Saved by a Fly

Accepted: Briefing on Quarter3

Time: 15:00 pm

Damn… there goes my day down the drain. Now there will be endless and futile attempt at planning and processes and systems and productivity and deadlines. People give those looks to each other which screams, “You say, I ll support”. Everyone tries to criticize and complain in the most subtle and diplomatic manner. Team leads will politely ask if you have any issues with any colleague, with the operations and with the managers. Encouragement oozing through one eye and challenge from the other.. daring you to mention anyone’s name. Well, we all know what will happen next…

At the decided time, everyone walks into the conference hall. All resigned and ready to go through the drill. Very rarely something interesting happens in such meetings. As we settled in the plush chairs in front of the big LED screen, I found myself placed behind the Hero. Whoooopsssss… At least for me, the meeting is going to be not so boring and dull.

Proximity is something we did not have at all. And here we are. Inches apart. No borders between us. For now. A 100 different things running in my mind. I hope the meeting goes on and on untill I can start a conversation with him. I was more than alert. I was vigilant. Our manager walks in and starts the meeting without delay.

“This quarter the team’s productivity was……”

He is wearing a blue shirt and black pant. But sports shoes.

“Each one completed 8 reports only, which is….”

He is tapping his fingers on the table. He seems to be bored. As if knows exactly what the manager is going to say next, as if he has heard it all before. As if saying, tell me something new…

“So whatever mistakes happened in the last quarter should not….”

There is a small fly on his chair. It hopped on his shoulder.
A fly on his shoulder. The most awaited heavenly intervention. Thank you God for coming in the form of a fly and opening a window for me and save me from perpetual despair. Praise the Lord. I lifted my hand to alert him to the imminent danger from rather fearsome fly…

“Anybody has any suggestions about improving the process? Any changes that you would like….”

“Yes. As I mentioned in the earlier meeting, we are wasting our time…” and he leaned forward.

Along with him, the fly also decided to leave in search of greener pastures… He was rather too neat for the fly’s taste, I presume…

And I slump back into my chair. “God, I ll deal with you later. This was nothing but cruelty. What are doing? Playing with me???”

I let out a loud sigh. Sandhya, another girl in my team, looks at me and smiles. I wait as everybody leaves the hall. Sandhya comes and sits beside me and says, ” Meetings are always like this. But at least we don’t have to work for half an hour. Chill yaar….”

Nice girl. But little did she know the intention of my sigh was something totally different. But one good came of this.
I made a friend. A friend who is a friend of the person with whom I want to be friends. I believe that is some progress. She is married and definitely not a threat. So I am more than willing to be her friend. If all goes well, I can find some very critical and long due information regarding the origins and basics of the Hero.