The afternoon lunch at the cafeteria is almost a walk in a vegetable market. People walking by you with plates full of eatables just on the verge of jumping of it, trying to find the nearest chair to seat themselves, and in trying so crossing other men walking by, making the finest of the gymnastic moves , protecting the eatables from falling out of the plate. Only that I don’t have a plate with me yet, lest , I as well be making the moves happen.
To find the counter at that busy hour is a hunt for pearl in the deep sea. Had it not been an MNC, I guess a person like me would have never made it to the counter. Thanks to the Q that the employees follow , who otherwise never do , I got myself behind one of the fellow .
The first thing I did was to find my position in the execution list. Well , you got it right. the food never gets down the throat easily, unless a person is damn hungry. And after the heavy price you pay to get that crap, what better word can you find to explain the trouble you face in getting it eaten. Its why Execution. Well Voluntary can be added before it.
You have no choice either. If you are fan of MATRIX the movie, then remember what Oracle said “You are not here to make a choice, You have already made it, You are here to understand why you made it “. Ya I pretty well understood why I made it. I am damn hungry.
Well I was the 21st in the list and the Q moved really slow. The best thing to do at that moment is to find some stuff to entertain myself and I did the same. I started looking at the way people moved around stepping carefully to reach an empty place. Some secured the place for their mates insisting new ones who approached the place to move ahead as it was reserved. And the new ones trying to find new place to fix up for the hour and running around for another empty place. Its happens all the time . people stopping people from sitting , and people replacing people since the previous one is done with the meal. (The Matrix , Mind it).
My eyes quickly searched some face I could recognize who inturn would secure a place for me by the time I get the token for my execution. I ran out of luck as usual and there was not a single person I know. The stomach reminded me of my duty towards it and I soon left the search and brought my concentration to the Q. 4/5 to go and I got my hand into the pocket to get the change needed to get the crap I wanted to eat and……….. … Don’t worry , I had change , this is no suspense story . I always have enough to eat. ………… got my token , walked across to the counter escaping the hungry battalion that was coming face to face. Lucky to find the counter free, I put up the order and got the stuff.
That was simple, the real challenge starts when you turn back and see that the hall is almost packed up with hungry battalion and it’s no way you get a chair. I looked around for some time and there at one end after a couple of tables , I saw a fellow almost finishing his part of the crap. I ran to the spot which was already in the view of two more at a distance farther from where I was. I smiled back to them feeling the triumph of winning over their intensions. And even they smiled back. I dint get at first what the hell was wrong with them. As i looked back to the chair , alas! Another fellow reached it before me. I had no choice but for letting go without a fight and in a moments glace I found another chair getting vacant. I made a quick move and caught it. I searched for the 2 fellows to claim my part of the smile of triumph back. I wasn’t lucky even this time. They found place as well, probably just before me.
I cursed the place. Neither the food was right , nor the place. However I was too hungry to think of anything further. Filled up the spoon, and I was about to put into my mouth , that my eyes caught a glimpse of someone sitting 3 tables across the point I was in. it’s not usual that a glimpse at something stops the flow of thoughts that keep going though you mind. It’s certainly not usual that you start figuring out tips and tricks to get yet another of the glimpse or probably a little longer than a glimpse and at the same time avoiding any eye contact. It’s never ever usual that you forget that a mouthful is waiting to be gulped down the throat. Well. It did happen. All of it. Soon my stomach forgot its hunger. The brain neglected the full plate that lay in front. And the eyes made quick moves to find the one again. Hurdles came in the way, first a fellow looking for a chair; next the cleaner moving around with a bucket and a cloth in hand waiting for people to get up so that he can finish his part of job. Still my sight found way of them and straight to the table it was looking at. Yet again a glimpse. Little longer than the first but pretty clearer. I was dumb found. Almost forgot to take out the spoon of my mouth. And again a fellow came in the way. Just then ….
“hey ! when did u come !’ someone said at my back . but I never cared as I was expecting no one to disturb me at that moment. I never cared to even look back, and was just waiting for the fellow in the middle to move out.
There was a strong pad at my back. Friends, I don’t know how on earth they get the information that they drop just at the right time to peek in. No thought than this occupied my mind as I , agitatedly, looked back.
“When did you come !” same old question .
“Does it matter !” the words almost slipped out of my mouth but then I held them back.
“ 10 mins!” , I replied as I pointed to the empty chair that was on the next table.
“Should have called ?” was the next question as I was trying to resume my scrutiny.
”Leave me alone !” I was about to cry in distress. One fine lunch time after 2 weeks of suffering and here they were trying to spoil it as well.
“was hungry” I replied almost sarcastically ignoring what the words would sound like.
And as I moved my eyes back to the search location ,there was no one. I looked around desperately , but the one was long gone. Neither near the wash room nor at the entrance.
I was furious !, at the same time disappointed, irritated, agitated ,what not I was about to turn back and pour all my anger on to the fellow , but what I saw, made me back off.
The one was a friend of my colleague.
Well , once they finished the conversation , I said
“ Would you like to have some juice, the bill’s on me !”.
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