Thats how I bid adieu for a new lease of life...!

So finally the day arrived and Wednesday (y'day) was my last day with the maiden employer in Bangalore….In a ritual of sorts for all outbound colleagues, a farewell party was thrown in my honour. We all went to a seedy restaurant on 100 ft road in Indira Nagar.

Supposed to be a restaurant serving Italian cuisine, most of them were at their wits end naively running through the menu. However the saviors who had a fair idea about Italian cookery decided the menu for majority of us.

It was only after the order arrived that I realized the saviors were out to destroy our taste bud, literally. The raw vegetables kept in front reminded me of schooling on those primitive tribes who relied on uncooked food when fire was not discovered.

Most of them had a second round of lunch after reaching the office. And the worst part, for all that unfinished food the bill left a bomb in everyone’s pocket.

There was a little surprise waiting when I reached office. I was presented with one of the highly reviewed books of all time ‘The Alchemist’, and a bouquet. Was quiet touching coming from the Branch Head of the company. Also on the offer was a coffee jug and choc from my colleagues.

As the day progressed, I saw a box lying in the conference room. I realized - a one more ritual which was to be accomplished for the day - it was a cake cutting ceremony. Ironically the cake read, ‘Don’t go Sudu’ belying the otherwise less concerned colleagues of mine who had by now come to terms with my exit from the company.

In fact I realized I am at the fag end of my spell and perhaps was the last thing on the itinerary for the day. While I was firm on not giving any farewell speech, I was forced to give one by my colleagues who were insistent on listening to wax lyrical from me.

To be honest, I never intended to be untrue to myself on the last day and sound hunky dory about my stint with Hanmer and my colleagues. Except for few of them, with whom I believe my association will survive for several years to come, I really do not want to regret my break up with many others. While I picked each one of them and tried desperately to find significance of theirs in my stint with Hanmer, I somehow managed to gain words and thank everyone for their contribution. Now that’s what you call PRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!

But emotional that I am in nature, today I can feel the vacuum around. All said and done, the office was lively with presence of each one of them including the bosses.

Tomorrow I won’t be going to the office, hear that effervescent crowd, pester those
friends and feel secured at all situations. Perhaps will never be able to play chauffeur to my best friend whom I religiously dropped home after office hours. But as it is said, you never leave your friends developed at work place, you leave one infrastructure for a better one, and they will continue to follow your success.