As you know by now, I took up the HCL job and joined it in
December. I was really happy to see an old college mate there. She had the consecutive
roll number to mine in college. Seeing some known face in a crowd of strangers
gives a strange reassurance that you aren’t alone in this phase of life where a
number of things are changing. She knew a few more people there and before I could
realise I was a part of a group, having fun and hanging out. The one month of
induction was all about a hell lot of fun.
After December induction training was over, we were assigned
to different domains. I and that girl got the domain no one wanted. Well that
is when I saw favouritism playing an important role in corporate world. I think
I learned the lesson way too sooner than thought. [I was taking movies as the
reference point here] Well finally there I was in a domain that no one wanted
to work in, though it turned out to be a fine field to work in later. But that
was when I realised, friendship and staying together was all meaningless in
this world of competition where everyone wants to be on the top, where everyone
was way too keen to climb up the ladder of corporate world. She was trying to
get her domain changed to security and didn’t even tell me. Was it the fear of
me also wanting the same and acting like a competition for the so called single
vacancy in security domain? I still can’t figure it out, if you want it and you
are trying for it, then why hide it from a friend? Well what really hurt me
wasn’t her wanting something she thought was better for self but it was the
fact that she went to talk to the HR and when I asked her where she was going,
she lied to me. She lied again when she got the call from HR to tell her that
her request has been approved and she has to join the other office the very
next day, I was with her during her conversation with the HR but she didn’t
tell me. Come on now, I can’t take it away from you now. You have already got
it.
The next day I went to office and people were asking me
where she was and I was lying to save her. Then one guy laughed at me and said,
she is in security domain now, working in other office, we know you are lying
to save a friend, but your friend ditched you. I was hurt and I was angry. I wanted
to prove the guy wrong and tell him that I know my friends, so I called her up.
I asked her if she was in other office to join the security domain. She said a ‘yes’..
I was shocked and hurt and felt deceived. She asked me how did I know about it?
I told her people told me and I know you got the call last night when I was
with you. I even asked you why HR was calling you but you didn’t tell me. She still
lied telling me she just came to know this morning, but still it is no excuse
for not telling me first hand. She just accepted it when I called her to ask, probably
because she couldn’t lie now.
Anyways, I moved on and it’s needless to say we aren’t
really friends now.
But I did learn the valuable lesson that it is difficult to
find friends in workplace where environments are really hostile and people
think that they can move up only by displacing and out running others. But I feel
there is enough space at the top as well and that it isn’t really a pyramid,
but a tree that has many spots at the top.
I also learned that this crazy ambition to be the lone
occupant of the top slot even alienates friends..!!
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