Transitions in career

Don’t know how far is this title of the blog a misnomer, but before one takes pain of reading it and deciphering the emotions behind writing it, I hereby admit that I’m frustrated, pissed off and under tremendous mental pressure as I pen this down.

I still remember those days when people looked up to me for help, for assignments, for cheating from in exams. I was the only guy who’d help all not only because he wanted to help but also because he only could. I was the merit guy, the uncrowned class representative, the topper, etc Shri. Tamal Ghosal. Didn’t know that topper would topple so easily when real life tested his true merit.

“True merit” is a really deceiving set of words indeed. What is true merit? Is it the art of saying “yes” to every single thing just to appear positive in life and approach? Is it the talent of coaxing or cajoling? Idealistic college chaps with good marks would say “of course not”. But there’s where they are so mistaken. A person’s knowledge, his efficiencies, his capabilities are all mere parameters that would help him clear a job interview and get into a place called “the real exam centre”. The place that recruits people based on excellence in those parameters which it itself teaches to be null and void subsequently in life. In our initial training, we were taught that work life is to learn, unlearn and relearn. I didn’t know the relevance of this line then. It actually means to learn academics in college unlearn it by mere exposure to frustrating and least technical works ever and finally relearn the art of flattery and buttery to get to the ultimate goal, promotion.

It was on a fine June summer when I went to join my company for the first day in Gurgaon. Hardly had I known anything about the future that awaits me there. A warm welcome and grand stay of 15 days did really boost me up morally. It was amazing a experience. I was in a company that surely would treat merit with its due reward. I loved it.

From there, we were dispatched to our respective locations for on the job training of approximately 3 months duration during which we shall be able to avail all facilities and earnings of a full time officer. We were sent to Haldia, a remote place, so called industrial hub of West Bengal. We had a 3 months pleasant stay there amidst other trainee friends. Time did go by like a storm. Then suddenly, on fine evening, our final postings came. Turns out most of the people were transferred away and I was to continue in Haldia only. I was no disappointed then since it was near my hometown Kolkata. So it was more or less good news. But alas! I was wrong.

I was given an office order, henceforth, to report to an Inspection Manager. I shall not disclose his name in my blog due to obvious reasons. He was a tyrant in saintly camouflage of divine spiritualism. A God fearing person, who, I now know, must’ve feared God for his own tyranny and shrewd politics. I was made full time in charge of LPG mounded bullet inspection. Our HOD seemed to have a special something for this mounded bullet project, for reasons yet unconfirmed. He made me find flaws in the construction of the bullets and report them on daily basis. It was sort of disturbing intention towards the contractors. However, I obeyed his instructions and found new checklist points every single day. This was to the utter dislike of my boss who often expressed his irritation by tearing and throwing my reports right on my face. I do not exaggerate. Things went on like this until I was given new offsite piping job under me too. I had to work day and night at site for this and hence didn’t have to face boss a lot. So I was happy and my efficiency rose to a great extent. I used to work from 7:30 hrs to 21:30 hrs every day along with frequent night shifts included. I had spent more than 4 sleepless 24 hours for my work sometimes but never regretted one bit of it since I loved to work hard. Pleased with my work, at least I thought so then, I was added the additional responsibility of the upcoming Hydro cracker and Hydrogen generation projects. I was boosted further and worked even harder. My HOD was apparently very impressed and promised me, after commissioning I was to take charge of the inspection of the running hydrocracker and hydrogen generation plants. That would be high profile indeed. So I was very happy and did put my 150% in job. The hard phase went on for another 6 months almost. I had gained confidence of the top people from production, project, maintenance, process departments as well as those of top managements including ED, GMs. Little did I know of the fact that my boss was such a jealous politician who was so jealous of my growing popularity. He thought I was overshadowing him too. Two days after the plant was commissioned, I was withdrawn from it and sent to fuel oil block for a major revamp shutdown. And that time, Hydrocracker and Hydrogen block was handed over to his favourite good boy, let’s call him Mr. X. And henceforth I was out of it. My boss also succeeded in ear poisoning my HOD against me which was evident from the evaluation he ended up giving me.

Revamp shutdown lasted for another 2 ½ months. Surprisingly I found my enthusiasm back and worked hard here too. It felt good to see, even here, other department people were really looking up to me. I was enjoying the reputation as well as praising from top management. This plant was smoothly started up too. Things were in great shape. Then one day, my boss played his role again. I was withdrawn from fuel oil block as well. Then I was handed over to Lube Oil Block (LOB) and new sulphur recovery block.

LOB is often considered very dirty and low profile zone. But to my favour, in three months from my joining, there were two major parallel M&I shutdowns in LOB. Again it was my chance to show my efficiency. I kept working hard and harder. People from all departments in this block also took special fondness for me seeing my work. I got accustomed to this block as well. Then finally comes the shutdown. My new HOD (former transferred) and boss were both becoming more and more insane and irritating. 3 people already had quit the company out of frustration and dislike for them and one senior person took his transfer by all sorts of pleadings. I was asked to check the alloy composition of each and every pipe components of the entire 2 units within a week along with regular shutdown jobs. The first time I denied a job considering it was impossible. I didn’t know that all I had to do was to say “yes”, and after that even if I didn’t do it nobody would remember. All a person here has to do is say “yes”. I was mistaken and so was thrown to nightshift for 7 days considering I was having a negative attitude towards job. However, here also I didn’t lose my enthusiasm. The systematic way in which I did night shift coordination and prepared daily reports turned out to be exemplary and got my reputation even higher among people around me.

Yes, you must’ve guessed by now. I was thrown out of LOB as well. I was then handed over to thermal power plant of our refinery. I daresay it’s the worst zone of the refinery. People here are all bloody politicians and nobody gives a damn about what work is to be done. Everybody is an arse here. And now, situation is that, I have learnt to say “yes” no matter what. I say “yes” and then do not do the work but I am always undisturbed. I butter people above me and they tend to stay happy. I do not try to get reputation out of the way and so nobody is jealous. But I realized it too late. These things may prevent further downfall but cannot get me back high ever again. As I stand today, I see a few old rusted boilers, fire water pipes and fire extinguishers. The sovereign eagle had his wings chopped off and sabotaged. All he can do now is limp and pick grains scattered on the floor.

Thus, a guy of merit and a topper has toppled in life and just trying to find one hand which can pull him up and say “move on buddy, you can still do it”. But that hand seems to be fictitious since it never comes. Even after my boss’s recent transfer, the situations didn’t improve. Nobody still thought to give me back what I truly deserved. I think, may be, I deserved this only.

Micro Observer Duty:

2^nd May 2011; a Monday to be accurate. It’s usually so irritating to wake up early on Mondays after a lazy Sunday. But this Monday was different, and so was the preceding Sunday. That’s because I had to go for my election duty and so the Sunday was busy mostly gathering and packing stuffs of utility.

I kept lying on the bed till 10 and then got up to get finally ready since the car was asked to pick us up at 12:00 hrs. At precisely quarter to 12:00 hrs I left my quarter for the officers club where the vehicle was asked to come. Eight friends including me were to start off together from our place to Contai. After we all assembled, we kept waiting for another half an hour or so till the vehicle finally arrived at 12:30 hrs. With irritation in heart and prayers in mind, we set off on our journey. The roads were known yet destination unknown so far.

At around 14:30 hrs we arrived at our designated assembly place i.e. P. K. College Contai. There were so many other people over there that we could hardly make out where to go ourselves. Following signboards we separated to our respective meeting points from where we were supposed to be sent to our assigned locations. We first had to submit our i.cards for lamination. Don’t know why’s that for considering it’s going to be used for just a day. Still, rules are rules. After, say 2 hours or more of waiting, there entered a messenger with laminated i.cards and asked us to go to the bus stand to take buses to our respective regional offices. The list of our assigned offices was displayed on some notice board, which, needless to say, required more of our endeavor to check while crossing oceans of other interested officers on similar duty.

Then, finally at evening we walked to the bus stand to witness yet another confused scenario. The transport in charge their, knew nothing whatsoever about which bus will go where. Moreover, confusion remained about where exactly were we posted, when different people started asserting different statements. It took almost 2 – 2 ½ hours there to finally ascertain our postings from the block development officer and finally get on the right bus. We reached our designated centre in few minutes after that. This, they called their regional office. Here, we were given names of our respective sector officers who’ll escort us to the sector office. We were all given different sector officers to go with.

It was pouring heavily outside and so we waited inside the regional office for the sector officer. My sector officer came at last. He took me with him and in a maruti omni along with 3 other micro observers from other places. We were taken to a most remote location I’ve ever seen in my life. It was a so called secondary school with not even a drinking water facility. Mosquitoes abandoned the place and flies and grasshoppers were plenty. It was already 23 hrs so we decided to retire to sleep. But where do we sleep. There were only narrow benches in a class room, nothing else at all. Finally we decided to join benches and sleep on them. Mosquitoes were taken care of repellant lotion that I was carrying with me. About grasshoppers, we left them to chance. Let’s see what happens.

Next morning, we had to wake up at 04:00 hrs. On freshening up beside a pond nearby, we were picked up again by our plump sector officer. He then dropped us to our respective polling stations at exactly 05:30 hrs. He dropped me in a primary school. The school was only to be called so. There were hardly 2 5x5 sq m rooms. It had corrugated tin roofs on bamboo framework, bamboo bathrooms with tin plates as doors. Electricity hasn’t reached this part of the remote world. Drinking water was no where to be found except for a hand pump which oozed saline water only. From inside this so called school was emitting some hurricane lamp light. Inside the room was sitting 4 people. Sector officer introduced them to me.  The short mustached man was the presiding officer, the tall bald man was polling officer 1, and the others were polling officer 2 and 3. Outside were four gun men with automatic rifles. They were expected to ensure security of the polling booth.

Thereafter I was left with them for the rest of the day. Polling agents representing different polling parties arrived at 6:00 hrs. In front of them, mock poll was carried out first for checking the authenticity of the ballot machine. Then at 07:00 hrs, actual poll began. It’s hard to believe how oldest of the old citizens show up with such enthusiasm and in such high numbers. Presiding officer had tough time dealing with the crowd flow and polling agent 2 was a jerk, didn’t know a bit of the job he was assigned. It was a nightmare dealing with such high number of people arriving. I was relaxed considering I was only to observe and not execute. Hourly I was to compare total nos. of votes so far. This continued till 12:30 hrs. Then I went for lunch. The lunch consisted of plain rice, salt less lentils and a very poorly prepared fish. But amidst such hunger I ate these food hungrily since I had no rice since last 1 ½ days. The hunger was literally killing me. After lunch, the presiding officer and polling officers took turns to have their lunch too while others still taking care of the poll. After that, the crowd rush was much less. People kept coming in ones and twos till almost 15:30 hrs. After that, till 17:00 hrs, no one showed up and finally, in presence of polling agents and me, the poll was officially closed. Then, I was instructed to follow all formalities till the end. The polling officers were loose indeed. They kept filling forms and submission documents for almost another 2 hrs. The polling agents had all left. It was dark around and the officers just finished their job. I too had finished filling my documents long ago. But even after 19:00 hrs, no escort van showed up. We started walking along pitch black darkness with torches in hand and walking along meandering soil roads amidst rice farms. Finally, after walking almost 2 kms, we reached a tea stall where we saw the escort van of election commission arriving.

We got on to the van with enthusiasm which finally took us to a bus stop. We were asked to get down the van and board the bus. We did accordingly and then came to know that we’ve to wait for three other polling groups to board the bus before we could move back to main centre. So we’d to wait another 1 hr until finally the bus set off for its destination. It took almost half an hour till we finally reached contai main bus stand. There we came to know that bus wont go any ahead since there’s traffic rush ahead. So we had to walk another 20 mins among rushing crowds till we finally reached our initial assembly point i.e. P. K. College.

There I found a huge crowd waiting to submit their ballot machines. Luckily separate booth was maintained for submission of micro observer report. I submitted my report after duly sealing the envelop with sealing wax. Then I communicated with my remaining seven friends from the group to assemble there. They also took their time to come and meet up. Finally we were together again. Then we decided to take dinner in a nearby hotel and this followed by our final departure homeward.

It took around another 2 hrs to reach home at around midnight. We bid ourselves farewell and finally got into my quarter only to sit down and relax. Then I freshened up to retire on bed. Next day has been declared holiday for us which definitely is good news. Sleeping and closing my eyes I began to reflect all that had happened in past few days. Considering political turmoil in Bengal, this duty was indeed a near miss but at the end of the day I’m safe though tired. This experience one can never forget in a lifetime. An achievement worth remembering. An experience worth sharing. I don’t know when I felt asleep.

Election Duty Training Day

It’s a wonderful spring morning. Getting up from bed early had never felt this sweet. Something must be terribly wrong somewhere. That’s the only thing that can explain such a strange behavior from me being happy to wake early. It’s more unusual than a cat enjoying the first monsoon drizzle.

Wondering about these, I began yet another day of my office life. Brushing, bathing, freshening, dressing and finally getting off for office. I had hardly started my pc in office when my phone rang. I answered with utmost carelessness and ease. What I heard made me alert and disbelieve my ears. Jesus! Is it possible? The said, “you have been selected, for the duty of micro observer in the state election phase of your district.”

It hit me like a bolt of lightning. “Election duty amidst such political turmoil going on in my state!” thought I. “Could my HOD not resist this much pressure from top?” All these thoughts made me go crazy but there was nothing I could possibly do. The list of selected officers has come from the election commission and district magistrate. There’s no changing it. In brief, there’s no escape.

The schedule handed over to me was as below:

·         Day 1: training at P.K. College Contai.

·         Day 2, 3: micro observer duty at south Contai.

So like an old devil fearing approaching doom, I waited for day 1 until it finally approached. It was a splendid April morning. Eight friends including me had hired an innova car for the trip. We started off at 9:30 hrs sharp from our estate. The journey began quite casually except that the driver was a roadside biker boy who hardly knew the difference between a gearless scooter and a big car like innova. He was keener on overtaking bumpers from sideways than on slowing down at speed breakers and indeed got us into a very uncomfortable ride. That aside, we didn’t have much problem in reaching the destination.

On reaching there, we knew what crowd could be like. There was no place to put foot on and they said we’re supposed to cross this crowd and reach the stage in the centre for getting the ids stamped. Cross the crowd! I mean come on; we’d be in a stampede our selves before getting ids stamped. But again, listeners are so few indeed. So we, with loads of efforts, managed to cross this ocean of people to reach the central stage and got our ids stamped. So far I felt proud of the huge population of my country. But now, all of a sudden I so regretted that huge number and disregarded them like my worst enemies. “What are so many people doing here? Who knows?”

Finally, the jostle ended and we were asked to assemble in different class rooms for training. We did so. A trainer approached and started shooting his entire election knowledge data base at us. I don’t know what we were supposed to do with so much knowledge. What does he think? We’re to continue in administrative service and election process forever! But the exasperation was interrupted by the intrusion of a very hot tempered IAS officer who’ supposed to be heading the procedure. He was seemingly very dissatisfied with the training imparted to us by the instructors and hence decided, instead of training us himself, to rebuke and yell at the instructors for half an hour. Apart from wasting time, this gesture had other ill effects too. After the training was over, the instructors were afraid and reluctant to release us, thinking the man would return again and yell back. So this wasted even more time.

Finally, after all this hustle bustle and its and bits, the training program ended. And it was lunch time. Such an amazing place we were in, at 13:30 hours, all local shops and hotels had closed and after about an hour and half of wandering all around, all we could locate was a small stall with few chapattis and lentils. We had that and set off for a nearby sea tourist spot about 30 kms away, more out of frustration and disgust than for excitement. The place is called mandarmani (although there’s nothing mani or money about that place).

It took us about 40 minutes to reach mandarmani from Contai. One unique thing about this place is that, there’s road only up to the point we reach there. After that there’s only beach and car needs to drive on the beach for few kms to get to the hotel. Now, for all people who managed to find free time to read this blog of mine, any place with any peculiarity has people finding ways to exploit that peculiarity for selfish gains or profit (in professional language). Mandarmani is no exception. There are a whole bunch of local people who dig considerable portion of the beach sand and fill them with loose sand, so that it isn’t recognizable as a pit or trap unless scrutinized carefully. When passing vehicles fall into these created pits they charge huge amounts of money to pull the heavy vehicles out of the pits and thus make a handsome profit. So we carefully drove across the beach to avoid such traps and managed to reach a nearby restaurant.

The restaurant was a decent one. We sat in the lawn and had chicken fry, mutton kabab, fried pomfret and other snacks for the evening. We were so full. Finally, it was post twilight, darkness fell. And thus we headed back home. Oh no. Not so fast. We first must drive back safely across the beach and what’s that? Roll, slip and thud. There we were, in our innova, fallen in one of those trick pits on the beach. Now what? What the hell now? Eight of us, with all our might and toil, pushed the vehicle as hard as we could but only to see it wouldn’t move an inch. And to add to our honour, we were head to toe in mud and beach sand.

Head to toe in mud and knee deep into trouble and to add to the situation, it was high tide. So we had to negotiate with local people. They asked for 5000 bucks. Helpless, we pretended being college students on picnic. I understand their difficulty in believing that but we could make them drop down to 2000 after 1 hr of negotiation. Then about 20 people pulled the innova out and we got into it, all laden and battered with mud. This way we headed home. Only to realize few mins later that our driver had drunk and his driving skills showed new colours every second.

With our eyes closed and prayers for survival in mind, finally, we reached our place at about 9:30 at night. We were not hungry and so directly headed to our quarters. On reaching there, I was in no mood for doing anything else. It was a hard day and I retired on bed. Tired and tensed about day 2 and 3. Lets see what they have in store for us.

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.