Siddharth Padhi
It began as a dull and unhurried Friday and the problem uppermost in mind was the usual early morning debate on whether Today was The Day to kick-start my grand plans of achieving a superior physical fitness. This internal upheaval usually lasts until the conscientious part of my brain comes up with a distraction, the easiest at hand being the newspaper. I could blame with some conviction the crispiness of the morning daily, with it's fresh fragrance and crackling pages for this particular weakness, for I'm sure I wouldn't care about a soggy sample. On other days, it could be a cup of hot tea or an interesting discussion on the chatlines.
I'm not one of those chaps whose lifeline is plugged into an alien system (read -Company) that controls and regulates their existence through myriad electronic devices and human schemes. These individuals follow a time pattern dictated by The(ir) System, and having settled down comfortably into their man-machine-organisation interdependence, really hit it off well. They are the guys you point out to your children, when you talk to them about striving hard to be successful in life. On the other hand, I'm rather loosely attached to several organisations, much like an ionic bond, which is kind of detachable and can do equally well with a little substitution here and a postponement there. In short, I do have the liberty to tweak my program at a reasonably short notice.
My typical working day may be summarised as: First half- TCS; second half- RBI. All else - adjust. It unwinds as the demands pile up. There could be a thing from the past that can no longer be set aside and there could be something new that has popped up and appears important for the time being. If they are accommodated, it's mostly at the expense of TCS and sometimes RBI and is like a time-share concept. (The Zurd says that in India, given enough time, problems generally resolve themselves. I have adopted this as my modus operandi for dealing with drudgery. It is, in fact, this that accounts for the clean state of my diary).
0845 Hrs:
Last date for processing the IPO.
Plan: Get it done on the way to RBI. (Few minutes late won't matter).
0917 Hrs:
Get a call from Gotya. His Dad had been keeping unwell and it was time to consider admission into a hospital. I ask him to proceed to the Kalinga hospital and give me a call so that I could come there directly.
Alternate Plan: Go to TCS early and exit on getting Gotya's call. Do the IPO thereafter; maybe in the afternoon.
1033 Hrs:
Not enough petrol in the car to risk TCS.
Another Plan: Fill up petrol at Sahid Nagar and finish the IPO thing. Go to hospital. TCS- we'll see if something comes up.
1036 Hrs:
Mama has called an electrician for some fault repair and has gone for her classes. (She still teaches at the University). Now I have to supervise this guy.
Fresh Plan: Hospital when Gotya calls. TCS- we'll see.
1102 Hrs:
Call from TCS (something came up). The electrical job is almost done.
New Plan: Go to TCS. Get petrol on the way at CSPur. Wait for Gotya's call. IPO- we'll see.
1118 Hrs:
I'm on my way to TCS and I get a call from a patient's phone. It's his wife - in panic mode. She is incoherent and the call terminates before I can gather tangible details. Busy on repeated redialling. The patient is a diabetic, on insulin and erratic habits and has probably done something irresponsible. Got to attend to him first.
Revised Plan: Call TCS and arrange for sorting their requirements online, by and by. Divert to patient's residence, which is closer to RBI and on the opposite hemisphere of Bhubaneswar as TCS. What about lunch? (I'm supposed to have it at home on the way to RBI)- We'll see. IPO- Afternoon, maybe.
1125 Hrs:
I'm at the petrol pump filling up and get a call from the patient's wife. Things are under control and the patient is resting after receiving some medical attention. No reason now to rush over. Meanwhile, I have crossed Kalinga Hosp. I call up Gotya. He says the admission process is over. will let me know if he needs help.
Plan?? I have an hour to waste and still reach RBI in time. How about a pasta and chicken wings at Pizza Hut?
----------------------------------------
In the evening the good wife enquires: How was your day?
Me: Hectic. (I give her a brief outline of the c
She: Did you reach RBI in time?
Me: Yeah, just about. Couldn't be home for lunch.
She: Poor chap. You mustn't run around so much.
Me: Yeah (wink,wink)
It began as a dull and unhurried Friday and the problem uppermost in mind was the usual early morning debate on whether Today was The Day to kick-start my grand plans of achieving a superior physical fitness. This internal upheaval usually lasts until the conscientious part of my brain comes up with a distraction, the easiest at hand being the newspaper. I could blame with some conviction the crispiness of the morning daily, with it's fresh fragrance and crackling pages for this particular weakness, for I'm sure I wouldn't care about a soggy sample. On other days, it could be a cup of hot tea or an interesting discussion on the chatlines.
I'm not one of those chaps whose lifeline is plugged into an alien system (read -Company) that controls and regulates their existence through myriad electronic devices and human schemes. These individuals follow a time pattern dictated by The(ir) System, and having settled down comfortably into their man-machine-organisation interdependence, really hit it off well. They are the guys you point out to your children, when you talk to them about striving hard to be successful in life. On the other hand, I'm rather loosely attached to several organisations, much like an ionic bond, which is kind of detachable and can do equally well with a little substitution here and a postponement there. In short, I do have the liberty to tweak my program at a reasonably short notice.
My typical working day may be summarised as: First half- TCS; second half- RBI. All else - adjust. It unwinds as the demands pile up. There could be a thing from the past that can no longer be set aside and there could be something new that has popped up and appears important for the time being. If they are accommodated, it's mostly at the expense of TCS and sometimes RBI and is like a time-share concept. (The Zurd says that in India, given enough time, problems generally resolve themselves. I have adopted this as my modus operandi for dealing with drudgery. It is, in fact, this that accounts for the clean state of my diary).
0845 Hrs:
Last date for processing the IPO.
Plan: Get it done on the way to RBI. (Few minutes late won't matter).
0917 Hrs:
Get a call from Gotya. His Dad had been keeping unwell and it was time to consider admission into a hospital. I ask him to proceed to the Kalinga hospital and give me a call so that I could come there directly.
Alternate Plan: Go to TCS early and exit on getting Gotya's call. Do the IPO thereafter; maybe in the afternoon.
1033 Hrs:
Not enough petrol in the car to risk TCS.
Another Plan: Fill up petrol at Sahid Nagar and finish the IPO thing. Go to hospital. TCS- we'll see if something comes up.
1036 Hrs:
Mama has called an electrician for some fault repair and has gone for her classes. (She still teaches at the University). Now I have to supervise this guy.
Fresh Plan: Hospital when Gotya calls. TCS- we'll see.
1102 Hrs:
Call from TCS (something came up). The electrical job is almost done.
New Plan: Go to TCS. Get petrol on the way at CSPur. Wait for Gotya's call. IPO- we'll see.
1118 Hrs:
I'm on my way to TCS and I get a call from a patient's phone. It's his wife - in panic mode. She is incoherent and the call terminates before I can gather tangible details. Busy on repeated redialling. The patient is a diabetic, on insulin and erratic habits and has probably done something irresponsible. Got to attend to him first.
Revised Plan: Call TCS and arrange for sorting their requirements online, by and by. Divert to patient's residence, which is closer to RBI and on the opposite hemisphere of Bhubaneswar as TCS. What about lunch? (I'm supposed to have it at home on the way to RBI)- We'll see. IPO- Afternoon, maybe.
1125 Hrs:
I'm at the petrol pump filling up and get a call from the patient's wife. Things are under control and the patient is resting after receiving some medical attention. No reason now to rush over. Meanwhile, I have crossed Kalinga Hosp. I call up Gotya. He says the admission process is over. will let me know if he needs help.
Plan?? I have an hour to waste and still reach RBI in time. How about a pasta and chicken wings at Pizza Hut?
----------------------------------------
In the evening the good wife enquires: How was your day?
Me: Hectic. (I give her a brief outline of the c
She: Did you reach RBI in time?
Me: Yeah, just about. Couldn't be home for lunch.
She: Poor chap. You mustn't run around so much.
Me: Yeah (wink,wink)
Beautifully rendered
ReplyDeleteI can just say..Wah Re Wah.
ReplyDelete