LIFE IN METRO

……..So this was a new experience for me to live alone in a metro city. It was 13th of Aug 2010, my first day in my new office, where I had been posted by my department. I reached my office building at exact 9:30 am, as I knew that my office timing was 9:30 to 6. I had to wait till 10:15 when the govt. employees started coming office.....only then, my joining application with the office order, which I had received from headquarters last day, was forwarded to the head of this Group, where I had got posting. There are many branches under this group in this office building.

So, that day I joined my office and was taken to my own branch after having signature on my application from ADD, DD, JD (senior bosses) later I came to know that my direct boss was absent that day. Other people of my office building told me that I had got the worst (most strict) bosses over me. Only two or three people of my staff had come that day besides me in my branch because a lecture was going on that day and every present employee had to attend that lecture. Mrs. A. whom I call ma'am (junior by post)was the only lady in my branch and Mr.X. whom I call X.Sir and some other people were there who saw me as I was new to them but I couldn't notice many. I asked them about the nature of the work that our branch deals. Ma’am told me about the work which I found so interesting and I was thanking God that I had got a good branch which didn't have boring nature of work. This was Friday and I had Saturday and Sunday off.
On Monday, I reached office at 10 o'clock. Mr.X. indicated towards a man and said, "He is our boss.'' there was a dark complexioned decent looking man.....about 35 to 45 years of age.
'Good morning sir. I m the newly recruited assistant in your branch.' He smiled at me and said 'good morning' he further asked me about my educational qualifications, the place where I belong to, my family background and the other things .Then summoned Mrs.A and said take the girl with you to your seat and tell her about the work. I went to madam’s seat. She started talking to me.....though the talks were not concerned with the work. As on Friday I had asked most of the people of my office building, whom I had met, to search a good room for me near office.......Ma'am was talking more about the places, where I could stay or about residences of people of the staff or was giving me the suggestions that I should apply for a govt. quarter as soon as possible.

      After observing me from his seat after 3-4 hours........my boss said to a man 'Divyata ko bulao.....the man's seat was between the seats of boss and ma'am. That man, who was looking about 35 to 45 said 'Kaun Divyata sir? apne introduce to karwaya nahi aur mujhse bulane ko bol rahe ho.' Then he looked at me and asked me to go to the boss.

         I went to the boss. He said, 'Divyata, first of all, tell your name and your education to these all, loudly.' I did as he had said. Then he said to whole staff that she is the new assistant in our branch and introduced me with whole of the staff. 5 people were junior to me and 1 same as my designation but senior in service (mr.X.) and a field officer, Mr.Y. then the boss asked me what I knew about our department and what I knew about the work what I had to do there. I just told him the work what ma'am had told me on Friday. Boss smiled again and then he told me about the matter our branch deals and the work i had to do there in my service as assistant in an interesting way. He further told me that if I’ll try can get his designation by passing an exam after 4 years or the usual promotion based on seniority happens after 8 years. He asked me whether i was preparing for any other competitions. He told me that he had also prepared for civil services in the early years of his service and he had taken promotions just after 4 years after passing that exam. his deep knowledge was reflecting from his talks.

      He then said, 'Are u searching room here? so could u find any?'
'no sir.' I said, 'Actually at haldwani the people of your department who came there for my inquiry had suggested me to meet Mr.G.( who was on the same designation as our boss), I had met him and he had given me the address of a hostel.' I went there on Friday but it was closed that day and guards were saying to come after 15th of August. also I m searching any paying guest or anything near office as my mausi's home is very far from here where i m staying these days.'
'oh! I see' boss said 'first of all, I suggest you to take a hostel instead of paying guest as in paying guest u never know what type of people u get who give u home. For pg's, tez-tarrar Delhi girls are best suited, who can fight for their self interests.' 'Divyata, you are new to this big city so take every step with precaution. Here people are not as good as people of village/town. Second, take care of the food you eat as here every edible thing is contaminated. I m basically Keralite and after coming Delhi, my health was never as fine as it was in Kerala.......u r new so I m telling, protect yourself when you cross the roads....Here everybody is in speed and nobody cares for you. So u'll have to take care of yourself.'.......' Sagar & Mr. Z do u know any girls' hostel in our office surroundings?' He asked......
......."hahahaha...sir, why r u asking us the old people? Ask any young guy if u want to know about a girls hostel.’Mr Z said......"hahahhaha, yes he is right' Mr.Y, the field officer said. Then the boss ordered Mr.Y to go with me to a hostel which he knew was about 1 or 1.5 kms from the office. he said 'take her to all the hostels wherever she says.' He then rang a number on the office phone to order someone to permit Mr.Y to take the bike.
Mr.Y, a long and strong Haryanwi pandit man took me to the hostel which was 1 or 1.5 kms from office. He, by his great personality and DABANG attitude asked them to give me a room. I was really surprised to the way he coaxed the guard to take us to warden even though initially guard was denying to take me there. He was saying right now u can't meet her. Come some other time. Mr.Y went to the landline phone put there and rang his mobile no. from that phone. 'What r u doing sir?’ guard said.
'Nothing, just taking your hostel phone no. for further contact'. That time I was thinking 'oh, what a typical way to take ph.no.? Couldn’t he directly ask him? But yes! his intelligence!' warden came and told that right now no room was free but from the next month I can take a room as some girls r leaving hostel due to their marriage. She also took to first floor to show me the rooms......Hostel was very clean and the rent was reasonable so I decided to take the same hostel next month.I thought 'Now there is no need to go any where to search a hostel or pg'. We returned to office...........
Days were passing by......and the boss was as lenient to me as he was earlier, though people told that he is strict when it comes to work but how could I know? He was not giving me any work to do. My routine was to go to office in bus (traveling in a loaded bus is a struggle in Delhi....all know this), passing time in office then returning home in that similar rush. Getting tired of the daily travelling in bus I used to sleep early. Boss had said 'you can leave for your home from office 1 hour earlier as long as you r staying in your mausi's home. But once u r shifted to the hostel u will have to stay here till 6 o'clock.'......'of course sir,I will' I had said... In this way 20 days passed by and i got shifted to my hostel in the first week of next month.I had 1 roommate with me in my room. I could also take any room with 2 or 3 roommates but I preferred taking a room with 1 roommate.....'It's rather easier to adjust with 1 girl than 2 girls' I had thought.When i entered my room I saw clothes every where some on the bed in untidy manner, some hanging down from bed some on chairs some hanging from chairs.....actually there was a heap of clothes and novels on the chairs....a layer of clothes then a novel over it, then a layer of 2 or 3 clothes then some news papers. On the table there were kept many cosmetics.Bedding on the bed was unfolded as someone had just woke up and couldn't get time to fold it. A book rack was also placed there. Cosmetics, many shoe boxes and dirty clothes were placed in the book rack. The floor of the room was very clean, no doubt.I knew, a maid for cleaning floor comes daily, in each room of this hostel.Now i tried to set the things of the room properly.I had right on one of the chairs so i removed the layers of clothes and novels, folded the clothes and placed them on roommate's briefcase.similarly folded the clothes which were on her bed and kept on the same briefcase. folded her bedding.

1st day in new hostel :- I returned from office, changed clothes and was engaged with my mobile messaging friends, mausi and mumma. Someone knocked my room. I knew it was my roommate. She came in. I had curiosity to know about her, so asked her many things like her name, education, family belongings etc, but I saw she was not much interested in talking.She went from room. At 9 o'clock when i felt it unbearable to control my hunger and to wait for my roommate as well, I went downstairs and asked a girl who was coming up about she has taken dinner.She smiled,nodded and said yes, dinner timing is from 8:30. I, then forwarded towards mess thinking 'Don't know where roommate has gone. i can't wait now'.....and lo! i entered mess and saw roommate was already there. That time i felt very bad........She fall ill next day and went to her friend's home to stay. After 15 days she came back.

But in these 15 days how i spent my days??
One day, as i returned from office i was feeling cold and body-ache. So i took medicine at night and fall asleep thinking that i'll get well the next day. when i got up the next day i was not feeling well. However i managed to go to office to save my casual leaves and earned leaves.I reached the office and told the the boss about this. Boss said ' Divyata, i recommend u to go to hospital as soon as possible and get your blood tested. This is Delhi, here even a minute fever can convert into Dengue, typhoid, malaria, Chikengunia type of big diseases. It is not like your village or town that u take the medicine at night and get well the next morning.' So, I went to a nearby govt. hospital that was built for govt. employees of some other department. So compounder , after our request allowed me to go inside(as we were from other department), to doctor's room. There were many rooms of different CMO's inside and i was puzzled about where to go. I went to a room randomly and went to the Doctor. The Doctor saw my receipt where the name of my department was also written. He, then looked at my face. 'From which place do u belong ?' he said.'Uttarakhand' i said.
'Haldwani??' he asked. 'Yes!!' i said.' Mr.__Sinha.....do u know him?'......
'Oh yes!!!!...Ok.....' i said remembering something....actually Mr.Sinha of our last job(at the bank) had given me reference of his younger brother and had said me to meet him.But i had forgotten to meet him then. Dr. Sinha rang his elder brother's mobile no. and said ' dekho tab milne nahi aayi ab jab beemar ho gayi tab aayi' i didn't mind. He, by checking the symptoms recommended me for blood testing. when i returned office i got more fever. i slept in the office room putting my head on my table.In evening when i returned hostel i was feeling weakness and restlessness.
As mom and mausi have the habit of messaging me (on mobile) frequently, they messaged me at night about i had taken the dinner or not. I told them about my severe fever by message. I didn't want to have dinner as the taste of food seems bad when you get fever. so i skipped lunch and dinner many times which increased my weakness and fever.Next morning i went to office by auto and then after attendance i went to the same hospital to check my blood report and to give again the sample of my blood for testing.But the queue at blood test lab was so long that they denied me to take blood test. That time Boss ordered ma'am to accompany me to a famous lab situated far from there.Boss dialed a number and ordered a man to take me and ma'am to the lab in taxi.I thanked Boss silently ( It was hard to thank him again and again for helping me.) This or the next blood report revealed that i had symptoms of a disease called 'Dengue'.As my blood platelets count was decreasing day by day. I returned to office and told boss all this. He suggested me to take leaves and take rest for some days. Doctor Sinha also suggested this on phone and by phone he ordered his servents to give me medicines and electrol powder. So i took leave the next day and taking medicines and fruits with me i took an auto for my mausi's home.

But before going to mausi's home i had spent 2 or 3 days in fever alone in hostel's room.The experience of these 2-3 days was very miserable and a person can take some learnings from these small experiences. The first learning is that 'APNE TO APNE HOTE HAIN.' as it was only my sweet mother and mausiji who were really worried for my health. They were continuously messaging and calling me to know how my health was.I could understand my mom's condition who was thinking about what to do from Haldwani for the betterment of my health. Friends were, however happy busy in their own lives thinking that they will call or message me only when i will call them. These 2-3 days i found it very difficult to pass my time......After the blood test, doctors in the lab take usually 4-5 hours to give blood reports as every one in that area was infected with the same disease.So there was a long queue of people to get their blood tested.I was getting swelling on my hands and face and itching too. Oh!! Those miserable days!!! the weakness and thirst. Doctor recommended me to take a lot of liquid content in my food.But how? In the hostel it was very difficult to swallow a single bite.

However , I reached mausi's home who had been calling me to come to her home from 4-5 days, but it was me who was not going there because of my weakness and to save my earned-leaves. but now it was my urgent need to go there. As soon as i reached mausi's home she brought 'moong ki daal ka paani' with butter on it. Oh! I can't tell how much relief i got taking that daal with bread pieces that day. Mausiji , then brought the pieces of oranges to eat which i had brought with me as doctor had recommended me to take many oranges as food. After this relief, I fall asleep. I was feeling very hygienic atmosphere here. Next day my Mumma ultimately came from Haldwani to serve me. I was thinking ' Oh!! how soft heart a mother gets!!, she never thinks about the infection she can get from her children when they get disease but she serves with heart and soul' I got tears thinking all this.

Needless to say that my health started improving and my blood platelets count started increasing. Finally, after 4-5 days i got well.Yes! How can i forget to mention the names of my friends who made me laugh, entertained and talked me by orkut scraps at that boring time. These were 'Sangeeta' and 'Mayank'. My other mausijis and my Buaji also called me when they got to know about my illness.My last job's colleagues and the colleagues of this job also called me time by time to say me get well soon. Really, some words of encouragement mean a lot when u are in a problem.

At last I reached office on wednesday after attending satsang on Monday and Tuesday.and getting fit and fine. But I felt a sudden change in the behavior of my boss. he was behaving rudely.He gave me a lot of work to do. Work was feasible. I also wanted to do the work since a long time because i was taking salary to do the work and not for passing time in office. But his rude behavior??? He ordered me to produce the medical certificate right then. THANX GOD and THANX to Dr. Sinha that I immediately went to him and he first wrote 'bed rest of 10 days' on the receipt of past recommendations and then he ordered his clerk to type a medical certificate right then with hospital stamp and signed it. So i could apply for my past leaves for 10 days.i tolerated the behavior of my boss till lunch time. after the lunch when i came back after taking fruits for myself from a shop, he rudely asked me from where i was coming and whom had i told about my whereabouts. I said 'It was lunch time sir.'... .'Do u know what the lunch time is' he said
My colleague said me to keep quiet before boss. Actually i had done office work in luch time and had gone to take fruits after the lunch time unknowingly.....as we don't realize actual lunch time in govt. offices. Because the time is always extended.......
I moved to the boss and said 'sir, aap aaj mujhse itna daanth ke kyun bol rahe ho?'.....
He smiled and said 'You took a long leave and didn't tell me any thing. Sit down' he indicated toward the chair in front of him and continued 'You know we have to answer to our senior bosses for your leaves. you took a long leave and at least you should have intimated me on the Monday. we were expecting u to join office from that day but u didn't and neither did u intimated me about this. Don't u know this is a rule that every Monday you should tell why you r not coming office?'
'no sir' i said.
He smiled again like always and said 'ok, aage se dhyan rakhna. ab kaisi hai tumhari tabiyat?'
'Sir, thodi weakness hai.Aur sab theek hai.Pata hai sir, yahan hostel mein to main theek hi nahi ho paati wo to achha hua main mausi k ghar chali gayi tab meri tabiyat theek ho payi'
Again he smiled and said, 'Divyata, apni sehat ka dhyan rakha karo. Hamesha ghar k log saath nahi rahenge isliye tumhe khud apna dhyan rakhna padega.......Take juice, fruits whatever but try to improve your immune power.....pata hai yahan kitni beemaariyan ho jaati hain agar apna dhyan na rakho. Abhi meri beti ko Dengue hua tha. 1-2 saal pehle mujhe 'chikengunia'( disease spread by mosquito) ho gaya tha. Apna dhyan rakho.'......and his behavior returned to its initial stage. I felt relaxed.I, now started leaving office at 6 pm as i had said before.

So i came back to my hostel room. The roommate came at night and saw that i had changed the setting of the room. I had cleaned the room and had folded all her clothes and had put all at a place.She entered into room....saw the setting and spread all the clothes which were already folded. 'Fuckoff' she said angrily almost whispering. "what" i said 'what happened?' 'why you touched my clothes? some of them were washed and some are for cleaning( 'poche ke kapde') 'Oh sorry!! i didn't know'.........'yes thats y i m saying , no need to touch any of my things.ok!' i know how to keep them properly' she shouted.........again i felt bad and the journey of feeling bad about roommate's nature started from that movement.......However i saw a change in roommate's nature that now she had cleaned her place and started folding her beddings. I was happy and told mom that she is improving. I thought 'ab shayad uske behavior mein bhi change aa jayega aur like'RAB NE BANA DI JODI' movie 'haule haule ho jaayega pyar:)..........but alas!!!! after 3-4 days her clothes and all things started to spread here and there like before.On returning from office i started finding room untidy and got headache........her behavior didn't improve. We were in the same room but we never talked with each other. All other roommates used to go to have dinner together but we had the tensed relations. That time only, i came to realize that the life becomes HELL when you get an arrogant and unsuitable partner.I used to feel suffocation at room. Even in the office when i got a thought that i had to return in that suffocating and boring atmosphere of room, i used to become sad. Colleagues used to ask me why i was looking so sad. I used to tell them but what could they do about this? Even the other girls of hostel used to say that my roommate's nature was never good.One day when i returned to my room i saw everything untidy and to and fro.. i just fall asleep at my usual time at 10 pm at night. roommate returned from office 10:30 or 11pm when i was sleeping.
Next morning i urged her in a soft voice 'Neha, agar ho sake to jaane se pehle apna blanket fold kar dijiyega aur apne kapde apni Almira me rakh dijiyega. kal jab main aayi office se to floor pe joote aur bed pe kapde faile hue the. Ganda sa lag raha tha'........................
same day when i returned from office expecting room to be clean, and saw every thing untidy and to and fro again then i waited for the roommate to come. She came and took rest then i asked finally.......'Why don't u put your clothes in your cupboard? Why don't u fold ur blanket?'
' Main aisi hi rahungi'....jo bhi kar rahi hoon apne bed pe kar rahi hoon tumhe kya matlab tum apne bed ko saaf rakho aur apne half area of the room ko saaf rakho'.  i said 'but we both share the same room, there is no partition in the room, and why do u always talk to me so rudely?'..........'no, u only talk to me rudely' she said.
'me???'........and after some more quarreling i went to a dark corner in balcony and cried for an hour remembering my mom and God and then I decided to change my room.I had once before said to the warden to change my room but this time i firmly and having tears in my eyes requested warden to give some other room.She showed me a room with 2 roommates. i asked other girls of the hostel about those 2 girls. They said 'Haan, wo ladkiyan theek hain. Yaar tu koi bhi room legi teri is roommate se sab better hi hongi.Wo antique piece hai hostel ka. Uski kisi se nahi pat pati.'

So, now i have changed my room and now I am happy with my new roommates. Every thing is going on smoothly in office too..........This is my experience in the new city......
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