I had joined just 2 days back in this new Organization. It
was after a yearlong maternity break from work, that I joined this new MNC, I
had mixed feelings; nervous since I was back to work after so long, excited for
the same reason, sad that I left my daughter at home, happy that I will be the
same old busy corporate woman.
My first day in office was spent in induction and exploring
the surroundings, getting a laptop etc., so time simply flew. The second day
however, was as if time stood still, literally, I see the time after what seems
like an hour, but it’s just been 10 minutes. Fortunately or unfortunately, I
have been given a seat at a place where all big shots are seated. Everyone
around me looks busy, at least to me. All attending calls, giving instructions,
discussing huge transition plans, and there’s me, sitting amidst them all
feeling like the only jobless employee in the organization. Hoping when each
one discusses a project, that I might be a part of their team. I look over at
the other side of the partition through a small gap on my desk, which is
supposed to be modern design, to find all my team mates staring at their systems.
The thing with being on bench ( a term used in IT sector for people who are
have no work assigned) is like being married, initially its very good, since
you get paid for doing nothing, but as time passes by, you feel like banging
your head on the same bench.
So I am here, waiting for somebody to say let’s go for a tea
break or give me some document to read. As a new joiner, I’m afraid to use the
internet or my desk phone for personal purposes. So I just stare at my blank
screen. Lo and behold, there is a new email notification, I have never been so
happy to see a new mail. I suddenly remember Meg Ryan in You’ve Got mail. Well,
this is completely different kind of excitement. I hurriedly open my mailbox to
check if I have been assigned to a project. Now the time acts differently, what
was actually a split second, seems like 5 minutes. In the few seconds that the
system took to open my mailbox, I have already started imagining how it will be
to work again, get accolades and performance awards. The mailbox opens, and it’s
just an organizational announcement, for which generally people have created
rules to directly be re-directed to their junk inbox. But I go through the
whole mail, since that’s the best work so far I have received in the entire
day. Not only do I read the mail, I go to the link which says click here for
more information. It’s about an event organized by the organization in Chennai.
Doesn’t really relate to me, but this mail reminds me that I am working again
and no one outside the organization will have the highlights of this event. So,
yay!!
I look at the clock one more time, this time it’s more than
20 minutes since my last time check. That should be a good sign. As I am
stretching a bit, my manager walks in. Again a ray of hope. My mind starts
racing towards the new projects that he might discuss with me to know my
interests. I mentally prepare a note of my Plus points, while he is busy
exchanging greeting with the big shots who have surrounded me the whole
day. He finally turns to me, I smile to
look comfortable and he tells me you can leave if you have completed your
formalities. We will see what we have in
store for you, tomorrow.
Again mixed feelings, happy that I am going home to meet my
angel after a very, very long day, at least for me in my mind, and also sad
that what if his ‘tomorrow never comes’. I pack my bags and leave hoping that
when I log in tomorrow, I would be too busy to even write about it.