What life lesson did you learn too late?
On one of the transitioning mornings of winter, I am sure some of you may have had that moment where you can’t let go of the feeling of cold, but at the same time you do not want to turn off the fan. Maybe you like the feeling of the cold, maybe you are afraid of the silence. Sudhir was having that moment.
Sudhir got up to peek over the cubicle partition, at his manager Mrs Bansal’s cabin, she hadn’t come yet. She was late. Sudhir had been waiting since the last three days to speak up about the four days leave he wanted for a trip with his family.
“You haven’t informed yet?” asked Yanisha from the next cubicle
“I was busy with work, I will do it today,” said Sudhir
“Just get it done already, no use being all tense about it,” said Yanisha
Sudhir sat down. Glancing at the clock.
Mrs Bansal was on a half day that day.
“You know Ajit. His appraisal was reduced because he asked for leave at this time of the year,” said Vimal to Sudhir during lunchtime in the cafeteria. Vimal was always sceptical about things relating to others, on the other hand he was quite positive about things relating to himself.
Mrs Bansal came after lunch. Sudhir could hear people greeting her and she greeted back in her own voice. His heartbeats picked up pace, as the moment neared. He was going to say it today. After about forty minutes when Mrs Bansal was done enquiring about the work, Sudhir got up and headed to her cabin. The cabin door opened and closed.
“She refused,” said Sudhir
“Again?” said Yanisha referring to Sudhir asking for leaves seven months back to attend his cousin’s wedding and being refused back then as well.
Sudhir remained quiet.
“What did she say this time?” asked Yanisha
“Too much work… piled up. My hard work is being appreciated among higher ups, so I need to keep it up,” said Sudhir, at this point recalling the same words he was told last time he has asked
“Ajit is on a ten days leave. She approved it,” said Yanisha
“Should I try convincing her more?” asked SudhirÂ
“No, it will only get worse. It’s your fault, for agreeing to things, compromising yourself all the time. I don’t think she will ever agree to your leaves that easily” said Yanisha
Sudhir sat down quietly. For the first time he was beginning to feel that maybe he might have taken things the wrong way and a different approach might work better and switching jobs might be a good place to begin with it.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
One response to “Repeated Words”
Very nice.
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