" Madam, chai!". This is the first thing I hear everyday I enter my workplace. And this is the only thing that has been common in all my work places so far. The canteen peon has somehow, always, managed to be an integral part of my professional life! Colleagues, bosses , subordinates, they all count but not as much as these humble souls do.
When I joined an digital ad agency a while back, I was overwhelmed by the work culture there. And the only solace amongst all the hoola was this voice which always asked," Madam, naasta karoge?"("Madam, will you have breakfast?"), " Madam, chai pioge?"("Madam, will you have tea?"). I am a tea addict and sitting back late made it worse. And if I asked for tea after 8 pm, this guy used to tell me,"Aapko chai nahi milega, aap khate nahi ho sirf chai pite ho. Bimaar padoge!"(You will not get tea because you don't eat at all. You will fall sick.") I was always amazed at this response but never reacted because I felt, someone cared even in this dark dungeon of workaholics. Stranger he maybe, but that one sentence did matter every time it was uttered.
When I left that place, I felt sad not because I was leaving a place where I had worked for months but because I doubted if I will find such people in other places. And then, when I joined a new workplace, I discovered, here too I have someone who debates on tea or no tea.
Faces change, voices change but the basic emotion remains the same. The emotion underlying in a simple question or rather the insignificant interaction sometimes holds more value than hours of talks. Casual it may be, but it does make a lot of difference, specially when you need it!
When I joined an digital ad agency a while back, I was overwhelmed by the work culture there. And the only solace amongst all the hoola was this voice which always asked," Madam, naasta karoge?"("Madam, will you have breakfast?"), " Madam, chai pioge?"("Madam, will you have tea?"). I am a tea addict and sitting back late made it worse. And if I asked for tea after 8 pm, this guy used to tell me,"Aapko chai nahi milega, aap khate nahi ho sirf chai pite ho. Bimaar padoge!"(You will not get tea because you don't eat at all. You will fall sick.") I was always amazed at this response but never reacted because I felt, someone cared even in this dark dungeon of workaholics. Stranger he maybe, but that one sentence did matter every time it was uttered.
When I left that place, I felt sad not because I was leaving a place where I had worked for months but because I doubted if I will find such people in other places. And then, when I joined a new workplace, I discovered, here too I have someone who debates on tea or no tea.
Faces change, voices change but the basic emotion remains the same. The emotion underlying in a simple question or rather the insignificant interaction sometimes holds more value than hours of talks. Casual it may be, but it does make a lot of difference, specially when you need it!
Simplicity is the virtue.
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