Someone had warned me about the rains in Pune. Only about the rains and not what people do during rains. I knew all along that people are fond of excuses to escape what we know as work. And what they know as “itna paisa mein itnaich milega”.
Mahesh does not come to work. I call him up over phone. Sir, the bike stopped working after entering a puddle near Wakad. What did he expect? Indian bikes to work in Pune puddles. Wakad puddles to be cured overnight. PMC to repair puddles during rains. PMC to repair anything anytime. PMC to exist in any form other than name and Property tax? What does he expect?
And where is the public transport? He can always take that. Can’t he? Oh, okay. Wakad has buses but no one knows when those come or go. A guy like Mahesh who’s grown up with a bike glued to his bum does not know anything at all. It’s a case of ignorance is fulsome bliss.
Prerna does not come to work. Rains have been heavy. Water has entered the ground floor. She’s having to clean up. I am stumped. I can’t ask anything more. I mumble something and keep the phone down. Can’t blame her. Anybody builds anything anywhere in Pune. Her father also may have done so. Drains are an afterthought. Even if they are finally thought of, there’s no guarantee that they would flow into storm water drains. Storm water drains are usually covered with large concrete slabs that are used to park vada pav stalls. In effect, storm water drains are parking spots for vada pav fellows. It’s ultimately useful but not in the way it was supposed to be. So, can’t complain. You can’t get to work. No problem. Eat vada pav. Stay happy.
Anthony gets to work. Slipper and rolled up pants. He spends the next hour in telling everyone in office as to how it was in Kothrud and Bavdhan. He cannot end his story and get to work. He must describe every girl in the rain in front of MIT. This city is juvenile at heart. Guys looking at girls in torrential rain. It needs to grow up. Anthony can’t. He toggles the mouse after an hour of descriptions. The computer has gone to sleep because of an wall leakage behind the CPU. The IT guy is called. Anthony resumes his description.
Sales guys arrive in sandals. With plastic bags over their heads.
And then I have to go to a site near Karjat. It’s like I am visiting Arabian Sea. I can spot oil wells shortly. Pune, rains and now I have an excuse to turn away from the site. I cannot spoil my shoes.
- Beta MBA nahin kiya? - November 23, 2016
- Indraneel Majumdar: The Day I went in search of Lakes - November 15, 2016
- Indraneel Majumdar: Roop Tera Mastana - November 8, 2016
