A Call centre Story

She looked with a sad smile on her face, her dark black eyes not hiding what she felt. She was not ashamed of her feelings...had never been. Neither had she asked him to reciprocate. Lighting the cigarette in her hand she sat on the stair, feeling the smoke ease out the tensions that seemed to flood her heart.
"So I will never see you again?" she asked and he nodded. The woman was unlike any other he had ever come across. Such honesty. A couple of months ago she had told him about her love for him. After that they had been friends, yet never had she asked for anything other than what he was able to give her...few moments of togetherness. A friend...that's it. Now she was leaving and she had no complaints. She could ask him to keep in touch...he too wanted to. Yet life was more complicated...
Accepting the forwarded cigarette, he nodded and sat next to her.
"We'll always be friends...right?"
She nodded, slowly inhaling on the smoke, avoiding to look at him. Without realizing it was time for her to leave, the cab mates were calling out to her.
"You take care. And do keep in touch. Bye," her voice was happy, face completely devoid of any pain he might have imagined.
They hugged and that was it. She left, not turning back and wishing life would give her another chance. She knew she would meet someone who would be able to love her...yet no regrets. She might not get love but she knew she had made a friend.

The boy shrugged and went back to his shift...the night was still young and he had to work.

He felt the strain getting to him...night after night he just worked. Just three more minutes for the shift to end, he thought, his eyes constantly on the Avaya, praying that it would not ring. He could see night fading away...2 minutes to five. I am out of cigarettes...the thought came crashing. And at this hour the pan wala next to the office was not present. And then he smiled, she would always have an extra cigarette to lend. Smiling he looked at the Avaya and then his login time...well...finally. three seconds won't really hurt!

And then after a series of codes he was logged out..the first of his team. Hurrying out he stopped for his coffee and then he was out. The empty stairs greeted his eyes. And in that instant the fact came rushing in...she would not be there to greet him in the mornings...he would never see her again. Slowly he sank to the stairs, the cigarette forgotten. When she was around he never realized...he had lost her...forever!

Lesson 3: YOU MAKE COLLEAGUES IN WORK PLACE...NOT FRIENDS!

I interacted with a variety of people, from all parts of the country...big and small. And with every person there was a lesson to be learnt.

And though the number of lessons are innumerous, the one that I hold dearest to my heart is the first lesson my first Team Leader taught me.

YOU MAKE COLLEAGUES IN WORK PLACE...NOT FRIENDS!

All fresh and new to the world which was a total anti thesis of the world I had lived in, I was bound to look for friends, people who would make me feel comfortable. My life had made me totally vulnerable at that point of time and well...i was desperately looking for some comfort zones. My other life was totally messed...when i slept my friends went to college. And when i could talk...they were sleeping. And hence i made some major blunders. I started trusting people in the workplace and sharing my worries, my problems and everything under the sun. I made friends!

And then one fine morning i got the shock of my life...my so called friend was bad mouthing me. well...I was troubled. But i said nothing. Then another 'friend' approached my to be team leader and said that i should not be put in his team and that i needed her company for i was too vulnerable and we were the best of friends. I sat there, shocked and astounded but never said a word. The to be team leader then spoke with me alone and said that, "Kanika, we don't have friends in workplaces. We only have colleagues. The decision is yours..."

Honestly at that point in time i had thought that the team leader was completely out of his mind. That you can have friends anywhere.

But now i know. True you can have friends...but once you are out of that work place. When Working always and always remember...they are your colleagues. The way you shared your life with people who were your friend while in school and college...the same things make you vulnerable in workplace. One has to remember...All that glitters is not gold and People come in a variety of shapes and size and to deal with them you must remember this rule.

I am friends with a team leader of mine till date and he is a good friend...but the truth is...we became friends once I left working under him...