My Office Life - Part 1
I hate traffic. Not that anyone loves it. Like many, I have opted to go to the office early before the rush hour traffic begins. I love to drive. I hate scratches on my car. People somehow have the misconception that women are always at fault when they are seen anywhere near an accident. I am not someone who can scream my way out of an argument. I always accept the mistake even if it wasn’t my fault when I see the other person angry. Maybe that’s the reason why I reach my office at 7:30 am when rest of my colleagues come in by 9 am. I like to drive my brand new car through the slowly building up traffic listening to radio. How does the RJ say so many new things every day without boring the public? I never could understand. Well, there are many more things that I don’t understand in this world. Like, why does my office not employ any female workers to clean women’s restroom? Coming to that, our office is not an MNC which employees thousands of employees. It is a small building with 4 floors employing around 70 workers. I am on the third floor. I have a corner seat next to glass window looking down on the non-stop flow of traffic below. I like the view. As usual, I walked into the deserted office. I was again the first one in. I bring my breakfast with me every day. I look down at the street and open my tiffin box. I eat slowly, take my sweet time to finish it. I hear a sound of the door open on my floor. Like I said. It was the male cleaner. He had a bucket and mop with him. He starts his work at the same time I come in.He looks at me and goes inside the area where the restrooms are situated. I wanted to wash my hands but now I have to wait till he cleans the women’s restroom till I can go in. Not that anyone can stop me. But I have always felt it weird to have man anywhere I pee. I waited 15 mins till he came out and walked hurriedly out. I immediately walked in to clean my curry filled fingers which had now become dry. I walked into the series of wash basin and started cleaning my hands. I washed my tiffin and was about to walk out when the door slammed open just missing my face. It was the cleaning guy again with phenol in his hand. I was shocked. He apologized instantly and came towards me. I instantly took few steps back which made him stop short in his tracks. He made way for me and I walked past him embarrassed. Not sure why I felt that way. But that is what I felt anyway. I sat in my seat and pretended to work when he came out and did not look towards him. He stopped and he walked out of the room. Maybe he decided not to apologize anymore. At 9:00 am my office was a hell hole. People screaming, shouting, cracking jokes. There was only 15 people in that floor and only 2 women. She was on a maternity leave, leaving me the only one to use that restroom. I felt happy that I am making that cleaner clean the entire restroom only for me every single day. Serves him right. Next day was no different, I came at 7:30 am. Had breakfast. Waited for the cleaner to come and clean. But he was late. Today was different, I needed to pee and I can’t wait for the cleaner to come and take 15 mins. So I thought of quickly finishing my business unnoticed. I went inside the restroom, stepped inside an empty toilet. The specialty of the toilet door was that it was a half door. The bottom 20% was visible. I was in my jeans and top. I quickly pulled down my jeans and sat. I was so worried that he would come anytime that I was not able to pee at all. Finally, I calmed myself down and flow started. And the expected happened. I heard the door open. The sound of my pee sounded like Dolby digital echo. I quickly flushed to overpower that sound and also as an indication to the cleaner that somebody is inside the loo. I thought he will go away but I could not hear the door opening again, so he decided to stay. I heard a sound of the bucket being dragged and the smell of phenol. If he comes near my door he would be able to my jeans stripped down to feet and some bare skin. I decided to move fast and get up and pull up my jeans but before that, I saw the bristles of the mop making it ways from below. He had deliberately skipped 3 doors and come to where I was. I knew he was a crooked guy.Without wasting any time I got up and pulled up my jeans. I am not sure if he would have seen my legs. But I just quickly buckled up and opened the door and came out. He was now standing little far away, turning to the other direction. I washed my hands and walked out without looking at him.The rest of the day went without any incidents. Now I had a new headache to deal with along with the traffic. The restroom cleaner. Thank goodness it was the weekend. I forgot about the incident. It was my friend’s wedding and we hogged like pigs on Sunday night. It was not until Monday morning when I was driving to the office I felt a rumbling in my stomach. Maybe the mutton was troubling me in its afterlife. I somehow parked the car in the office and hurried to the restroom. The vomiting sensation was overpowering me as I climbed 3 stairs at a time. I pushed open the door of the restroom startling the cleaner who was “by chance” already present there. I stared at him in disbelief. I jumped to the washbasin. But alas, the puke already left my stomach, spilling a bit on my shirt. I managed to then puke my stomach out. The previous day’s undigested content filled the basin to my disgust. The stomach pain crept along taking more of my brains CPU. I clutched my stomach and more puke filled the basin. Was I going to pass out now? I looked for something for support. Else I am going to fall in my own vomit. I felt weightless for few seconds and then a strong clamp on both my shoulders. I looked and found the cleaner had held me by my shoulder and I was putting my entire weight on him to carry. I did not want to pass out. I shook my head urging my brain to reboot. The restart would take some time.