Dear Friends,

The silence was drowning me into my innermost thoughts that seemed to sprout from ‘second week’ at my new assignment.

The cream and maroon cubicle with an entire glass wall on one side and an endless stretch of green reminded me of the museums I frequented with dad as a kid. So much beauty, only to be ‘seen’.

I hated the butterfly corner they had in the museum back then…beautiful, rare (endangered some of them) still dead ‘bugs’ in display. I often wondered why they didn’t keep pictures of them, why keep dead butterflies and scare kids like me.

The brutality of the human act defied any scientific logic of ‘for educational purpose’ to me…utter gibberish…educational purpose my foot…then why not keep dead poets, writers and scientists as well, huh?

Anyway, coming back to present... my new job is great yet I miss my old colleagues. Seven years is a long time to build friends and foes in one organisation and I did it with equal passion. Though turned out the foes had their own ‘woes’ and chose to be my friend in the end.

No theatrics when I quit, no farewell, no long ‘oscar’ speeches and no gifts as well. I was working on 31 st Dec 2011 and returned home on 1 st Jan 2012 with a bunch of buddies from work. I decided not to think about the 2 nd…not yet…not now…there is still time I said to myself.

After everyone had gone back home in the evening I sat alone thinking…what next…and it is then that the idea suddenly struck me…tomorrow is a new day…a new beginning…new bus route and new people.

Honestly the thought hit me so hard that my heart was ‘tight’ for a moment. I was breathless…and shocked at the intensity of it…Oh my God!

The first call was to my ‘now friend’, ‘daughter forever’ and ‘assistant in the previous job’ Banani. "Babe help", I uttered on the phone, ”What bus to take tomorrow?” The answer came back muffled to me “ajjd;lf;gjhlkj”

“What?” I said.

Again, “Fyshdklfm.”

“What?” I said.

And it is then after she had repeated it a third time I could understand…

“I will miss you Milee Ma’am.”

AWWWWWWWWWW...believe me she made ‘it’ worse.

But I must confess it got lighter around the heart after a loud, three rounds’ blowing the nose and girly tears.

“I love you babe”, I said.

NEXT DAY …It began waking up at 6:00 a.m. (I used to report to the earlier office at 12:00 noon so you can imagine) catching a new bus and the waiting wide eyed to get down at the exact location to catch another bus.

Finally I arrived to this current location with questions plenty and apprehension. After the initial rounds of formality the ‘induction’ began. There were two other people with me (friends now). We were with great care and warmth briefed about the details of the organisation and the who’s who. We were also told of a compulsory test at the end of the induction.

Random who, when, what, where, why and how zig-zagged my brain and boomeranged every tiny grey cells instantly.

Three days later we all passed with flying colours and ceremoniously entered our ‘floors’ designated department.

And now it is that time, that moment…I have the set of keys to my cabinet, the files and the laptop in action…wish me luck friends…I gotta do well .

Love,

Milee