Flashback May 2003 Mungeri Lal ke haseen Summers 3

oh no...the worst has arrived ....Time for ..........Mungeri lal ke haseen summers episode 3.......
( Read Mungeri Lal ke Haseen Summers 1 & 2 before this )

Ab tak ke episodes mein aapne dekha …… Trip To Munger, background of ITC Munger ….silence for a looooong time …….ab aage ….
The lull before the storm ? Are you alive ? Are you kidnapped ?
These are some of the mails I received during this period of silence
Contrary to all your beliefs , I am still well , alive and kicking and even putting on lots of weight ! The event that I was eagerly anticipating didn’t happen . The management put forward some “ Munger shattering” proposals …anticipating the retaliation from the workmen , all security arrangements were beefed up ….but …We waited and waited and nothing happened .
Meanwhile , I am now well aquainted with Munger tradition . My official welcome into Munger was with a cocktail of strange looking colourful liquids …..during a Club night … a regular feature in ITC Park .The drink they call ‘roomali’ ( A concoction made by placing various liquids layer by layer in a glass using a thin piece of cloth) and forcing any new comer to gulp it down ..bottoms up is a munger tradition .With so many guys staring at you …you don’t even realize its taste ….thank God for that .
It was on one such club night where I met the big guys from Head office of ITC ( H.O ) that got myself into big trouble .You can guess the magnitude of the trouble by the fact that I cannot mail you the details ………I can just give you a hint …Booze as usual was on the house and I am a teetotaler …
Yet another occasion for fun was the inauguration of the swimming pool ( the same one where the xlri guy kicked the bucket ) ..…what started off as quite a formal occasion became a war game in the water ….. four guys would come forcibly lift a fully clothed person wearing formals and splash ! throw him into the water ….the drenched guys then take revenge on the remaining … a drench for a drench makes all of munger managers …… soaking wet .We even threw the Branch Manager ..’biggest guy ‘ in munger ….into the pool ..and needless to say , he continued the chain .
On the work front ( read project ) I’ve lots of fun experiences . I asked the doc in the ambulance room for some “ qualitative information“ about the workmen under him ..he looked around ….closed the door ….and whispered into my ear …” Come later when there is nobody here. you cant ask such info in public ….you’ll put us both into trouble !”
I didn’t understand what “ trouble “ he was talking about till a workers name got deleted from my database …he was shot by a fellow worker for no obvious reason…Where did he get the gun you ask me ? starting from 500 bucks you get all types of cheap and also expensive guns here ….. I’m planning to visit a gun factory here….( clarification : I’m not buying anything there ) . This is the fifth death since I have been here !
Another club night ….a Very well built , young ,popular manager was getting transferred to B’lore … in true Munger tradition….there was a baarat for him , We all danced and brought him to the club in a tractor filled with all the ladies from the park with 20 cars slowly honking their horns as part of the procession . Then came the time for lifting him and throwing him in the air amidst cheering voices “ hez a jolly fellow, hez a jolly fellow, and so say all of us “ but who would lift him ? So they got a forklift used for lifting tobacco …lifted him up and the entire crowd went to the dance floor leaving him hanging 12 ft above the ground ! He joined us soon and the party went on till 3.00 am as usual . Got up at 6.30am the next morning for Golf …in Jamalpur golf course …half an hours journey from Monghyr . Anyway ..that’s the last Sunday I got up so early and needless to say ..never again played golf !
While I have had my moments of fun here ….this place also gets to you ….can you imagine a life from factory to a protected oasis in the desert and back …with the same faces everyday ….the same places ….and worst of all ..the same cooks ( except for the parties) ! Thank God I’m outa here in about 20 days from now but God save the ones who stay here for something like a decade !
All these ‘ same faces ‘ from all over India got together and put up an Indian food festival on “ mazdoor divas – may day”…..food stalls from the four corners of India …..what a variety ….great food …great dessert and best of all …all unlimited and all free ….
In office , I share my room with an old ex-union leader who is now completely with the management ...but all the union guys come to discuss stuff with him ...these guys just look like the rowdies in movies ...and i am supposed to keep my work confidential ...you can guess the tight spot which i often get into .