Extend a helping hand!!!

Before you read this, let us contemplate, how we treat our youngsters (not kids) or our juniors in general, especially in office space. This occurred to me, during the last few months of my ordeal in office. Although personally I didn't suffer much affliction, I was pained to see how some of the junior members of my team were treated.

Looking back, (if any of you had read my first post), I think of the timeless quote in hindi "jo bhi hota hai achhe ke liye hota hai". You may wonder why?
Since I was here (in the IT industry) more by accident than by design, I was completely ill-prepared for any task entrusted to me. But I was fortunate to have Nirav bhai and Pravinbhai as my immediate seniors, who would help me make the transition rather smoothly. It all began with them ,literally, hand holding and teaching me some of the tricks of the trade. Like any fresh college graduate, me and sanket (my partner throughout my first job) would gobble up all the knowledge bestowed upon us. Although the macro scenario wasn't that encouraging, we constantly received proper encouragement and guidance from our seniors (in spite of numerous pitfalls), which went a long way to assuage some of our fears. So my first stint in the IT industry had its fair share of bright spots as well. I can say so with the advantage of hindsight.

Today I stand, right at the opposite end of the spectrum.
Me now being a relatively senior (going by the time spent in the project) member of the team, had to collectively guide some of the new joiners. As with all newbies, they were all bubbling with energy and prepared to take up any task given to them. But to their misfortune, they had come into a project, which would soon be on fire.

Initially, it was all easy going (for most of them) but it was perhaps the lull before the storm. Slowly as things started going a bit awry, everybody started looking out for scapegoats. The freshers as expected were easy targets. They not only received verbal bashing behind closed doors, but some of them had to also put up with public humiliation. From some of those bright sparkling eyes, were now emanating tiny droplets of the approaching dusk. Their youthful optimism had slowly transformed into disillusionment, and now shaping into sheer frustration. All of this started having a deleterious effect on their health. Some took to bed, while others labored on with worn out tools. It was a pitiful sight, to see them turn into objects of ridicule.

In retrospect, when I look back, I wonder, if all that could have been avoided.
Some argued, under the pretext, "Let them get a taste of the real world" others said "Every man for himself" and the rest (including me) watched the carnage unfold before them, as mute spectators. So that implicates me too. By doing so, I am not trying to take a moral high ground, but its an admission of guilt. It could have so easily been a joyride, than the tumultuous journey it eventually turned into. I do not have all the answers, partly because, I am unaware of some of the games that are played out in the higher echelons. But answers need to be found at all levels of the hierarchy. It all should start with each one of us owning up to our share of the blame, which might be difficult, considering the "EGO" dynamics. But still, each one of us needs to introspect, and come up with solutions to heal those wounds and put our house back into order. Treat each individual as an independent mind and customize the solutions to meet their developmental needs.

Similar stories must have played out in the innumerable offices doting the Indian landscape, with different characters obviously. The big question is; are we a nation of hypocrites who so conveniently project our young workforce as the "Great Talent Pool", but treat them as nothing more than servants who do all our menial jobs. We treat them as our subordinates rather than as new partners. This organizational hierarchy is so deeply entrenched in the Indian psyche, that it will be hard to change. But shouldn't it change?

So, lets extend a helping hand and embrace our new generation.

Eternal Silence

As the gallant is on an imminent decline,
the angel , with sublime innocence resurges;
with chirping melody , that inebriates a stoic
and the smile so sweet I fell in love with.

The days sailed , and the times paused,
as I admired the beauty that cascaded;
Just as the grandiose world was none to see,
before a promenade beside the sea.

Alas! I stalled her way to the destined fame,
and the spirits within went into complete mayhem;
The times rolled back in moments of reflection,
as I sank into an epoch of self-contemplation.

Now as the world rejoices in your name,
I feel like a man possessed, sans shame;
May your wins know no bounds,
and make me feel like never before proud.

Silent Eloquence

Inhibitions flew on the wings of times,
as the nascent buds of love sprouted within;
Emotions inundated my heart in holy shrines,
and we sailed into those exalted precincts.

Those eloquent eyes, that serene smile,
your inebriating voice, and the charm sans guile,
engulfs me into the heights untouched,
and I bask in light of thy love, long searched.

Those cozy evenings, and the speechless moments,
is a prelude to the times, so soothing and clement;
The little mischief, and the puny arguments,
leave indelible impressions, of tacit agreements.

Today I metamorphose into an eternal optimist,
as the dream, with you in my life seem so lucid;
The prevailing winds accentuates the belief,
yet I reaffirm to fulfill the promises....implicit.

Naive Arguments (from 9th grade)

In the midst of city, there there lives a lad,
full of ambition but still sad;
with no trust in everybody,
neither envious against anybody.

Then from somewhere around a corner,
came a sweet girl by nature's order;
Full of belief and brimming devotion,
she tried to change the boy's imagination.

She tried to induce hope and trust,
and to 'live' which she called is a must,
But he paid no attention to her noble advice,
and thought his lifestyle, safe and more wise.

She tried many a more hundred times,
until at last she committed her last crime;
Finally she shook her head in despair,
the gallant still searched for bliss somewhere.

Madamji (in Hindi)

Ek waqt beeta, chand lamho jaisa,
aayi sandhya, fir bhor ka intezaar kaisa;
Do pal ki mulaqat thi, fir yeh gham kyu,
guzarta jhoka hi to hai, fir yeh aalam kyu.

Kuch is tarah aye who mere jahan mein,
navjivan wani liye zaban mein,
Maddham hui zindagi, shor-e-halaal se,
pariyon ka saya ho jaise kapal pe.

Har mushkil mein unki yaad aati hai
yakeen hai , uchit marg dikhlati hai,
Man mein guru ka sthan deta hoon ,
aapke satkaar mein shish jhukata hoon.

Ab udasi si chayi hai is man me,
jo gham ki syahi se likhi is kagaz mein,
Kya kahe zindagi kuch aise hi fisalati ja rahi hai,
par aisa kyu hai ki kuch apno ko jane bina hi ,
…………. wo hamse ruksat ho leti hai.

Mutthi bhar yadein (in Hindi)

Ek lamha gira, zindagi thi meri,
panchhiyon si udi, khwahishein thi meri;
tinnka tinnka mila, ghosalaa ban gaya,
ek jhonka hua, bas yaadein reh gayi.

woh dost the mile, ya naye gul khile,
karwaan tha naya aur naye silsile;
saadagi se bhare, naram woh piyale,
kilkilati hansi ke jude kaafile.

ek ehsaas tha, ek vishwaas tha,
ankahe labzo ka ek andaaz tha.
ek pal jo lade, fir naya pal jiye,
mitti ke teelon sa apna sansaar tha.

fir mude chal diye apni raahein liye,
main bhi tha badh chala, laakho sapne liye;
adchanein thi kayei, the magar humsafar,
aur irshya bhari woh anjaan nazar.

har ghadi dekhu main, is andherein tale,
khwabon ka janazaa, roop sehra liye.
kaash ji loo agar, fir woh maasoom pal,
karwatein thi meri, aainaa ban gayi.

Confessions of an "Eligible" Bachelor

As my caravan arrived at the critical juncture,
I prepare myself to face the moment of truth;
A moment that comes but once, in life,
to change it forever, by design or disaster.

All past anxieties now seems like a speck,
against a deluge of uncertainties I walk into;
The fleeting moments of grief n joy, of past,
I recall, appear too tiny to rely upon.

I pace between the gates of heart and mind,
to discern a way through the clogged drains
...of my other whole.
The cradle of heart sang many a gentle hymn,
until the legacy of the mind shredded it all into pieces.

The dilemma gets murkier at the doorstep of dawn,
or whether I'd recede into a deeper darkness;
The choice is mine, but not entirely mine,
whatever be the turn of the coin;
when I look back from the shores above,
I wish I could make one life worth living.

Well this is my first attempt at writing a blog.... so quite unsure of what to put in it

As the name suggests, today is a new beginning in my life. I just resigned from my current job yesterday. After harping over this question for 2 years, yesterday was that fateful day when i finally put in my papers. And what a relief it is. Lifes been hell for these 2 long years. And as expected, this is the story of a software engineer.

I can still remember the day when i had got the call from this company and how ecstatic I was that day. It was a dream come true. All through my college days I had never dreamt of getting a job so soon after the college. I then had to give two or three treats to my friends for getting this job, as getting a job was a scarce commodity during those days. And poor little me, I was totally oblivious of what was to follow. It was nothing short of a journey through hell.

I was initially put under a project manager who was the most insecure person you would ever meet. He was so damn sure of his weakness and was so overwhelmed with it that he just wanted to stick to whatever he had. And still put on a smart face, which would make him look even more foolish. There was absolutely no work on that project which he could offer me, but still he didn’t release me and left me there to Rotttttt….. he would scare us (me and my friend) with dangerous consequences if we leak this out. After some time we got used to him and his ways and were no more intimidated. We then took our chances and approached our project director many time ….. he too was another “Dhakkan”…. Although an IIT+IIM pass out he virtually had no life in him….. one of the most lazy and sloppy fellows on earth. Finally the day came when approached our Vice President to look into our matter. For that moment it felt good to see my project manager and my project director get some verbal bashing….. deservingly. What followed was straight out of the old adage “From the frying pan into the fire”. Next year passed with just doing documentation and IISRESET. At the end of those wasted 2 years I was technically ZERO, although I had picked up some bits and pieces of knowledge along the way.

Now I found myself worthy of nothing and had no other option but to stick to my company coz I felt that nobody would want to hire a fresher with 2 years work experience. I was very frustrated with myself for having suffered for this long and still haven’t taken any drastic steps to stem the rot. My workplace felt like nothing short of a dump of toxic energy.

Now my top priority was to get some descent work to do and I was sure I was not going to get this in my current, but I didn’t have the guts to face an interview with such meager knowledge (eventually it turned out that, it is only me who considered it meager). I started studying with some purpose to land a better job. I also happened to read the book “The Alchemist” during this period, and it was indeed a marvelous work of art. Some of it too imbibed some craziness into me. Mind you, sometimes to drastically changes your life you got to be a bit crazy and take some bold steps………… I then appeared for my first interview ….. and cleared it….. got a descent job offer but as all my comates said it was monetarily not up to the mark and most importantly the work being offered was not to my liking. Then came the next offer from India’s largest software firm…… the salary bargain round was a shocker…… I never ever thought in my life that some one would ask me…. “Tera final kitna hai bol”….. it was as though I was being auctioned. I decided then and there that I m not going to join this firm. And then a month later a dream offer came to me and I decided to give it a fair chance. As you might have guessed, I cleared this too.
Yesterday I put in my papers and what followed was a 4 hours session with my Project director, my project manager and my project leader to understand my reasons for leaving. Meanwhile they also tried to lure me back with many tempting offer like … they would recommend my name for H1 visa, immediately put me into another project of my liking, increase my salary…. and a host of other goodies. But I ask, why didn’t they do all this good stuff when I was very much among. Why is this just a part of a damage control exercise. During the session, I blurted out all the mistreatment that was showered on me during the 2 years. I don’t know whether that was the wisest thing to do, I just spoke my heart out.
Now I don’t have any regrets. I m just looking forward to my job with an open mind. If one of you happen to be in a similar sort of dilemma, then don’t wait for a very long (like I did) to act. Just do it now.

I now have a bunch of new ideas to work on and an open and free mind to pursue them.
And I would advise you all, from a personal experience, that …… it is never never never never tooo late to make A Fresh Start.