Just another day at work....

Seriously at work

N, M, V, L and I work part-time as student reporters at a prestigious publication. No prizes for guessing which publication it is :P ... anyway... just another day at office....

Outside class

I : Who's going to office today?

Silence...

I : No one's going? Assuming i am, who is coming along?

Silence..

I : hey.. one of you guys come

L : I have NCC work da. Not today.

M : I'll come

(I look at N, who ducks)

N : I want to go home and sleeeeeppp

I : So do i but please come...

N : Sighhh... ok...

V : I'm going for an assignment... but i'll come to office and go from there...

Outside college:

I : How are we going? Bus or auto?

V : Anything is fine

N : Anything is fine

M: Bus

I : Auto? (me hates bus)

V : But bus is cheaper

I : I thought you said anything is fine

V : Did i not exclude money? Damn...

M : You always want to go by auto!! Why can't you take public transport?

I : Auto is also transport for the public by private people

M : I'm not coming

I : Alright bus it is..

At bus stop

I : Where is the bus?

M : Patience, child

A man throws a piece of paper on the ground. M gets irritated. M is a social activist

M : (loudly) Some people think no one is watching them when they do things like littering. But god has many eyes

Three of us look at her, bewildered

M : Some people never change. They think they're too smart

Litter throwing man looks nervously at her

M : It is the duty of every citizen to make sure their country is litter free. Alas! just because they're lazy, they just throw things around and take their country for granted (She looks at me as she says this. I gulp)

Litter man stares at us nervous, bends down, picks up paper and throws it in the bin. Comes back to wait for bus.

I: Bus is still not coming... bloody 17 m. How come i've seen 3 empty 25 g's till now?

M (loudly at litter man): Yes.. you keep waiting. the bus won't come

I: (unsuspecting) It wont? :(

M: IT WONT!

17 m, empty as can be, stops right in front of M. M is shaken

Entrance of office

N: Can we finish the pages and leave early today?

I : Sure. I'm game.

V : I need to leave in an hour

M : Are we going to the canteen? I'm hungry

I : So am i

V : Not really

N : Anything is fine...

At canteen

I : Who has the token?

N : I don't

V : Neither do i

M : Nope..

I : Uhh.. you guys realise we can't eat without getting tokens?

N : Oops..

V : Someone go down and buy

I : Who is the someone?

N : Not me..

V : Me neither

I : Don't look at me

Three of us look at M. She sighs

M : I'll go. Morons. Lazy couch potatos

N : When you buy the token, check out the menu and tell us what's there.

M : I'm going and buying 1 token for myself!!!!

M stomps away. We follow. All of us end up going down and buying.. Lunch happens

Inside office. V and I are strategically positioned opposite the boss. N and M in far corners. Two terminals adjacent to boss's chair are vacant.

V and I are giggling over a random forward.

Boss: V and A. Come here to these two terminals.

We look up.

V and I : Two mins

Boss: No, come here now

V and I : Ok coming..

We stay where we are. Both our mobiles buzz with a message.

Message from boss : Both of you stop whispering nonsense and move!

V and I stand up like clockwork and shift positions

Hard work and sincerity personified

2 Pizzas arrive. Boss stands and walks upto us.

Boss : Did you guys eat?

Us : Yes

Boss : That's ok. As a part of team building exercise, i want you all to finish this one pizza.

Us: No, its ok, no we're not hungry.. not really.. i don like pizza...

Boss : I'm the boss. I'm telling you to eat. EAT!

Us : Ok.

We trudge upto the pizza box under the watchful eyes of the boss and pick a piece each.

Boss : Now take another piece..

Us : But..
Boss : It's upto you guys to finish the pizza

Secretly glad about having pizza, we make very sorrowful faces to mislead him and finish off the pizza, acting as though we are doing it with great difficulty.

Half hour passes. We work

Boss : Now that you guys have had your fill, as part of the digestion process each of you will play a game of TT with me.

Us : Groann... we're so fulll...

Boss : That's the point. Now get up. Get up.

M : Pages aren't done i'll stay and do them

I : I'll help you.

V : N had formal TT training when she was in school. Take her. I will give M and A moral support.

......

Boss drags all of us to the table.

Round 1 : M and V vs. Boss and N

I is score keeper and ball girl (hahahaha)

N misses ball twice and hits the third for what later comes to be termed 'roof ball' . V and M play like they are half dead.

Boss : C'mon guys.. show some spunk. V, who do you hate the most?

V : My HOD

Boss : Imagine the ball to be her face and hit hard!!! Take revenge

V : Ok

Ball approaches. V hits hard. Misses boss's face by inches.

Boss : Wow... Are you sure you have the right person?

V : Oops.. sorry

Boss : I like the spirit though.. keep it coming

Twenty mins lapse. I am half dead picking up balls every other second. We decide to finish the game.

Too much TT .. After round 1

V leaves

An hour passes. It's 5 30 pm. Time for snacks at the canteen. We decide to leave.

I : Go tell the boss. We'll leave

M : Why should i go? N, you go

N : Me? No chance. I'm scared. A?

I : No chance!

M pushes me forward. I push N. All of us end up in front of him with cheesy smiles

Boss : Yes?

We smile sheepishly

Boss : You can't leave, if that's what you are asking...

We continue smile widely

Boss : Alright... You guys can go.. this is like a picnic for you people!! What work you guys do, i don't know...

We sneak out, smiles still plastered onto our face.

We finish eating at the canteen when boss calls me.

Boss : Hey, are you guys around?

I : Yes, we're here. Anything wrong?

Boss : Can you come upto office? There's a mistake in the page.

I : Ok sure.

M leaves for home. N and I walk upto office.

Boss : Where were you?

N : Canteen

Boss : What? seriously?

I : Yes

Boss: (adresses the entire office) Listen to this people. These girls come to office and go for lunch. Then come here and i give them pizza. Then again in the evening at 5 30 sharp they run away for snacks. Wow! Picnic it is. Boy, I wish i were like you. You girls are so lucky.

Entire office laughs

We blush in embarrassment

Boss : I was kidding. Have fun while your here. Go on...

We walk down...

I : Can we go have coffee?

N : Again?

I : Why not?

N : Ok..

As we walk to canteen.. mobile rings.. its boss!

We turn back run towards the exit!