“Did you get any response from K2? I need to get my team moving.”
Avinash contemplated the statement. Was it a question? Was it a threat? Was it impact analysis? The tone was inscrutable. An entire conversation seemed to dwell in that statement. Nandini flicked her eyebrows rapidly half a dozen times. Where is my answer, they seemed to ask.
They had worked together for a long time. A lead consultant with the firm, she had recently begun taking over key accounts in the firm.
“Three voice messages to all of them – go check their answering machines if you don’t believe me,” Avinash replied in his sarcasm laced language.
“Oh, I believe you, you wouldn’t lie to me – you have no reason to,” she was still double parked, holding the translucent glass door to Avinash’s cabin.
“Either you come in or you go out – don’t pass on all your stress to the spring that makes the door close by itself. Leave the poor done alone; it hasn’t done you any harm,” Avinash said without looking up from the papers that he was only half-reading.
Nandini Agarwal was well used to Avinash’s abstract oration, like everyone else in the firm. She opened the door, ambled inside and plonked herself onto one of the leather chairs. The door resigned from its suspended state and closed with reluctance.
“I am so ready to go home,” she said without expecting any answer.
Avinash turned the blinds to allow light to come through. There wasn’t much light, it was getting dark. He gave a huge sigh, thinking about his day and said, “It’s too early, you worked only nine hours, are you taking the rest of the day off?” Nearly the entire team was working long hours to finish various assignments; this had been going for a month now. After the initial bickering and complaints, everyone was now making jokes about it. Not very healthy, Avinash thought to himself.
“Well, say that on Friday, AV is taking all consultants out for dinner.”
“That’s nice, at least AV seems to be doing things right, and why only consultants, why not us?”
“That’s because you have become a boring old man,” she giggled, “But it’s not entirely your fault I guess, age catches up with everyone,” she said, laughing out loud. Nandini was easily the sound of the firm. She was heard everywhere and whether her team worked or not, her vocal chords were workaholics to the core.
“Not entirely true or fair,” Avinash wanted to explain why it wasn’t fair, but he held back. It would go back to the same things that Salim and Raghu had argued with him a couple of months ago. He decided that he would just let the conversation flow. Nandini was up to her usual mischief. She continued teasing Avinash about him being a bore, keeping quiet, and indirectly – not being available. Avinash nodded and murmured acknowledgements, but he was thinking about something very different. It seemed to him that he kept going back in time more often, these days. Not so much for nostalgia, nor as regret; it seemed to him that he was searching for something in the past. Something had changed along the way that he was unable to put a finger on.
“And yes, please do take AV out of the office, any more time here and he will grow roots at his seat. Let’s all go out for a weekend – maybe that will stop fruit sprouting out of AV’s ears,” Avinash said, smiling and hoping that the present will allow him a chance to change that ‘something’ that had changed in the past.
“Sure, we are always available, fun is our middle name, Avinash – what about you?” she giggled again – somewhere referencing his getting old, “we always have fun!”
The events of the day were fading from Avinash’s conscious thoughts; he wondered how many of the “we” she talked about would honestly confess to having fun.
“No, you guys are boredom incarnate! You see me as boring because your entire view towards life is boring. I haven’t changed a bit! You set the weekend – I bet no one will show up,” the only way Avinash was going to get back in this conversation if he kept up with Nandini’s mischief.
She stormed out of the room to ask if people were willing. Avinash went back to his mail, switched on his laptop and started finishing up on the day’s work. He seemed to be working mechanically, his thoughts on what Nandini had just said. He knew her well, it was just a fun way to end the day for her – teasing people, laughing – being able to go back home happy. Avinash smiled. His 43rd floor seemed less fun than this place. There was work to be done – the 43rd floor also has to become a fun place.
“Raghu has agreed,” she said; as she threw open the reluctant glass door again.
“Only one?”
“You can’t plan these things, you know. This has to be impromptu – one day before just announce it and go!”
“So that no one really goes?”
“Bah! You don’t know things, do you?”
“Not anymore, you see Javed and I gave up this a long time ago!”
“You can’t plan fun,” she nearly screamed, “don’t expect everyone – some get it – some miss it,” she threw her arms up and walked out of the room, “I’m going home!”
She is right, you can’t plan fun. But then somewhere you have to have the willingness and the energy to have fun. Whether it is in the daily mundane things that you do or the exotic things – which you do on a whim, it didn’t matter. Avinash searched for answers in his reports and in the various open documents, they didn’t offer any.
