Any similarity to reality is merely coincidental
Well I do have to give an intro, about whatever I am going to write, if i expect it to be a story, because “No story starts exactly from the beginning, just like dreams. Eventually we have to assume the beginning and start from somewhere in the middle.” So let me help with that assuming part, so that our story can also start right from the middle.
Corporate life is quite boring in most session. But there is one session, which almost everyone enjoy and await, the Lunch session. Well a few await it, because they worked hard in the morning session, and their hunger level is boosted up to the red zone, but most of them awaits it because of the Group of people called as their ‘Lunch Gang’ whom they meet every day during the lunch session. Almost everyone in corporate life, will be a member of a Lunch Gang, if they are not, It’s very bad as they don’t know what they are missing. Anyways about the introduction of the story, Its just a day to day happenings in the lunch sessions of one such Lunch Gang. As simple and short as that.
Arjun, Sheetal waiting in the lobby, for the rest of the gang to join them.
Arjun: “If Karan says anything today, don’t believe him!”
Sheetal: “Why what happened today?”
Arjun: “Yeah you are right! Not just today, If Karan says anything any day, don’t believe him. Just remember he makes up stories!”
Sheetal: “My lord!! Why are you saying this especially today? Did you do anything?”
Arjun: “No my loyal peasant!! Nothing happened, just don’t ask anything else! Its my order!”
Sheetal: “Please don’t make me say something that will make you regret for the rest of your life.”
Pooja arrives with 2 of her friends
Pooja: “Hi guys, where are the others? Anyway meet my friends Sumesh and Pradeep, I hope there is no problem if they join us for lunch!”
Sheetal: “No re! No problem at all! They are always welcome!” (thinking within herself simultaneously :”Great!! few more members;already we are struggling to gather the current members! Good Job Ms Pooja, who made you the head of recruitment”)
Telepathy seemed to click for Arjun instantly and he gave a wicked smile at Sheetal to which she returned a confused look.
(Sheetal thought: “How did he get into my brain?”)
Arjun( Turning towards the guys): “Hi guys!! Welcome to the gang!”
Pradeep:”Hi!”
Sumesh: “Hi, we won’t be coming daily! May be just for a week; my other friends have gone on vacation; so we thought of joining you people, Of course! only if you guys dont mind”
Sheetal(sighing a great relief): “No yaar! No problem at all!”
Raj called Sheetal and informed that he was waiting in front of the cafeteria along with Sunil, Suma and 2 of their Batch mates, and asked them to join
there.
Sheetal(In a hurry):”C’mon guys! Its already late and Raj is out there with 2 of his friends, so its difficult to get a table, lets hurry!”
They all got inside the lift and reached the cafeteria. It was indeed the peak hour and the cafeteria was already overflowing with employees.
Arjun: “Guys, we are 11 people in all, hence there is no way we can settle on a single table, so lets split and sit”
Suma: “No way! we always sit together, all we have to do is join 2 tables next each other and we can settle down comfortably”
Arjun(almost screaming): “Getting 2 tables at this peak hour? That too next to each other, is impossible!”
Suma: “You just wait, and let me have a look around” and she started searching for possible availability of consecutive tables. Arjun gave up as he knew (from previous experiences) there is no use of arguing with Suma.
Sheetal: “Seriously? Suma? Seriously you want to do this at the peak hour!”
Sunil:”Areh you don’t worry! I am there na?” Looking here and there “See! There is a table! The next table is completely occupied, but this one has only 2 people eating there! We will go and stand right next to them, which will force them to eat fast.“
The gang moved towards that table. They were seeing here and there and were waiting for them to finish eating.
Sunil(Whispers): “Hey guys! don’t see here and there; stare right on their plate. They will understand that we are hungry and will leave soon, right?”
Sheetal: “Are you serious? No way! We are not going to do that!”
Suma: “Hey guys,he is right! In this competitive corporate world, we can win, only this way!”
Both Sunil and Suma started staring at those people’s food! They felt uncomfortable, but still they kept eating slowly, just to irritate Sunil and Suma.
Karan arrives; he saw Arjun was smiling continuously. Arjun just turned away from Karan. Sheetal noticed this.
Sheetal: “What is it? Why are you smiling for so long?”
Arjun (whispering Immediately): “Don’t believe him”
Karan: “You know someone said that he plays very well? that he is an All-Rounder!”
Arjun(feeling a bit uneasy): “Listen Mister! I never told that I am an All-Rounder!”
Karan: “Well, I heard it!,” turning to Sheetal “He was bowled out on the first ball by a 10 year old boy in a practice match“
Raj: “What? Really? I thought you play well!”
Arjun: “Arey! No Raj, You see, in my native place, the first ball is always a trial ball, so i thought it that way and didnt play seriously!”
Raj: “Oh! I know Re! Sorry for doubting you!” Arjun thought to himself, “Why can’t others also be like Raj, believing whatever I say?”.
Karan: “Oh? then what about the second ball? caught and bowled by the same 10 year old!”
Arjun (raises his voice): “Arey!! In my place,back in my native, the grounds are very small; it is surrounded by houses; if the ball goes into any of the houses, the batsman is out! In that habit, I played the slow ball lightly and the boy caught; As simple as that.”
Karan: “What about getting out for the third time, by the same boy LBW?”
Pooja (Interrupting): “Wait a minute! How come he gets to face the ball again and again after getting out twice?”
Arjun: “It was a practice match and each batsman is allowed 3 lives. Anyway, I have never heard LBWs in practice match; that was cheating!” Arjun just wanted to divert the topic somehow (feeling deep inside that his well-kept secrets might get divulged by the ever increasing curiosity of Karan) “Hey see there, those 2 tables are about to be cleared, these people are not gonna finish eating, it seems.“
They started moving towards the table, suggested by Arjun. But as soon as they moved, the guys eating there stood up and left, it was like as if they were waitng for Suma and Sunil to leave, Immediately after that, the table was occupied by another gang! Everyone stared at Arjun
Karan: “So what about your fielding? You missed a straight and simple catch, your hands were nowhere near the ball”
Arjun (thought to himself “why the hell is this guy not stopping! God make him stop, Please!’ ): “Ball? what ball? oh the ball which i didn’t see?”
Karan: “Yeah! The ball which you didn’t see. It was not your fault at all. We were playing cricket, we usually play cricket with the ‘BALL’, and you were a fielder and the main job of the fielder to see the ‘BALL’ and catch it, which you didn’t see!”
Arjun: “Hey! what about the ball, which I caught, standing so close to the batsman? why are you not talking about that?”
Karan: “Oh that one? I still don’t know whether you brought your hands up, to catch the ball or to block the ball from hitting your face! It felt like you didn’t catch the ball, the ball just got stuck in your hand; Like the famous Tamil movie dialogue from Chennai 28 ‘Pandhu dhaan avarai pidithadhu’ (meaning the ball only caught him, he didnt catch the ball) ”
All started laughing,
Arjun was about to say something, suddenly he heard a voice…
“Hey wait”
“Yeah! Who is this?”
“I am You!”
“You are me? You mean my conscience?”
“Well, sort of ! It’s not important now! I know you are planning to say about the 2 back to back wickets right?”
“Yeah!”
“Don’t do that! he will find some other way to turn it against you! and these people are just waiting to laugh at you”
“You are right! Thanks me!”
Arjun: “Enough! I have work to do, I am eating alone!” Arjun got a single seat, where he sat and started his lunch. The 2 batch mates of Sunil and Raj, also had some work, besides they were standing for the past 30minutes. They too went and sat separately
Suma (with an angry tone):”Don’t ever call these traitors for lunch again!”
Pradeep (to Pooja): “Please tell Suma, that we would love to stay, but our manager is calling, so we have to finish the lunch and go soon!” Pradeep and Sumesh didn’t wait for suma’s response, they just left immediately
Sheetal: “Who else wants to eat together? I am already late, just sit somewhere and eat!” Saying that Sheetal sat on a chair nearby. In few minutes, the other people on Sheetal’s table finished their lunch and went away. Sheetal signaled the gang, and they all joined her, except Arjun. They were all staring at Arjun. He finally stood up and joined the gang.
Arjun: “On my defence! I didn’t come here for you people! Sweets was sitting opposite to my table, so I couldn’t sit there and have my lunch” (Sweets is a girl working in Arjun’s office, who resembles his girlfriend)
Pooja: “Why?”
Arjun: “You see, I got Gulab jamuns! and eating sweets in front of Sweets, is like eating chicken in front of a live Chicken, right?”
Pooja: “Eeww…”
Arjun (with an awkward smile): “Blush! Blush!”
They all just laughed on and Off…
Untill another session of Lunch
Artistic Ryter
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