Quarterly Project Party

After having spent a little more than 2 ½ years i.e. 10% of my current age in this project, life here has become very predictable and more so our quarterly project party. So when the party was announced I knew the unfolding procedural steps. Around the last week of the 2nd month in that quarter, a mail would be sent with options for the party. XYZ + Dinner. XYZ will be the usual suspects; Bowling or GoKarting or Resort or Movie. Among them resort had been the most hated yet most threaded option. We have covered most of the resorts on and around Hosur road. After much of discussions and deliberations we would have the party in the 2nd week of the 3rd month of the quarter.

We had been to a resort for the last project party, so this time it would obviously be something other than a resort. Of the remaining, bowling had been the hot favorite with movies and GoKarting following close. All this while I was unaware of the surprises in store!

The first surprise came in the form of an absence of the options mail. I think this is the first project party which concluded without a single mail being circulated!! Another first was floating of a new option; going for a trek!! The enthusiastic trio Kavyaji, Maneeshaji and Deepakji however, fortunately or unfortunately did not come up with a plan for the option to materialize!! Hemantji, Maheshji and I mooted for bowling while Chidambarji, Chetnaji and Anuradhaji were inclined for movie which lead us to the third surprise. Combining two options in one party!!

The D-Day finally arrived. People were in a party mood from the start of the day. Tickets were booked for Mr. & Mrs. Smith and bowling lane was also taken care of. A bigger surprise was in store ahead for us. Not even a single taxi was available that day to ferry us!! The reply from every travel agent was a negative. It seemed everybody in the company were partying that very day. Our resourceful Guruji entered the scene when every avenue seemed to have been emptied and got a quails booked for us!
It was 4:30 when we all got into the taxi and started. Hemantji and Deepakji occupied the front row with the driver. Anuradhaji, Kavyaji, Chetnaji and Maneeshaji occupied the middle row. I, Chidambarji, Maheshji and Guruji were dumped in the rear with me and Chidambarji precariously perched at the edge of the seat. We collected the tickets for the 8:30 show on our way to mega bowl. Bowling begin almost immediately we entered the place. “Heman”ji was the first to try luck followed by “Mahes”ji. Guruji and Chidambarji were blissfully trying to impress someone on the next lane!! I once also say them talking to the lady!! We ended the bowling event with Maheshji emerging as the winner with 114 points followed by NVJ with 111 points!!! Guruji and Chidambarji scored an all time high on chivalry points utilizing their multifaceted talents shedding their “projected” staid image!!!!! (Apologies, dear friends!!!!!)

The next stop was at a Andhra style Veg-Non veg restaurant in front of the theater. The surprising fact here is that except Deepakji rest all are vegetarians. The food was okay and we had to gulp it down fast as time was running out.

It was 8:35 when we dashed from the restaurant towards the cinema hall. The first five minutes had already gone by when we had occupied the seats. The movie was a refreshing fare, well made, the kind you would like to buy a DVD and watch everyday!!! Crisp script, hi-fi action laced with straight faced comedy coupled with as exciting as ever Angelina Jolie'ji' made this a superb entertainer!! I had been to Batman Begins on Saturday which was said to be a better package than this. But this movie definitely has its gripping moments worth watching ‘n’ times.

We were out of the theater at around 10:30. People were dropped off to their places with Chidambarji being the last to get down ending the twin option party.

The biggest surprise to me however was on Monday morning. These days we get messenger mails for every drop of a hat. But surprisingly there was not a single mail sent for revival of the tie after the 3 month relaxation period! I took the tie in my bag to play safe knowing there will be lot of people who would have come not wearing one!! However on entering the campus I was totally surprised. Every body had their ties on!!! I could not eye a single person without his tie!! Maybe people think of the company and its rules even on weekends and holidays. I too tied mine and walked towards the building thinking of any more surprises that lie in store!!!



~Narendra V Joshi'ji'