Few days back a colleague gave me invitation of her son’s first birthday party. I am one of those people who never say no to a party invitation given by colleagues. I religiously give my contribution towards the gift that will be given to the colleague at the party and do not attend the party because I mystically start feeling sick just half hour before the party.
The person who invited me to her son’s birthday party is my quasi mentor. She is the colleague with whom I did my first project in my current organization. She taught me more than my mentor who was always busy carrying out important tasks for management. It is because of her that during my appraisal the VP (Production) said that you are the best when it comes to doing few tasks and gave me 5 stars for dedication to deadlines. When I heard it, I wanted to return the thanks for dedication towards deadlines because few colleagues have referred to me on my face the Bastard Deadline Guru.
I went to the party in a car with a male and 2 female colleagues, one of whom is a senior manager. We reached the venue and the male colleagues informed us that he will be leaving early because he has got some personal work tonight. I said that’s fine because I can always take an auto back home.
The colleague who was celebrating her son’s birthday introduced us to her husband. She introduced me as the chap whose blogs her husband has read. Her husband told you are very funny. I have also read your tweets, very funny man. It is always a pleasure to know that someone has read your blogs when you are sure that nobody reads your blog.
However, the problem is that I am Cubicle Blues, I was with a senior manager and was saying my head – Fuck, I hope the senior manager doesn’t say forward me link of your twitter page because then I won’t be even given a chance to mail my resignation letter.
We took seats and the birthday cake was cut. We got our pieces of cake and I started gobbling my piece of cake and found three female colleagues and a guy standing in front of me. I wished good evening to the colleagues and a female colleague introduced the guy as her husband. I wished him good evening and then starred eating my unfinished piece of cake.
As I was eating cake I realized the male colleague had left. He didn't told me that he was leaving but I guess he would told the senior manager that Madam I have to go early today due to personal reasons and the senior manager would given him the required permission. I looked around and found idli sambhar chutni was being served. Bingo. Dinner time.
As I was eating my 6th idli I heard the senior manager say – Abhishek, what are you doing alone. Join us. Joining 5 female colleagues and one husband, excuse me but I would prefer to eat my dinner alone especially when I have the intuition that the talk is going to be on the topics which my to be wife would find interesting.
Unfortunately, it was the senior manager who had asked me to change my priorities from idli to conversation, and office or out of office, I don’t want to give any hint that I am not a team player. So I pulled a chair and joined them. The group was talking about something and I know they were talking about something because I could hear chatter and was still concentrating on eating enough idilis so that I won’t have to eat my dabba that night.
I felt I heard a colleagues say my name. I found a colleague was addressing me. I looked as her and said – Yes. She told me – Abhishek, I have to ask you one thing. I am surprised. We both have together worked for so long and I have never seen you at any colleague’s family function. Not even at marriages. How come you attend this birthday party.
I wanted to say to her that the colleague whose son birthday party is this is my favorite colleague but saying that in front of 5 female colleagues would ruin my reputation more than confessing that I like to drink beer. It would be like telling your current team leader that I really liked this job when I was working for that xyz team leader.
Since I didn’t wanted to hurt any of my colleagues’ sentiments so I said – Until today, I never got an invite for a birthday party and I love to eat cake.
We chatted for few more minutes and then it was time for leave. The senior manager suggested that the colleague who has come with her husband lives near my home and can drop me. I am a dedicated employee. If a senior manager gives a suggestion, I take it as an instruction and decided to tag along with the female colleague and her husband.
The husband of female colleague asked me where I would like being dropped and I wanted to say on the next red light. However, once you have decided to take a suggestion as an instruction then there is no point in showing attitude. So I told him anywhere in Koregaon Park. They dropped me in Koregaon Park about 5 kms away from my home. I thanked them and left as quickly as possible.
I checked the nearest auto stand and found it was so late that not a single rickshaw was available. This meant after having the dinner of idli sambhar chutni I had to walk for 5 kms to reach my home. Arrrhhhhhhh………
To sum up
I love to eat cake but what I love more is to write blogs about the mundane incidents of my life.
PS. Thanks a lot for reading my blog.
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