The customer was keen to be informed about latest progress on
the project, this morning I have called all my team members, spread across the
length of the country, to gather the data desired by him. Only if I can put all
that into a spreadsheet in time.
“Sarojini’s data is updated and now the figures from
Ramanujan in column Y” in these covid times, working away from colleagues,
I often get into a conversation with myself in order to keep the social animal
in me alive.
Few more minutes and I am done- I gazed toward the clock hanging
in front of me when the meeting reminder tune emerged- both from laptop and
mobile! My attention rebounded from the wall into the two rectangular screens
which have become my life since the pandemic began.
Project Progress Call……………….5 Minutes
“Almost there!”, I snoozed the reminder(s) and
started typing at the speed of thought, someone inside me wanted to avoid an
angry customer and at the same time was hungry for a possible appreciation.
After finishing the chores of an early day, I had got my kid’s
tablet ready for his online class and also managed to restore the depleting
milk stock from the nearby grocery store while attending various calls from my squad.
Followed by a hurried breakfast and a dozen of arguments with my better half, I
had all the daily doses of the new normal.
Project Progress Call………………. Now
I clicked the Join button and was all set to impress the prey
when ringtone of an incoming call from my mobile filled the room.
Waiting for others to join
The message on the laptop clearly indicated that the customer
was yet to join the meeting. I switched to my mobile to check who was calling
at such an inappropriate time, it better not be Preeti again telling me to
change any of the values from her update!
Sahil-School calling…
What! After so many years and out of nowhere. Someone inside
me urged to disconnect instantly but a quick glance to the meeting room indicated
that there was no other participant other than me. I muted my meeting line to
answer the call- firmly resolved to simply tell Sahil to call me later and how
busy I am right now, the socialite in me can wait!
“Hello, Sahil actually I am…”
“You are there …. I mean you are ok right” came as a
response
“Yes Sahil” before I can come to the point and tell him to
connect later, he stated
“It is so relieving to hear your voice Da, I wasn’t so lucky
in my past two calls”
“What do you mean” I enquired
“Majumdar an old college friend, you don’t know him and Gaurav
from my last company didn’t survive this wave” he informed
I was silent, was he just checking if I was alive!
“Hello! how is the most efficient Project Manger today” came
a voice from my laptop looks like the customer has finally joined the meeting.
“But you don’t worry” Sahil continued “Most of us from our gang
are okay, Mohan, Asif, Gajanan and even the Sick-leaver Sanku are fine”
“Oh, Sanku the ‘Sorry madam-I-was-absent-yesterday-because-of-fever’
guy! How is he? did not hear much about him after school” my conversation with
him took the next step when my memory hit a forgotten chord.
“Yes, the very same, I got in touch with him recently when
he dropped an oss message for oxygen in the what’s-app group”
I cursed myself for muting that ever-popping group on my phone,
“Looks like you are on mute Mr P.M” came a sound from the meeting window.
Moving away from the laptop I asked my old friend “So did he
manged to get it?”
“Not sure, he was still hunting for it but it was for his
uncle so I guess he must be okay” Sahil consoled.
“Mr P.M you can share your screen with the status if unable
to mute yourself” this time an instruction was fired from the meeting room.
“Ah sorry I did not realize that you must be busy, carry on.
I just called to….”
“…to check if I am alive?” I filled in his statement
After a moment of silence, he just manged to blur out in a
croaky voice “keep calling or drop a message here and there Da” the line went
dead.
“Are you there Mr P.M” the laptop was glaring out now
I locked the room, the sound diminished as I reached the
roof of my building.
I had time, just enough to check if my roots are still
around, and dialled a long-forgotten number
“Hello Sunku, it’s me – did you got the Oxygen?”
