First is FIRST

Be it sweet or bitter, the first experience is something we hold close to our heart. First job, first trip abroad, first love, first kiss, first drink etc; the list is endless.

So when I am sitting here in my office cubicle very tactfully stealing some time from my supposed to be working hours just below the nose of my manager, a volley of sweet memories are rushing to my mind. This is the same place where I “worked” for the first time I landed in my job and I can feel heaviness in my heart and couldn’t help myself jotting it down.

My first few days in Wipro: Those were days of fun, everything was new. We were just like few kids out of college and office looked more or less like an outing except for the serious grave figures who were spotted occasionally passing the corridor moving around in their own world unaware of the surroundings and talking to themselves.

I remembered Sreeja passing a comment “Why is that none here are smiling?”

The canteens and lawns were the hot spots. I kept hearing words like bench and free pool lest did I understand what they actually meant. The cafeteria discussion was confined to choosing the most affordable prepaid card dealer – the affordable here meant hundreds of free messages. Once back from home town, the first thing to do was to book train tickets for the next trip and a trip actually meant 5 days of restless wait and reparation. Suddenly all the new faces whom I had met for the first time in my lives and shared a month of training became my world in this fancy land. I felt strange and wondered how people ate, dressed, talked on phone. It was like so much money pushed to my hands and very less to do in office. One weekend here meant a trip to Commercial Street, lunch from MAS and games in PG. I was happy to live in the new world and everyone around were happy.

Silly stupid things looks more funny now like the whole gang of some 50 rushing to use the proximity card for the first time on a door access card reader, mistaking it to be the one that marked your attendance and each one returning happily watching the green light glow with a beep!

Today am sitting here, back in the same tower and floor. When I see young people moving around here, feel like warning them -”Watch out guys… We are the veterans here”

The Small saplings which were planted then have become big to be called trees. Smoking corner is no more there and there is a small juice junction. The COE lab which was once our kingdom looks very deserted now. The chairs are arranged neatly and nothings scribbled on the white board. No songs put aloud and no demo fumes over anyone’s heads. The conference room next to the lab is titled “WAR ROOM” - I wonder whether someone really went there. There is undue silence here and people looked really busy. Being a wing that handles round the clock support projects, there a very few people at a time in the wing – that meant less noise and mess.

It’s a great feel. Wipro has given me some good friends, a comfortable and smooth work experience and a bunch of sweet memories.

Everything is the same. We still have all the fun that we used to have. We still laugh our hearts out over silly jokes.

Only the gang is missing!