The Cafeteria Chronicles

A lot can happen over a lunch or dinner. A contract can be won or lost on the aftermath of a lunch. You may make new friends during a ‘treat’ (for those who wonder why I have placed the word treat within quotes, it is the term that we typically use when we make a friend throw a party for all the ludicrous reasons in the world). Humerous, thought-provoking incidents can happen as well and it has happened to me. That is precisely what I am going to describe in the forthcoming paragraphs.

At the time of writing this blog, I am working for one of the most reputed software companies in India that employs more than 50,000 employees. The Bangalore office itself should house around 15,000 employees. Hence, there are 5 cafeterias, and two sandwich junctions inside the office premises. Personally I prefer the cafeteria and the sandwich junction that is near to the building where I work.

It was a wonderfully pleasant day in Bangalore and I had arrived early to office. Eager to pacify my rumbling tummy, I rushed to the cafeteria and got myself a plate of idly. As I was attacking my morning breakfast, I found a person walking towards me, breakfast in hand and a wide smile pasted across his face.

Now I am notorious for forgetting people’s faces and names in a flash, so it was no surprise that he calmly settled down a chair opposite to me, while I was in a dilemma whether to smile back or not. However, my ‘processor’ told me that I must have met him some time in the past and made me return his smile. The person in front of me began to speak.

“So how did you find the weather at Chennai?”

Now I was completely taken by surprise. I had attended a 45 day training at Chennai and he is aware of that; however, I do not recognize him. Is my memory becoming this lousy? Flustered, I managed to stammer a meek “Fine”.

“I heard that your locality was hard hit by the recent floods that devastated Chennai”.

I replied, “I have no idea about that because I was transferred to Bangalore before the heavy rainfall hit Chennai”.

Now I could see the smile fading away from his face. In fact, he looked as flustered as me.

Slowly, he said, “One sec, Arvind”.

Now, if there is one thing that I am sure in this world, it is my name and it is not Arvind. As I was trying to comprehend the whole situation, he asked me, “Excuse me, do I know you?”

It was now that I noticed the tiny gadget tucked away in the person’s ear. Hastily, I muttered a “Sorry”, picked up my plate and left the table feeling a bit embarrassed. Damn these hands-free devices!

This incident had etched itself deeply into my memory. Hence, from that moment, I was determined to remember the name and face of any person whom I would get acquainted with, so that I can avoid such embarrassing moments in the future.

Four months had flown by and Bangalore was now windy, cloudy and chill. Once again, the scene of action was the same cafeteria, the lone exception being that I was taking my lunch. Lunch time brings a huge crowd to the cafeteria and it is pretty hard to get an empty seat. This time, however, I found an entire table vacant and so, happy that the day so far has been good, I settled down at the empty table and turned my attention to the lunch in front of me. A few minutes later, I noticed that I had company. A gentleman had placed his lunch in the table and was proceeding to the nearby water dispenser to get a glass of water.

I didn’t notice anything abnormal until the gentleman settled down in the chair and said ‘Fine.”

Now, with the previous incident fresh in my mind and being very sure that this was not someone I knew, I didn’t attempt to look at the gentleman but instead concentrated on my food.

Few moments later, I heard the gentleman mutter something. I thought he was talking to himself, until he said the following loud and clear:

“I got the design specs in the morning itself. Where the hell have you been?”

Curiosity got better of caution, and I raised my face to see whether the person was using a hands-free device. Strangely, he was not. At the same moment, a dawn of realization came upon his face.

“I am sorry. I mistook you for a friend of mine”.

With these words, he proceeded to an adjacent table.

As I raised to leave, I could see him talking to his friend, apparently telling him about the funny incident that had just taken place. Both of them turned towards me at that instant, and I flashed a friendly smile towards them. Judging by the way they smiled, I think they were pretty relieved that I had not taken any offence out of the incident.

So now I do two things when I see a person who is apparently speaking to himself: I check whether he is using a hands-free equipment and I make sure that he has a good look at my face!