Thursday, June 9, 2011

Boom - Vol. 1

Boom - A situation for you to think about.

He wanted to get her flowers that evening but was too tired to even park his car and step out. He just wanted to go home and sleep. He loved her. But he felt lazy. The laziness was in the mind. Parking the car and taking that effort would not kill him. Had he implemented what he thought, he would have been a different person to her.

Boom.

There are three people in this mini story. Abraham, Kevin and Brenda. Abraham works as a Purchase Manager for Perfect Sanitary Ware, a sanitary ware manufacturing company. The company manufactures shower heads, restroom seats, flushing systems etc. One of the main components used in the manufacture is PVC pipes. Brenda is a Sales Manager at Plastick Industries and regularly supplies PVC pipes to Abraham's company. Abraham and Brenda have become great friends over the years. Now, Abraham goes on leave and Kevin, who has been handling Logistics since four years has been given the responsibility of filling in on Abraham's role. Kevin meets Brenda for an appointment over lunch and shows openly that he was only interested in a certain category of offerings from Brenda. He even negotiates and upscales the purchase to meet his gratification. Brenda is disgusted. She supplies cheap quality PVC pipes to Kevin on the next day and reports the matter regarding Kevin to the board of directors of Perfect Sanitaryware. This becomes a corporate scandal on the grapevine but is kept away from the media. In a futile statement to defend himself, Kevin states that Abraham had prompted to him that such tactics can be used for personal sexual benefit. To avoid infamy, the company sacks Abraham too, without giving him a chance to defend himself.

Boom.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Airport

Have you ever been to an airport in India? If you have not, trust me, it will be one of the most unique experiences in your life. I love going to the airport.

I was at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport last night to receive someone and the flight was delayed by a couple of hours. Well, this article is all about the wait at the airport.

First things first, it was crowded! There were people waiting with name cards. They were getting impatient and so was I. Every now and then the eye would scan the terminal gate for the concerned people expected and the mind would be disappointed.

Yet, the disappointment would be contained by joys of the others. The embraces, the kisses and the smiles. Oh what smiles!

I was at the 'Arrivals' gate. It was difficult to think how the 'Departures' gate would look like. Or was it? Of course there would be families going for vacations, Corporate biggies in their stylish suits with hardly any luggage, hurrying by the gates while giving a short glance to their INR 500,000 wrist watches. And yes, the long embraces that the mothers would have with their not-kids-any-longer children who would be going to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate studies. How did I forget to mention honeymoon couples?

So much of emotion, all at one place. A place where people exit from one gate and enter from the other. Upset, happiness, disappointment, love, worry and teary-eyed joy. At the airport. Just like how it is in life.

The next time you feel cold, lonely and that you have a mechanical life, go to an airport in India.