She took care of my career with a lot of affection during its early days. I was fresh from college and had little patience for the company methods and processes. She used a combination of coaxing and threatening to guide me through those heady days. Six years into my career she helped me take an important decision. It took me years to look back and be convinced that she had helped take the right decision. Without doubt she had an annoying side too and I did not agree with many of her points of view. But those don't seem very important today. I talked to her after a decade two years ago when I switched my career. Yesterday, I called her again and decided to meet her. She said “why don’t you come over now? There is a direct train from your place to mine.”
The metro ride to her house was quick and without incidents. I got down at her stop and in a short time found myself in the mall that separated her apartment complex and the metro station. Not for the first time, I found getting out of the mall a challenge. Once I parked my car in a mall that I had visited earlier. When I went up the escalator, I realized that I had landed in the newly constructed extension of the mall. This extension was not connected to the older one and its orientation was very different from the older mall. I walked down the length of the extension for many minutes but could not find the mall's exit. The signboards in the mall that directed people to washrooms, fire exits and shops but not the exits. Since I had entered the mall from the basement, my sense of direction felt disoriented. As I walked searching for the exit my annoyance increased. The lethargic walking of the shoppers added to my annoyance. It took me twenty minutes to get out of that mall. Though not as annoying, yesterday’s walk through the mall contained similar elements of annoyance. As I walked into the mall from the metro station I did not know the floor I walked into, if I should go right or left to find the escalator and if the exit was to the right or left. Using my immense brain power I guessed that I had walked into the first floor of the mall, the escalator was to my left and the exit was to my right. I was right about the first and third point. But the second point had a problem, there was an escalator to the right too.
As with most apartment complexes of today, this complex was covered with a maximum security cordon. As I walked in, the security personnel whipped out his mobile phone and asked me for my mobile number, which is probably more important than one's name these days, and my name. He clicked on an application on his screen and waited. He waited some more before turning to his colleague and complaining in a frustration dripping tone “Arre! Yahan mobile tower tho milta hee nahin hain!” He moved two steps to his right and the application opened. He asked me for the details again. I responded patiently. He asked me for the number of the apartment I was planning to visit. I responded with an alphabet followed by three numbers. Interestingly, this seems to be becoming the Indian standard for numbering apartments in apartment complexes. An alphabet referring to the block number followed by floor number and the apartment number. I am proud to say that the apartment complex I stay in is different. In our case, the first digit stands for the block number, the next two numbers for the floor number and the last number for the apartment number. What I like about this number scheme is that the apartment number also has a numeral and an alphabet in the front, which none of us use for we have no idea what it means. I like this element of mystery. If I want someone to get lost within the complex I can add the mysterious information and the person would walk around the complex trying to find an apartment that fits the complete information I have provided. He/she would never find me. Of course, I am assuming that this someone is not very smart.
When I provided the apartment number to the security personnel, his faced lighted up. He said “Oh! Mr. so and so’s apartment.” At that moment, I realized that I did not know her husband’s name. The security personnel was ready to escort me to the apartment but I convinced him that I was smart enough to find the apartment if he can inform me whether I should go right and then left or left and then right. Apparently, the latter was closer to reality with an additional right at the end. As I walked through the complex, I compared it with the complex I stay in and declared… No, I should not display my arrogance.
It was a pleasant evening. We talked about events that took place couple of decades ago. We remembered all those forgotten names and faces. We thanked that we no longer had to deal with some of those names and faces. She served me a dish that I had not had for sometime and had forgotten about. I thanked her profusely for her kindness and walked out happy. Though we parted with a “we will be in touch”, I felt the words will not come true.
The maneuvered the way back to the metro station professionally. As I walked down the stairs to the metro station, I saw a train pull into the platform. I considered running and even took a step. But I realized that the granite floor was too smooth for me to run on. I was barely able to walk without slipping. I walked to the platform and sat on a chair. I took out my mobile and called one of my ex-colleagues. The fellow did not believe in mobile phones and could only be reached through a landline. His sister picked the phone and said he was not home yet. She said he will ask him to call back. He did not call back and I think it is time for me to drop another piece of luggage from my life.
All the seats in the train were occupied. I stood at in the open gangway connecting two of the coaches. Soon, the person sitting in the seat besides me got up. I looked at the seat and was suddenly reminded of a social media video. I looked up and realized, as in the video, the seat was reserved for the elderly persons, pregnant women or people with disability. No one fitting these descriptions were present in the immediate vicinity and so the seat remained unoccupied. I wondered if I should occupy the seat but hesitated. By this time, a person from behind me pushed me aside and occupied the seat. Once again I was thankful for someone else taking the decision on my behalf.
The train stopped at the next station. The doors opened, a few people got out while others got in. The doors closed and the train started moving. A lady went to the person who had just occupied the seat and stood in front of him. She pointed at her growing belly. He looked at her sheepishly and got up. I looked at the scene with a growing sense of satisfaction and leaned back against the wall of the gangway. Like most metro coaches, this one was also filled with discomforting whispers. My eyes roamed around the coach but was soon arrested by a small breakage near the top. The metro lines were not smooth and the carriages jerked up and down at many locations along the route. This motion resulted in a tear at the top gangway as it slammed against the ceiling of the coach. I looked at it and wondered the cause of the issue. Could it be the bad design of the coach or was the laying of the tracks at fault?