Miss-adventures after another

The past three days have made me feel like I am living out of my body and watching it. An evening back, I took a local bus at around 11 after heroically stopping it by coming in front of it in an Alto. The driver looked like he wanted to crush my friend’s car when I came out of it and asked him to open the bus doors for me. He smiled and joked ‘aur mai soch raha tha yeh ladkiya pagal ho gayi kya?’ Once inside, I saw twenty odd men staring back at me. Construction workers, hotel waiters and and just one tiny man who wore glasses and had an English novel on his lap. I knew my impulsive decision could be very pricey thereafter. I put on my distressed girl act and went and sat next to the conductor, and often gave the novel guy half smiles, as if to tell him ‘we are similar, no?’ I don’t think he got my sense of security or sanity. I updated my status on facebook and realized none of my friends would be cool with what I had done once I updated it. Too late. Buddies started calling and bashing me for being THIS adventurous in Delhi.

That was then. Yesterday was worse. Working for a huge event at work, I was told by my news editor to help them with all the sessions for the Conclave. Just as my luck always is, I got Kashmir and Sarah Palin amongst my share of the sessions. Dealing with the maximum number of questions that came in, I struggled with the amazing English grammar of a million people of our country. It was a journey against time as we had none on our side.

Being from lifestyle, it was refreshing to see how the news editor trusted us with our language skills and not his own team. It was a savoury thought but for the fact that I didn’t have the time to enjoy it. The day turned into night and my buddy whose birthday it was kept calling to see if I had left for her party yet. Sadly, I said no each time she did, till it was 10:30pm. Finally a jalopy came to drop me home, as no party waited that long. Friends called up and made fun, I joined along. When your life is a joke, its best to join the laughter.

Early morning today, 5:45am, I get up and get ready for an early day at work. The Conclave starts today at 9am so every hand on desk by 8. I came out of the washroom to hear my phone buzzing madly. Colleague informed cabs wouldn’t be coming due to transporter rift and that we would have to fend for ourselves. Called up the sardarji taxi service guy and he greeted me with a loud ‘satsri aakal ji’. Yes. Told him the route to which he told me there would be two taxes and two tolls and the sum would be pretty huge if I agreed. When I asked questions in between, he kept saying, ‘aap samjh nahi rahe ji’. It was extremely pissing off to keep being told that THAT early in the morning.

Once in the cab with my other two seniors, I realized what a wasted life this was. Here were two older people, just as wasted. In five years, I would be them. Shuddered. The news editor said I should pay and take the reimbursement from the office. I was stunned at his lack of responsibility. The other guy, the Crab I mentioned once before started bitching in Bengali to me. I felt more at home.

Reached office and seeing more such disgruntled faces, made me feel better. Like I wasn’t alone. Switched on my computer and realized it was not working. Called Ram, the IT guy and told him, ‘Sirf wallpaper dikh raha hai boss, dekh ke jao.’ To which he came, looked at my screen and said, ‘Haan, acha wallpaper hai.’

That was when I laughed my ass off. Yes, I and my office had finally snapped due to overwork and had officially lost it.

Let the madness begin.