HAPPY NEW YEAR

Waking up in the morning had never been so energetic all these 364 days so far in 2010. After all it’s her (2010’s) farewell day. She’d been with us since last one whole year. It’s been longer than the longest date for most teenagers these days. After all it’s the day to say her “you’re out”. How could I miss it?

Waking up, I found the sun brighter than it had been all this year so far. Things are definitely going to change from tomorrow. At least let’s hope so for now. Why spoil the excitement? Thus, with all these positive anticipations in mind, I got ready for work. It’s the last day at office in 2010. I reached office only to find similar glowing faces all around. All ready to get drunk in the evening and bid 2010 farewell to let 2011 usher in. Such brilliant glow was showing all around.

2010 had indeed been a very eventful year, both professionally and personally. Professionally, I witnessed and contributed the construction and commissioning of the most prestigious project of my refinery so far. Then getting kicked out of it out of sheer politics for getting all the credit and highlights from higher-ups for myself and nothing left for my ass bosses to scavenge. Taking it sportingly I had moved on to contribute in an all new block. There I coordinated a 1 ½ month’s shutdown and got quite some butter out of it. Again to the similar dislike of my higher ups who decided then to throw me in boiler block, where I am presently located. 2010 has witnessed surrender of other inspection warriors from my department also. 4 nos. of engineers from my department, out of sheer frustration with the system and, specifically, bosses had to quit the department either to join a worse company or to join in a worse location. However, on positive note, the year had something positive to add to my life too. It had been a year of great joy to my family. My elder cousin’s marriage, our family trip, a wonderful week of Durga Puja and a very happening Christmas week end. It was a great year with friends and colleagues. Tough times at work had only strengthened the bonds with friends subject to similar screwing so far.

All these memories, sort of, flashed by in my minds while I stared out of the bus’s window on my way to work. Hard to say whether these 364 days had been good or bad with me. Amidst all these dilemma and self debates, suddenly appeared a realization that we’ve arrived office and it’s time to work. With surprisingly light steps and smiling heart I headed to my cabin, with the hope that things won’t be the same long. It’s definitely going to improve.

At 9:00 am sharp, madam called to summon every one for regular morning meeting at HOD’s cabin. As usual we all assembled. Our manager, with his kingly attitude, screwed each of us in turn in a criticizing manner only with the aim to demotivate all (by the way, he’s my reporting boss and a self declared HOD. Even the official HOD hasn’t got much say before this tyrant). But who could demotivate a group of free souls on a year end? The meeting ended with a light note of a feast tomorrow morning in the department and an instruction that “I” shall organize it. “Fine with me shit head”.

The day at office just passed as yet another day with nothing much happening. At 5:00 pm sharp, we left for our homes. All set to celebrate whole heartedly at night with friends. A wonderful evening lay with us promising an even wonderful night ahead.

At a friend’s place, we all met at around 9:00 pm. Booz, snacks and music; all were ready to entertain us that night. I had to have dinner with family at home and joined my friends after 10:00. It was one hell of a night and we all celebrated to the full swing till 11:00 pm and went out after that to celebrate in the public (club) where all employees of our organization had assembled to celebrate New Yearby dancing to the tunes of music and DJ.

It was 11:59 pm in the clock, the last minute of the year. The count down began. 59, 58, 57 …. Heart beat kept amplifying. 10, 9, 8, 7 …. Don’t know from where a drop of tear came to the corner of my right eye. Is it for 2010 departing or 2011 coming or is it something totally different? 3, 2, 1 and it’s 2011.

A momentary wave of excitement swept over every one around. The couples hugged and fondled, friends cheered, the over drunks dancers fell on the floor, the olds folded hands in prayer, the kids giggled in excitement, the babies wept at the surrounding madness and the management people shook hands in formal tone of welcome. Everyone around has some expectations from 2011. Everyone expected everything this New Year. Everyone forgot 2010 whom they had welcomed with the same craze just 365 days ago. Everyone has new dreams now. Some coveted promotion at work, some marriage, some children, some love, some career, some money, some luxury but no one wants 2010 back. She is such a bitch now! Hell with her. We’ve a better mate than her. 2011 is so young, so ravishing, so virgin and so new. She’s going to change everything around. New joys are going to usher in each of our life and we’ll all be happy now.

Music kept playing after that. And we kept dancing to the tunes till another hour or so. Then we all went back home. I fell asleep immediately after I lay on bed. I had a very positive mood and a wonderful dream then.

Next morning, i.e. today, the alarm sounded just like yesterday. I woke up and freshened up. Got ready for office, all the time wandering: what has changed? Then got ready, put my shoes on, still wandering: what is new? There indeed was something new. It was s new calendar of 2011 lying on my table. I put that on my wall, replacing the 2010 calendar that I had hung a year ago. Indeed, my wall looks different now.

Happy New Year.

Unanswered Question

Life, as we call it, what is it actually? A never ending span of unfulfilled dreams and desires or a very short period of futile return less efforts which ends before we realize it has started?

A child is born, sweets distributed all over the colony, happy news accompanied with so many tears of joy. The child grows up gradually, and grows up fine and nice. The parents are grateful to god for giving them such an obedient, good natured and hard working kid. They leave no stone unturned to give their child just the future that they had dreamed for him. They stay awake nights together when their child is ill, the sacrifice their own festivities to buy new clothes for their child until the day the child starts feeling guilty. He starts thinking, “my parents are making so much sacrifices for me, what am I doing for them? I’ll get a good job, earn a good living and give my parents back everything they have sacrificed for me. Their sleepless nights, will I replace with nights of peaceful tension free sleep. Their gift less festival will I replace with anything they want from me. I’ll be a prop of their old age and will fulfill all my duties”. And thus the child grows up. Gets a good score, earns him a good job and decent enough money to fulfill his goal. Then all of a sudden, he hears that his mother has met with an accident and he rushes homeward. Next morning she’s no more. I do not think this is a very unnatural thing to happen. The mother was born and she had to die. But the question I ask myself is what the child’s fault was? That he desired to give his parents a better life for all that they had done for him? That he loved his parents? Every body in the world will die some day, but why did this young man lose his mother before he could give her the joy and satisfaction that he wanted to?

We talk in many languages and many sentences. Such as I’m writing this entire damn blog for may be nobody to read. But God talks with us in only two words and no one can say anything after that. Firstly birth and secondly death. I said this and now I justify. Consider a man who’s trying to ask his boss for a leave. In 80% cases, he won’t be sanctioned. However, if a man goes and say his wife’s conceived a child and he needs to go, I don’t think there’ll be anybody to deny him this right. Similar for death. If a relative or near and dear dies it’s like there’s nothing left to say after that.

I know god is too busy administering the universe and has very limited time to deal with individual prayers. But if my prayers reach him ever at all, then I’d beg him to please let all persons fulfill their noble desires before putting the full stop. Let good people get the opportunity to do good. Let noble motives be rewarded with noble opportunities.

However, why this doesn’t happen already is really my “unanswered question”.

Long Live Strike

It’s already late at night. Just had my dinner and was hanging out with friends for a cool night’s chat before finally retiring to bed and call it the day. However late it might be tonight, wouldn’t make much of a difference since the next day is declared strike so no work.

Friends and I chatted inside a lawn just in front of our hostel. The slightly clouded sky and the soft feathery breeze blowing around made the night feel splendid. Just the kind of environment you want, to have a nice time with friends on the eve of a declared off day. Didn’t know when time flew by and I saw the watch, it was half passed midnight.  We decided to call it the day and go retire in our rooms. But still, in spite of locking myself inside my room, it was not before 2:00am that I could actually go to sleep. Didn’t have any desire whatsoever of rising early next morning.

However, the desire didn’t prove very fulfilling. I was sitting in a fine restaurant with mild lit atmosphere around. There, in front of me, in another table sat the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen in my life. She was like carved out of alabaster, the perfect sculpture by the artist almighty. With lots of effort I managed to walk towards her only to ask, “Can I join you for dinner”?  Never thought those 6 words would be so difficult to come out of my mouth, but eventually they did and I was there, right in front of her waiting for her reply like an innocent child waits for her mother’s reply after asking for an extra chocolate ice cream scoop. She smiled back. It was like the most amazing smile ever. She said, “sure”. I closed my eyelids to thank god silently but then and there I heard those monotonous local patriotic songs of some political party playing too loud to let me keep my eyes closed. I opened it to look around, and there I was lying right on my bed on the early morning of the strike day and those local party people were playing their songs in full volume. The whole thing was a goddamn dream, Jesus! I mean just look at it this way. The strike is causing so much financial loss to all companies and business owners of the state, and these people won’t even let them have a well earned break by staying on their beds till late. I mean come on there’s got to be a limit of torture. It’s become like the art of wronging rightly and rightfully.

I, most reluctantly left my bed at 8:00 am and went to our mess for breakfast. It was well made today considering most customers will be eating their breakfast in the mess since there’s no office. Otherwise normally, eating breakfast here is like atoning for some past committed sin seeking forgiveness desperately.

The breakfast helped indeed improve my pissed off mood. A full stomach, as said, is the shortest path to God. With this I went back to my room to watch some television when my friend called. He invited me to his house along with 4 other friends for lunch which we’ll prepare ourselves. That was a tempting offer, since some group work on holidays is often most refreshing. I agreed to join and set off immediately.

On reaching his place I found that indeed they’ve made a wonderful arrangement so far. All grocery, spices, vegetables and fish pieces had been purchased the preceding night itself. The heaters, cookers and utensils and stuffs were ready to be used. I was excited and asked how I could help.

Now here’s a catch. I am one of those self declared kings who hate to work and above all cook. You ask me to bring you the most expensive dish from a restaurant out of my own expenditure and you’ll have it before you finish counting 100, but cooking? Not my cup of tea. But it’s indeed so damn embarrassing to sit idly and eat something cooked by friends. So I offered to help with the pealing of vegetables and other miscellaneous jobs. They agreed to this considering it the best they can get out of me. So we started off.

It took around 2 ½ hours to finish with the work. It was a superb experience overall. Working with music playing in the PC and TV on in another room is indeed fun. We finished with the cooking and everything at around 2:45 pm. It was now lunch time. Considering it was already more than 5 hours passed since I had breakfast, I was hungry too. We had prepared fine rice, lentils with tomato, fried potato fingers, fried fish and fish with mustard gravy. It was looking great and must taste good as well. With no further delay we started with the meal. It took less than 15 minutes to finish off the meal. What superb lunch! Hats off to those who cooked. It was their first time with fish and they did a fantastic job. We were all full.

For the next hour we relaxed, watched some TV and then decided to come back to our respective places. It was overall a wonderful experience. On my way back I saw my boss walking on the road. He must hate this one lost day of screwing me. I came back to my room; saw a movie on my lap top while relaxing on my bed.

It was evening when I realized I had drooled into a well deserved nap. I got up and went out once again. Few friends had assembled in front of our hostel. We chatted for a few hours. It was after sometime that we realized it was already time for dinner. Having had a heavy lunch, I chose to keep the dinner as light as possible. I had just two breads and went off to my room where I started to write this rubbish you are reading right now before finally going to sleep preparing for the next day of usual work.

Now, to all those of you who had so much free time to have gone through this and so much patience to have reached this point while reading without closing away the window out of shear boredom, I have one question. Did anyone feel anything different in the day described above, or anything so unusual that it cannot happen ever on a normal Sunday? I mean come on, this was no holiday. It was a strike meant to revolt against a particular issue. Then how come the events of this day are exactly like a casual Sunday with friends? Is it because strikes have become too common and regular in this place or is it because strikes have lost their true implications?

The answer lies in the minds of every citizen of this place. They know that strikes have now become a mass tool of humor and fun, and a mere method of making one’s presence felt. It’s the art of banging quietly and silencing loudly. It’s no longer a wakeup call for the awaken dreamers. It has now become a tool for disturbing the steady, disbalancing the balanced, calming the angry and irritating the calms. It’s sometimes even declared to ensure unavailability of witnesses at the scene of a sin, to make the dynamics static. We, the people are now so used to it that the whole damn thing makes no goddamn difference. This good turned evil of the society has now become so common that instead of debates and discussions, we rejoice on such strikes. With our inertia and casual attitude, the strikes keep striking back again and again without us even realizing the main purpose of that strike or without solving any problems as such, nevertheless creating new ones.

Without penning any further pain, I’d like to conclude with one plus point. Whether good or evil, few such strikes are most welcome. No matter how big a person talks, there isn’t anybody who dislikes getting a day off work. Strike sure ensured that for me and my friends. Hail strikes.

A Working Day

Bip bip... Bip bip… Sounded my alarm as I, most reluctantly, woke up to begin yet another day of my life. It was a dull cloudy morning. Very humid and too sweaty to continue lying on the already sweat soaked bed sheets. So I dragged myself out of my bed to get ready for my office.

As I strolled towards the bus stop, I found a group of my coworkers already assembled there with the same gloom on their face as on mine, greyer than this humid morning sky. It felt good to find more of my kind and that I aint the only one gloomy around.

My office is indeed a wonderful place. Very well organized, thereby providing wonderful ambience for working. I emphasize this more since I’m in charge of housekeeping as an additional responsibility on me, and I’m proud to say I did a good job. Anyways, I just started my regular morning networking at orkut, facebook etc for the initial half an hour. Then came in my favorite breakfast walla. He asked with his very modest and irritating tone, “sir, you want some tiffin?” I answered in affirmative and there he laid on my desk an old steel plate full of lentils, four Puris and two rasgullas rolling around like two balls on a snooker table. I took a mouthful only to realize yet again that it tastes like shit. But considering my huge appetite and unavailability of any nearby breakfast provision, I just ate it. And thus began my day at work.

The man threw my previous days report on my face. There, in ten words, you have a complete character sketch of my boss. A wonderful human being, with this extraordinary skill of making any living soul, in front of him, tremble in terror. I daresay there are people in this world, men of blood and iron, whom he wouldn’t intimidate with his stern monstrous looks. But if you are a chap like me, fond of a quiet and simple life, you’d simply curl like a woolen ball when you see or hear him coming anywhere near. But, as you know is the law of nature, even a chap like me got seasoned to face the live version of his nightmares every working day.

I asked him “what’s wrong with the report sir?”

He said “it’s too precise. Add details you idiot.”

I just remembered his statement to me the day before when he said “reports should be precise man, to the point. Please avoid such extra details”. Considering this as just a method of causing disturbance to his subordinates, I gave myself some self appreciation and said to him “as you wish sir, I’ll make the report more descriptive”.

He left my cabin with a pseudo gloomy expression on his face and a jubilant walk back to his own cabin. He achieved what he wanted to.

So, subsequently I started elaborating my report. Precisely I had only to copy and paste from the earlier draft of the same which was rejected because it had “extra details”. Only problem was it took me too much time to judiciously prepare the new version including the reordering of points to eliminate unwanted suspicion of my boss.

As I finished, I was happy finally. Looking at my watch I found its half passed 2pm. Lunch break already was over and I missed my lunch. A very bad habit from school days to finish what I’ve started without any interruption. The habit has often landed me into troubles but as said “old habits die hard”.

So, as an engineer who’s finished his job, I went empty bellied into my boss’s room for submitting my report for his final review. He was reading something and hence peered at me with his fierce red eyes from the narrow sleet between his reading glasses and eyebrows. With eye gesture he signaled me to take seat. This wass a bad sign I knew. He’s in a mood to give corrections, and so he did. Soon my black ink printed reported turned into a blue hand written sheet with the preexisting printed letters hardly visible from within.

It took me more time to do the corrections than might have been required by P.G.Wodehouse to complete his Jeeve’s Omnibus. Having made the amendments given, I re-strolled the thorny path to my master’s cabin. This time he was in great mood, I don’t know why. I suppose because he successfully made my day fruitless, me being unable to deliver any output all day long. Finally he cross signed the report and asked me to take it to our HOD.

Our HOD, most politely, took the report from me and said “I’ll see it, come tomorrow”. That’s it. Another futile working day ended for me and it was already 20:45 hours in the evening. My working hours ended at 17:00 hours, so I decided to stay 15 more minutes to claim overstay of 4 hours from the company. It’s a great company indeed at least from this perspective.

On my way back to our refinery township, I got down at the market. I was angry and burning in anger from top of my head to tip of my toe. Then I encountered so many people I knew from office who too were just returning from office. Indeed life has become so miserable but yet we all, so submissively, adjusted to it. Surprising indeed.

I then bought some petty household stuffs for my use and headed to my room. On the way I met a beggar kid asking me for some money. I felt real pity for him and gave him a chocolate I had in my bag. He was very happy and ate it greedily. That one moment of joy imparted made me feel real great.

I went to my mess to have my dinner. Finally went to my room. It was already half passed ten in the night. I decided to fall fast asleep. Several thoughts kept cropping on my mind during this time.

The kid has done no crime. What were his faults then, having born in a slum and being forced to beg for alms all his precious childhood? Why am I so privileged to have been born of such great parents, get good education, friends and a handsomely paying job? Was it my great deeds or was it just luck that landed me here? It took me less than a fraction of a second to rule out the first possibility. It was indeed just luck, and nothing more. God owes me nothing for none of my deeds. It’s us who should be grateful to him for giving us such a great life and means of earning. Bad work culture and harsh treatment are just a few bottlenecks which need to be overcome and overtaken. They are not worth ruining this precious life for. Indeed life is the most precious than anything else in the world. There are people way more deprived than me and so I must be thankful for what god has given me. It made me feel life is not so bad, not bad at all.

I don’t know when I felt asleep.