So its been over 18 months of me working…that’s like around 6% of my life, not a lot actually—but once u enter a new phase of ur life..it seems u’ve been in it for like ever. All working professionals eventually learn how “work life” works. But then “work life” has some niche traits that that one has only heard about and does not believe till one is actually a part of it.
So here goes…everyone knows office-life thrives on gossip. But then “gossip”, its always about others… it could about managers or the cafeteria wala “anna” or the chics who are always in the cafeteria or the girl with an awesome dressing sense or the guy with long hair, or the RMs and their parties…I mean “gossip” is always about everything other than you.
So, while you are whiling away time “gossiping” (about others: D) in the cafeteria with a bunch of your batch-mates and you get called by a manager (who you hardly speak to!) and are made to sit with him on his table—u cannot help getting a little intimidated. So you obviously are left with no choice but to leave your “chai” un-touched and walk over to his table and pretend to be honored at being approached by him! :P In the 8 feet distance that I traversed from my table to his, a million thoughts ran through my head—new project assignment, some compliance issue (cldnt think of any) but mostly—WHY ME,WHY NOW,AND WHY BY HIM??? With all this in my head…I reached his table (he was with another manager-who I spoke to even lesser!) and sat down. So his opening sentence “ Where in the Himalayas have u gone trekking?” I mean like OMG. How out-of-the-blue was that?! “I have been told by a lot of people in the Hyderabad office about ur trekking feats”. Like yikes. Hyderabad office-ME-Mumbai-trekking-Himalayas-this manager. It just didn’t seem to fit. And then it struck me, I was at a luncheon meeting with my project GDM (who had come down from Hyderabad), and upon being asked “tell me something I can remember u by” I mentioned in passing about my trekking interest. So this was like 3 weeks back. For it to come up again, and from someone completely unrelated—was more than a shock. So anyway, I got over the initial shock, narrated my trekking expeditions, generally made small talk about projects and the organization…and somehow managed to get away from that the “freak” table.
But this just left me thinking…a GDM..that gives him the designation of a Sr Manager, then the two managers who I had this conversation with and then there is ME—a poor developer-- the lowest rank in the IT world. I mean was trekking so consequential? To see the positive side of it…maybe going to the Himalayas is a deal(especially for a person who has health issues). But I could not help thinking--- if such inconsequential things get discussed across offices in the organization, between people at the manager level…then there is no wonder even a small affair, a minor engagement ,a late coming, female attire(s),I mean anything can make a topic for conversation over tea/coffee/lunch. And it really doesn’t take too long for the conversation to turn to gossip and bitchy one at that. So yes, this revelation came to me quite late. But better late than never…I’ll atleast be aware of it from now on…anything, absolutely anything qualifies as gossip…there is no syllabus for it :D
