A handful of thoughts

Ms A is my friend. Well not really a friend more of an acquaintance. But the eagerness and momentum with which she keeps filing my bucket of curiosity with information whenever we meet, any onlooker would think we are the best of buddies. Notably, Ms A is actually an ex-colleague and a childhood friend of a friend.

Now, the over and above everything else, Ms A is famous for her PR skills; read - her ability to collect, collate and circulate vital information about Tom, Dick, Harry, their friends, wives, brothers and sisters-in-law, neighbors, housemaid and everyone in the goddamn galaxy. She has taken it upon herself to become the Gossip gazette for anyone and everyone around her. i was always an ardent admirer of Ms A - for her enviable ability to STAY IN TOUCH with such a wide plethora of living beings.

It all began with her first break up. As and when she walked out of this relationship (I dunno who dumped whom but that’s not important) she decided, she needs to keep a tab on the whereabouts of this guy. You know, stuff like who he sleeps with next, etc. But she was no longer on talking terms with him, and had deleted him from all her social networking accounts. So how could she get it done? Then, she had the IDEA. She decided to stay in touch with the guy’s housemaid. As per the gossip mill, she succeeded at her attempt and till such time that she thought was worthwhile she continued with her ‘Operation Housemaid’.

Recently my friend (Ms A’s childhood buddy) complained to us that every time she tries calling Ms A, her call goes unanswered and she never calls back. So one of these days, she was chatting with her mom-in-law and asked her the courteous “so what are you doing?” And pop cam the answer - “I’m chatting with your friend A over phone”

Last heard, Ms A brought us news about someone we knew long back (and subsequently went out of touch). Some of us couldn’t help the exclamatory - “Wow! You are still in touch with him!” And she said as nonchalantly as ever - “Hell no! His mom told me and said its confidential.”

Statutory warning: I’m about to report one of the most lamentable cases of corporate gender discrimation, which unfortunately happened at the office of my friend’s employer (but I’ll relate the story to you in first person :P). This is a serious issue and I’d like to invite some serious and thoughtful comments instead of peppering me with sarcastic remarks.

There are various things that employers pay their employees for. Playing cards on their systems, visiting social networking sites and chatting are only some of them. Add to these, donwloading wallpapers of skimpily clad (if at all) women, pornographic movies, videos and photos. And you know how the HR dept. treats such issues (just like the adulterous husband who keeps quiet fully knowing his wife is two-timing him with his neighbour). Now what happened in my office is a severe case of discrimination against women and such things I daresay have become rather uncommon in the 21st century.

Ms M (lets hope that’s her name) is the office hotbod who graces various cabins in the organisation at various times of the day. So much so that she’s sometimes brought me to believe that she has been hired by the organisation to provide the workforce with some tangible source of entertainment or the possibility of it. Some call her dumb, but I’m sure they are simply jealous. Recently, Ms M was denied any internet connectivity on her office computer despite her and her admirers’ repeated requests. I knew I had to know all about it.

One day (a few days after the fight) over an afternoon’s cup of tea I poured out all my concerns for the IT guy expressing my disapproval at the way he is treated in office by some petty pussy. And out came the story; Ms M allegedly watched pornographic movies on her office computer :D :D and therefore the HR has decided not to provide her with any internet connectivity.

But all said and done, my poor little Ms M is not the only one who does that. Loads and loads of men do the same and it never struck the HR to mete out the same treatment to them. Well I do admit that unlike Ms M they spend their days at their desks and not at others’…still, its unfair you see…unthinkable…calls for some activism this one :D