Work Whispers- Entry2-The Official Entry

 What would you think be your reaction when your college days suddenly came to end and you find yourself in your office seat? Though it was not so easy as it would sound in the previous line, I was destined to move out of my hometown (though it was a major metro city by itself) to another city of an unfamiliar language and go through a brief training period of two and half months. I will later tell you about my induction and training days, if I would begin from the start it would take an eternity for you to read this blog and a lifetime for me to compose it. After our successful training period, we were asked to arrive straight to office hall after our breakfast. We had our customary breakfast in the office canteen. I had made several friends during my training days, they have become my breakfast-lunch companions. After the breakfast, it was now our mission to find our way to hall location to amalgamate with our destiny. We know that expecting a training companion as a team member would be a remote possibility. We were told some of us who were lucky enough would have a training companion in their assigned teams. My luck usually sucks! So with no much expectation I had prepared my mind to take on my position and face my war solemnly, like a mighty knight! After a brief hall hunt we came to halt. We now planned to look out for someone who could help us figuring our location. This time we couldn’t depend on Google. Was it a common location, Google would have helped us locate it, though sometimes it would occasionally display hearing problem and manipulate our conversation. If you would ask Google “Google where is the town hall here”, it would understand and answer for “where is the clown hall near”.  To accomplish our mission, we now set in search for security guard after couple of failed attempts asking some trespassers. We felt like we were the new character inclusions in Dora the Explorer episode. Asking “Map” (in this case our security) our way. But in this case we had to figure out where our map is first. We soon spotted one security guard and asked him the way to town hall. He gave us a baffled look as if he heard the name for the first time in his existence. He looked both the ways like a lost kid searching for someone in Kumba Mela. I lost any hope spotting the town hall.” Perhaps does he also have any hearing problem like Google? He looks stunned, may be town hall would have sounded like Gown hall to him. Or maybe he was also newly recruited like us, he looked half surprised as we were after hearing it.” I thought. I dint want him to mistake our search to “Gown hall” and show us way to Ladies toilet thinking that’s what we were hunting for, so I ensured if his ears were functioning properly by repeating the question again. He waved at another security person and talked to him and the other person helped us. “Go behind the staircase you will find a passage leading downwards and turn left. It’s so simple” he said.  “What? What can’t you choose a location that could be spotted easier? What do u expect us to be? Nancy Drew to find a hidden passage and hidden staircases? And solve mystery? “I retorted in my mind.

“Why choose this bunker, as if recruiting us to a secret mission or as a spy! It’s after all a technical job” my mind exclaimed as soon as we entered our destination. The same new faces that were present in training were appearing. The hall was not so big as expected , it was a medium sized hall, a large sized conference room with minimal chairs. Some of them dragged chairs that were anywhere spottable nearby , when that too ran out, the others had no choice but to stand. After half an hour an unknown faces appeared out of nowhere whipping his mouth and introduced himself as someone … which I eventually forgot. We had to wait for our turn until someone was there for us to pick us up.  He called 4-5 names like a receptionist would announce the name one by one for the doctor’s appointment. My turn arrived. A man in his 40-5o’s was escorting five us. We know he was to be in a manager’s post. He took us to another conference room to simply explain to us that four out of five of us were not under him. He called our manager one by one to take us.  I was the last to be escorted, when a face came up to me and told “come.. I will be your manager”. When we went to my working place floor, he introduced himself as Saravanan. He introduced me to couple of new faces, whose names were very tough for me to remember. Moreover, the whole process of waiting had made me sick! I could no longer stay proactive to remember any of their faces nor their names. He then took me to a room full of devices and showed, ”these are our lab, you know anything of PLC?”. I nodded with a strong ‘no’. He looked disappointed hearing my answer. What else do you expect from a fresher? You give us some random training for us in some programing language, soft skills and ethics and values as if we were finding purpose in life, and now ask if I know about PLCs. “These are my team” he showed 4-5 people seated in front of computers. I nodded with a smile , while they greeted with a stare. He then asked me “Did you have lunch?”. Only then I had notices that the clock has truck 12 and I had just passed my day waiting for my destiny to be bestowed upon.

The Luncheon:

I tried calling up most of my training mates for lunch. Only Sindhu happened to have turned up as she was also in my project but with the other team. My other training lunch companions were invited formally or informally to have lunch with their new team mates. They had their tables reserved for them, very warm and welcoming. I hated the fact that I was not bestowed with the same welcome. Neither anyone invited me for lunch nor anyone cared. Everyone seemed to have bonded well with their team mates well and very contented with the warm welcome, while I had not even met a sole I would be working with other than Saravanan and couple of random person. The only thing I could be happy about is I had one another soul with me who met the same fate as mine. I too was not a very out-warded extrovert, to introduce myself to a stranger and befriend random people. I had already started feeling like a fish out of tank, the constant waiting had caused me a mental fatigue to take such an eccentric drastic step to have my self-introduced to a stranger.  When I went back, Sarvanan had set me up a temporary pc and gave me random text files to go through and vanished. By then some of the people had exchanged formal pleasantries with me and quickly retreated back like a tortoise to their shell.

The next day!

The next day, I had not yet come in terms with reality of not knowing my team yet. I hated to again be put into an embarrassing inconvenient situation. I hated to go back , but had no choice left. My other customary breakfast mates were grandly boasting about their team and the welcoming ceremony and luncheon in an exasperating manner which lead me back to a distraught mind-set.

I arrived early to my place as Saravanan had left me abruptly last day without informing anything. I waited for 3 hours between which my seat was proclaimed by someone else to be his. I found a random other seat hoping to have not belonged to anyone else. Waiting in ration was far better nobody would proclaim your place in the queue, as if it was some governor post.

 Saravanan came up to his workspace relaxed. I expected him to notice me. I climbed out of my seat and stood. He walked past me without a notice. Something seem to have preoccupied him. I waited for him to notice me. But no hope.” Has he forgotten me? Or am I supposed to go and remained who I am again?” I questioned myself.  I went on to ensure my presence to him.

I went on, “Sir!” .

"Please do not send me away again asking if I had breakfast... Or to go have it once more" my mind craved!

He replied without a look busy fiddling with laptop  “who?”….

” HAA? Duke of Edinburgh” my inner voice said.

“ooh! You! The new employee. What’s ur name?”  he asked.

” You took me to the office tour without knowing my name? Wonderful!” my inner voice retorted.

“ Kamala Balakrishnan ” I replied.

“Ooh!  Miss. Kamala Balakrishnan . What’s Balakrishnan? He asked opening my profile on his laptop.

“What do you expect it to be ?  a tee shirt brand?” my inner voice retorted but I managed to give a blank stare.

“Your father’s name?” he asked once again.

“No my milkmaid’s name!  Then? What do you expect. You clearly see that “Miss “ before my name  so it cannot be husband’s name as I  couldn’t have one. Does it sound like a place to you?” my mind was badly responding.

I said politely “yes sir!”

“ You can be seated there ( pointing to where I was seated before) . You will get a workstation in a day or two” he said

“ Thank you! But what should I do? “ I asked him politely.

“ Read those text files I have given you!” he said.

I retreated back to my place where the workspace was set up two days later. Do you expect the things to grow any better? Well it did a little, after a few months. But I managed to have lunch alone accompanying myself. It took time for me to come in terms with reality. I had eventually lowered my expectations and accepted my destiny.  We had a formal welcome and induction to our team after 2-3 months of joining… you will see that in next episode perhaps.