The schedule was formulated with minimal scrutiny to ensure, I kept time on the first day of my intern at Chola MS and also, to save the embarrassment of being late for the future. And surprisingly I stuck to it! And patience persuaded with time when it appeared I might, in the end, be late by waiting too long to fuel my moped. Thanks to vacant broad roads and the zeal of a novice that got me JIT. I reaped my reward when, after signing the registry, I turned around and found my boss hurriedly pushing his hand to sign in the attendance register.
Very soon I was in the noble company of a book that I fetched from home, guessing that I may be left to amuse the chairs and other accessories near the reception. Much sooner than I had anticipated, a man roughly the size of a metre scale appeared in front of me looking for someone by name Saravanan. And it wasn’t until he mentioned, ‘trainee...MSW’, that I figured I was nick named Saravanan. Don’t ask me how? The world on the other side of the door resembled a typical kindergarten with, balloons and ornamentals hanging down the ceilings; perhaps a misunderstanding with Wordsworth’s, ‘the child in a man never dies’, worse even the proper understanding as, I felt on reflection.
It was an exchange of ‘hellos’ and brief intros with my hr’s team members that followed, before I was finally assigned, much like a project, after rotation to Mr.K.Sathish Kumar. I felt a strong sense of longing but, for whom or what I couldn’t evidently say. That feeling evaded as work piled up on the desk I shared with Sathish.
My first task was to verify fringe benefit forms to see if they were signed at all required columns and, mandatory documents attached. The forms weren’t too many in numbers, yet I took time dispatching them to precipitate an artificial sense of sincerity. Truly though, it is only skill that matters most in getting it, as well as the other two tasks that followed done, fast. Next was to sort drafts in the increasing order of their employee no.
I was excited when Mr.Sathish offered to take me to the pantry but that excitement soon faded as I found that, he merely took me to accompany him to restroom. The subsequent offer of milk after I rejected tea and coffee did not impress me.
I continued sitting dumb until we broke for lunch which, I had along with Sathish and his three other lady colleagues before we were joined by Mr. Metre Scale. I hardly spoke a word while, the girls hardly shut their mouths. If it wasn’t opened to intake food, it will be facilitating chitchats. I must say I liked it.
Back at desk I requested for work stating that, I should be doing some work at least to save me the embarrassment of sleeping at workplace. The prospect even scared a lady staff who escaped by giving me a broad smile. There was one ‘ticking’ task which I did in a jiffy and, relaxed at the generous view of the port the windows offered from where I sat, while the others had left for lunch.
The gentle man returned with more ‘HR related ‘work which was as uninteresting as any other HR job. Mr. Puru left before I started without signing my record. Yes! Opportunity to be a 420.
Rain accompanied me on my way back to home and, I was glad I had some company.
