Tutul

30.10.2009

I


Pritha took a few breaths to steady herself before entering her cubicle.

Mou was sitting there, she looked at her with the corner of her eyes. Then shifted her attention back to her screen. “You have not forwarded me your daily report last evening.” She said.

“Sorry.” Pritha mumbled, “I must have forgotten to send it, I have made it and was about to send when some one asked for a book.”

“Don’t make it a habit, when shaila will ask me I will have to simply admit the truth, that you don’t send me the daily reports regularly.” Was Mou’s answer.

This was the first time that Pritha has forgotten to send it to her.

She really hated this office and its employees. Some of them were good but they were mute spectators of all the atrocities done by their vicious colleagues, those who ran the office.

She placed her bag in her cabinet and started the computer. Next she called up the reception, “Deepa are the newspapers there?”

“No”” Deepa answered, “Wait for a while Harun will be bringing them from the flat.”

Pritha wished that she could wait, she called up the Peon’s room and just as she has anticipated, Harun was there, filling up the bottles to be placed on every desk.

“Have you brought the newspapers Harun?” she asked.

“No madam. I will fetch them after I fill up the bottles.” Harun politely replied.

“Can you handover the bottle filling to Atish and go?” she asked and Harun consented.

So her day started. She had to go through these newspapers which her boss has read since early morning. There were articles, pieces of news marked under various categories. She had to handle all these categorywise and will have to key in the articles which were marked with the name of her colleagues and mail them those articles in word format before 11 AM.

Apart from this she had to handle their huge collection of books, magazines and CDs. This was an advertising firm which made its main moolah from printing annual reports of various reputed organizations.

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II


Shaila had some special fancy on her. unfortunately of course, because she was gifted with a very sharp tongue and spiteful nature.

All her colleagues said her husband Zakir was the mean guy around but he never mistreated Pritha, he was a man of few crisp words and Pritha simply adored it from her bosses. She believed in hierarchy. She always kept a distance from bosses. She believed in the old adage, its unwise to become friends with a king .. they can make and break you as per your mood.

Shaila never lost a chance to give her the taste of her acid tongue, a colleague of hers once told her, “You are not her favourite target, you are the only soft target available to her.”

Mou was there to help Shaila, somehow she had the complex that Pritha was appointed to take over her place, though Pritha never could guess why, because Mou was an expert manager. She had a wonderful way of handling and coordinating the whole process of publishing a report, starting from the scratch to the end.

The second reason Mou loved Pritha because Pritha was not a good actress and she just could not hide her displeasure at Mou’s coquettishness. She used to observe with great distaste how she loved to be fondled by male colleagues, she used to watch with distaste how easily their hands roamed over her body and her evident joy in the whole thing. Most probably that displeasure was reflected on her face too.. so she made a bad, powerful enemy who had full control over her acid tongued boss.


She was talking with Ramen, “This is the environment of Corporates. Either you become like Mou or quit. It’s a dog eats dog world, no place for humanity. Everyone knows that you are harassed without reason but no one will stand up for you, because no one will love to lose the huge pay packet they are being offerered.”

“I used to laugh a lot before I joined trizem, now I zip my mouth before entering the office and unzip it after reaching home. I don’t talk with colleagues unless its about work.” He said helpingly.

He was one of the staffs of that office who have tried to help her and have always been nice to her.

“You should better not talk any thing about Zakir or Shaila in the office, they mysteriously listen to every thing which is spoken about them, and they are very vindictive.” Another colleague of hers once subtly warned her.

This was one suspicion which Pritha had since long, but it was about Mou. That she somehow overhears the things said about her or someone spies on her behalf.

Then she guessed it herself, most of the big offices install spy cameras in rooms to check on the activities of their employees. As Trizem handled sensitive data it was quite probable that they have installed spycams, and who else but Mou can be trusted for the spying part. So she learnt to keep her mouth shut.



III

Unfortunately her docillity did not worked. The more docile she became the more abusive Shaila became. So she decided to leave the job.

Shaila was fully cooperative. That day she was really unwell, she went to office a little feverish, and used the toilet. Shaila entered the toilet when she was coming out, and instantly came out screaming, “If you cant clean up the mess after using the toilet call me from my chamber, I will do it for you.”

She was shocked but kept silent. She had been called all sort of names by her in the past, unadjusting, arrogant, querelous .. every thing but this one just crossed the limits. She just had enough of this woman. She submitted her resignation next day.

The last day in the office was one of her most memorable days. She handed over all her charges, and every thing which was in her hands but there was one thing pending… a drama, on the last day when she was about to leave the office she noted that the only door of the office was locked.

She asked the receptionist to open it, she was instructed to meet Shaila. Shaila in turn handed her over a huge list of jobs to be completed if she wanted her salary.

After going through that list she realized she will have to work another four months there to get her due salaries of two months. So she asked them to keep it and left the office.

Well, that day her colleagues proved Ramen was right. Everyone watched the drama, some of them were quite friendly with her. But everyone acted as if nothing has happened. She left the office with a mixed feeling of fury and satisfaction. Fury for being shamelessly cheated and satisfied that her humanity, dignity and backbone was not for sale.



IV


She was sitting in the park of her housing when she saw Ramen entering the park with a small child. She was a little surprised, because she thought he was single, in all these months he has never mentioned his wife.

She smiled and waved at him, “Hi!!!”

He smiled back and slowly approached her. Holding the hand of the child.

“How are you?” he asked. Its been a month since they have last met. A month since Pritha has left Trizem. “Got something new?”

“Not yet, looking for one. Have just started to send the c.v.s” she answered. “Your daughter?”

“No, my elder brother’s daughter. Her parents passed away in an accident, she was with us at that time.” Ramen said.

“Hi!!!!” Pritha smiled at the small one.

The little girl blankly stared at her. she was a really cute looking girl, hardly four or five years old.

“Tutul is autistic. Very slow to understand and takes a long time to mingle with anyone. That’s a good thing in today’s world. She howls like a wolf if a stranger tries to touch her.” Ramen said.

Pritha looked at her carefully and realized Ramen was right. There was a slight, very slight shadow of her autism on her face.

Suddenly Tutul giggled and stumbled toward Pritha. Who gently held her and pulled her close.

“Wow!!! That’s a miracle! Do you know magic?” Ramen laughed. “I have never seen her befriending someone on first date. Naughty girl.”

Pritha smiled, “It’s a God given blessing. I love children and somehow that love is almost always reciprocated, actually they love me more than I love them.”

They stayed together for an hour more and then left for homes, promising to meet next day.

That became a daily routine, slowly that extended out of the park and they became inseparable friends.

Pritha became extremely fond of Tutul. That small child with her absolutely unselfish and devoted love captured her heart. She started to dote after her.



Within a year they decided to share the rest of their lives together. Pritha was a little bored with office culture and the harshness brewing in them, so she decided to work from home.