One day,
as I and Aman, were having a break together in the cafeteria, in the evening, we
ordered a Mango drink, Maaza. We chatted for a while and were back to
the production floor and continued with our shift, however, during the rest of
the shift, she wouldn’t speak to me and during another scheduled break, she
excused herself from accompanying me. I was aghast. What in the world had gone
wrong? For the next many days, she wouldn’t speak to me. On multiple occasions, I
pleaded her for a reason but she wouldn’t spill it out. She would just shrug me
off. I would soon come to know of the stupid reason.
In the month of October 2004, the team decided to go on a weekend trip to Mussourie, a hill station in the Dehradun district, on the northern part of India. This trip gave me a chance to renew my relationship with Aman and dig out the reason for her sudden change in attitude towards me. Fresh air, cool breeze, beautiful scenic mountains, without the pressure and tension of office work, eased our nerves and we both went for a walk together. We would have had barely walked for a few minutes, struggling to do away with initial uneasiness and awkwardness, when we were joined by Gaj. I was infuriated but had to swallow my anger. He was aware, I didn’t enjoy his company and he wasn’t invited but without conscience that he was, he just wouldn’t leave. Not wanting to create a scene, I left them as I couldn’t tolerate his presence. During the whole trip, Gaj just stuck with her like a blood sucking leech. I just hated him; I loathed him. I would have killed him for that. Aman assured me that after the trip she would tell me the reason. I waited for the trip to end and was glad that it came to an end.
On the way back home, Aman visited my home and met my Mom. While leaving she told me that she would call me the next day to share the reason. Boy! Was I glad? Sure I was and relieved too.
This
training batch, would turn out to be a very special and different as, out of this
batch would come few, who would become a thorn in my flesh, actively work
against me, backstab, betray and harbor grudge against me. Few others, when I
would call for their help, would desert me and run away like cowards. There was
this one guy, in particular, Gaj Banerjee, who I was always in conflict with. He
had come from a non-Hindi speaking state, West Bengal, and like many non-Hindi
speaking people who try to converse in Hindi, Gaj also did the same and ended
up using words and phrases considered rude in Hindi knowing society. In addition, he was
extremely loud, brash and would always get into my face. I detested him, being
ugly was not the only fault of his. There was another who claimed to be my
friend, even was, yet in due time would raise his heel against me, to prove and reveal that
he never was my friend, to begin with. I had not gauged the severity of their
depravity. I should have snipped them at the budding stage itself. But alas! To
my own hurt, I bore them.
In the month of October 2004, the team decided to go on a weekend trip to Mussourie, a hill station in the Dehradun district, on the northern part of India. This trip gave me a chance to renew my relationship with Aman and dig out the reason for her sudden change in attitude towards me. Fresh air, cool breeze, beautiful scenic mountains, without the pressure and tension of office work, eased our nerves and we both went for a walk together. We would have had barely walked for a few minutes, struggling to do away with initial uneasiness and awkwardness, when we were joined by Gaj. I was infuriated but had to swallow my anger. He was aware, I didn’t enjoy his company and he wasn’t invited but without conscience that he was, he just wouldn’t leave. Not wanting to create a scene, I left them as I couldn’t tolerate his presence. During the whole trip, Gaj just stuck with her like a blood sucking leech. I just hated him; I loathed him. I would have killed him for that. Aman assured me that after the trip she would tell me the reason. I waited for the trip to end and was glad that it came to an end.
On the way back home, Aman visited my home and met my Mom. While leaving she told me that she would call me the next day to share the reason. Boy! Was I glad? Sure I was and relieved too.
