The girl looked serious. Angry even, if one’s eyes were trained enough to notice. I had some sort of a premonition. He should be here soon, I thought, all the while describing a friend’s troubles in life to another friend on my phone. I could have yelled ‘Eureka’(- wait, that was what Archimedes said, and I surely meant the word that Nostradamus used when one of his predictions turned right. Since I have no idea what that word is, let’s stick to Eureka for now). The guy came as if on cue and looked longingly at the girl. He was trying to say something and the girl was staring straight ahead. A few other ‘friends’ occupied the bench (the real one) nearby and were trying to engage the couple in conversation.
After trying for a few minutes, these friends finally got what I did much earlier and slowly moved away.
Meanwhile the topic of my conversation had changed from the previous one to my friend (to whom I was talking) and I started walking about building up some steam to attack and tease my friend.
When I returned, the guy was still looking at the girl with puppy-dog eyes. And the girl still had her headphones on and resolutely looking straight ahead. The distance between the two on the bench was definitely not what one would call ‘friendly’. My call was done and I walked in, knowing that the play outside had a few more acts before it ended.
After about half-an-hour, I walked out to get coffee and what do you know!! The position of the couple had reversed. The guy was staring straight ahead and the girl was talking earnestly. I understood that the guy was being shamed into admission of all his mistakes that had hurt the girl and the girl was trying to make him a better person
.
It has been more than 2 hours since the play started and it is still going strong. And this couple is a regular in the bench.
I don’t know why the word ‘bench’ has traditionally been used for people outside projects. In this office at least, some people take the term ‘bench’ literally. People are found as couples in these benches outside. And I see a few regular bench holders spending almost all the time in the office in these modified park-benches. There is one couple that sits in the chairs outside the lift every day and I find them there any time I venture out. Now I see a few new additions and the locations are almost always outside the pantry or in this balcony-like place we have on each floor – gives the young ones the feeling of spending their time in the balcony of Romeo-Juliet fame (although, to be honest, the guy cannot be standing in the first floor and singing to this girl upstairs, even if she was looking over from the balcony – even to these oblivious couples, that would be embarrassing!!).
A few months back, one of my colleagues who was new to this building, came to me looking very worried. She wanted to know who she should complain to, about people behaving inappropriately. She then took me out to show a couple that was totally oblivious to the outside world, holding hands while sitting in the reception area. I had no idea what to do. After a few minutes, friends in the office started pinging me with this Did-you-know-about-the-atrocious-couple-in-the-reception-holding-hands-and-lost-in-each-other’s-eyes messages!! Apparently someone from the admin team later admonished the couple for it’s behaviour and they scuttled away soon afterwards.
The people who have gone through that phase rarely see themselves in these Romeos and Juliets (R&Js) and the R&Js rarely see themselves when they are indulging in this sort of behaviour. Our R&Js – in their minds at least- are SRK and Kajol or Ranbir Kapoor and Narghis Fakhri (or Simbu and Trisha or whoever is trending these days).
The youth cannot be controlled. They look at anyone laughing at them with hatred and immediately call them ‘oldies’ or ‘hags’ (the latter if the one criticizing them is a woman and the people who are criticized are good at English , else they use bizarre terms like ‘jealousy freak’ etc.!!). And the company does not care what people in bench do, as long as the numbers are met (average bench size per BU, average utilization and all those unmentionable metrics!!).
So what does one do? One of my former bosses used to say, that you should not call anything a problem; Every problem is an opportunity. So what is the opportunity here?
Imagine this situation :
A lovely looking park with lots of trees and floral plants etc. and most importantly plenty of benches under trees. Angry Juliets in the free pool, can get an entry pass which will be paid for a little later by the Romeos who will follow to plead and confess to their guilt. When the explanation phase is on, snack vendors lurking nearby get ready to attack. Once the guy has apologized and all is well, the vendors offer snacks which will be made available at subsidized prices. After this the couple can vacate the bench and take a long walk along the scenic route inside the park to discuss about their future. Every couple can be assigned 1-2 hours and be charged for every extra 10 minutes. This special ‘bench’ area is available only on request. Proofs of being in a relationship like stock photos of the couple with their cheeks stuck to each other and looking at the camera, a few (pathetic or otherwise) attempts at poetry etc, are must.
The video of young couples taking a leisurely stroll in the park, can be used during campus recruitment drives. The voice-over can say interesting captions like –
‘Come work for us!!
Enter as an individual and leave as a couple!!
Very productive ‘bench’ periods!!
Attractive locales!!
Affordable snacks!!
When in a project, earn – when on bench yearn*!!
‘Bench’ area is in a secluded area for your privacy (and convenience of those actually working)!!’
Let the organization take this bold step and then see the kind of talent we attract!!
*no reason except to make the sentence rhyme
After trying for a few minutes, these friends finally got what I did much earlier and slowly moved away.
Meanwhile the topic of my conversation had changed from the previous one to my friend (to whom I was talking) and I started walking about building up some steam to attack and tease my friend.
When I returned, the guy was still looking at the girl with puppy-dog eyes. And the girl still had her headphones on and resolutely looking straight ahead. The distance between the two on the bench was definitely not what one would call ‘friendly’. My call was done and I walked in, knowing that the play outside had a few more acts before it ended.
After about half-an-hour, I walked out to get coffee and what do you know!! The position of the couple had reversed. The guy was staring straight ahead and the girl was talking earnestly. I understood that the guy was being shamed into admission of all his mistakes that had hurt the girl and the girl was trying to make him a better person
.It has been more than 2 hours since the play started and it is still going strong. And this couple is a regular in the bench.
I don’t know why the word ‘bench’ has traditionally been used for people outside projects. In this office at least, some people take the term ‘bench’ literally. People are found as couples in these benches outside. And I see a few regular bench holders spending almost all the time in the office in these modified park-benches. There is one couple that sits in the chairs outside the lift every day and I find them there any time I venture out. Now I see a few new additions and the locations are almost always outside the pantry or in this balcony-like place we have on each floor – gives the young ones the feeling of spending their time in the balcony of Romeo-Juliet fame (although, to be honest, the guy cannot be standing in the first floor and singing to this girl upstairs, even if she was looking over from the balcony – even to these oblivious couples, that would be embarrassing!!).
A few months back, one of my colleagues who was new to this building, came to me looking very worried. She wanted to know who she should complain to, about people behaving inappropriately. She then took me out to show a couple that was totally oblivious to the outside world, holding hands while sitting in the reception area. I had no idea what to do. After a few minutes, friends in the office started pinging me with this Did-you-know-about-the-atrocious-couple-in-the-reception-holding-hands-and-lost-in-each-other’s-eyes messages!! Apparently someone from the admin team later admonished the couple for it’s behaviour and they scuttled away soon afterwards.
The people who have gone through that phase rarely see themselves in these Romeos and Juliets (R&Js) and the R&Js rarely see themselves when they are indulging in this sort of behaviour. Our R&Js – in their minds at least- are SRK and Kajol or Ranbir Kapoor and Narghis Fakhri (or Simbu and Trisha or whoever is trending these days).
The youth cannot be controlled. They look at anyone laughing at them with hatred and immediately call them ‘oldies’ or ‘hags’ (the latter if the one criticizing them is a woman and the people who are criticized are good at English
, else they use bizarre terms like ‘jealousy freak’ etc.!!). And the company does not care what people in bench do, as long as the numbers are met (average bench size per BU, average utilization and all those unmentionable metrics!!).So what does one do? One of my former bosses used to say, that you should not call anything a problem; Every problem is an opportunity. So what is the opportunity here?
Imagine this situation :
A lovely looking park with lots of trees and floral plants etc. and most importantly plenty of benches under trees. Angry Juliets in the free pool, can get an entry pass which will be paid for a little later by the Romeos who will follow to plead and confess to their guilt. When the explanation phase is on, snack vendors lurking nearby get ready to attack. Once the guy has apologized and all is well, the vendors offer snacks which will be made available at subsidized prices. After this the couple can vacate the bench and take a long walk along the scenic route inside the park to discuss about their future. Every couple can be assigned 1-2 hours and be charged for every extra 10 minutes. This special ‘bench’ area is available only on request. Proofs of being in a relationship like stock photos of the couple with their cheeks stuck to each other and looking at the camera, a few (pathetic or otherwise) attempts at poetry etc, are must.
The video of young couples taking a leisurely stroll in the park, can be used during campus recruitment drives. The voice-over can say interesting captions like –
‘Come work for us!!
Enter as an individual and leave as a couple!!
Very productive ‘bench’ periods!!
Attractive locales!!
Affordable snacks!!
When in a project, earn – when on bench yearn*!!
‘Bench’ area is in a secluded area for your privacy (and convenience of those actually working)!!’
Let the organization take this bold step and then see the kind of talent we attract!!
*no reason except to make the sentence rhyme
