on the 17th". It was the 17th today, all of 5.30 am. Then she heard the whistle of the train as it chugged into the station. Her eyes looked searchingly at every door, into every window, where was he?
He found her before she did him. She was knotting and unknotting the edge of her dupatta. She always did that when she got nervous around him and it always made him smile. Everytime he had heard her voice over the phone, he had imagined her doing that or throwing her long plait over her shoulder like she would when playfully teasing him. Sigh, he had missed her so much the last few months. As he looked at her now he felt it more than he had in all his moments of loneliness, than all those moments when he spent hours looking at her photo and cursing himself for having gone away from her.
She saw him, he was half-hanging out from the train. He was here. The guy with the cutest smile she had ever seen, the guy she had her first crush on, her best friend, the love of her life, her husband was here. He had his broadest smile on, head half tilted, that unruly mop of hair falling over his forehead. She broke into a smile and then into laughter, the whole year melted into nothingness. The train screeched to a halt.He got off the train and walked towards her. Time stilled around them. She was laughing, her happy laugh- oh how he had missed the sight of that.
She stretched out her hand and touched his face. She let her palm linger over his cheek, she felt the slight stubble.As her fingers curled backwards, he held her hands to his face.Her soft fingers against his skin felt like pure magic. He sensed her moving her fingers away maybe because of the place they were in, but he dint really care. He pressed her fingers against his face and close his eyes, letting the sensation sink into him. He opened his eyes and saw the expression on her face had changed. She was trying her best not to break down.
The tears were welling up within her. She dint want to make a scene. It hurt to be so close and have to be away.
"I will be back on the 17th". There was no hi-hello, she picked up the phone at the first ring and she heard the hoop of joy and "I will be back on the 17th". It was the 17th today, all of 5.30 am. Then she heard the whistle of the train as it chugged into the station. Her eyes looked searchingly at every door, into every window, where was he?
He found her before she did him. She was knotting and unknotting the edge of her dupatta. She always did that when she got nervous around him and it always made him smile. Everytime he had heard her voice over the phone, he had imagined her doing that or throwing her long plait over her shoulder like she would when playfully teasing him. Sigh, he had missed her so much the last few months. As he looked at her now he felt it more than he had in all his moments of loneliness, than all those moments when he spent hours looking at her photo and cursing himself for having gone away from her.
She saw him, he was half-hanging out from the train. He was here. The guy with the cutest smile she had ever seen, the guy she had her first crush on, her best friend, the love of her life, her husband was here. He had his broadest smile on, head half tilted, that unruly mop of hair falling over his forehead. She broke into a smile and then into laughter, the whole year melted into nothingness. The train screeched to a halt.He got off the train and walked towards her. Time stilled around them. She was laughing, her happy laugh- oh how he had missed the sight of that.
She stretched out her hand and touched his face. She let her palm linger over his cheek, she felt the slight stubble.As her fingers curled backwards, he held her hands to his face.Her soft fingers against his skin felt like pure magic. He sensed her moving her fingers away maybe because of the place they were in, but he dint really care. He pressed her fingers against his face and close his eyes, letting the sensation sink into him. He opened his eyes and saw the expression on her face had changed. She was trying her best not to break down.
The tears were welling up within her. She dint want to make a scene. It hurt to be so close and have to be away.
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