The Tiffin Box

As part of a semi-pseudo health consciousness effort, we climb down the stairs of our office cafeteria every day, after breakfast. Usually there will be a bunch of friends who'll walk down together and by the time ground floor got really close to us, many would've said bye for the day. And there I was, after dropping off the last soul, continuing with my climb down. The 'Wildcraft' bag I carried started making a sound that was pretty distinct than usual. It was a day with a difference for, it was my first ever day in the Corporate life when I carried a tiffin box to office! Signs of a married man :)

Funny the way our mind takes us places. It didn't even take a fraction of a second for me to be back in a room with wooden benches and desks. Seated among a bunch of boys clad in white shirt and black trousers we were getting ready to pack our bags at the next possible moment. The atmosphere was a mixture of excitement and anxiety. The former with the thought that the bell was about to go anytime from now and soon we'll be home. The latter for fear of being caught by the teacher for closing the books before permitted! Certain risks were definitely worth taking!

Johny, the school attendant had the weird destiny of being revered & hated by the students at the same time. It is nothing but the fact that the school bell that was a big round shaped iron piece was struck using a large wooden hammer both signaling time to either enter or leave the class! Obviously we loved him when it was latter :)

When it was latter, all the while thanking Johny, it was truly unbelievable the speed with which we packed our school bags with the notebooks, instrument box and whatever stuff that were on the desk and we were out of the room in a flash! The Great Sprint followed! The faster one got out of the class the earlier he reached home. For the guys who stayed in the hostel, the rush was to reach the canteen and lay hands on the evening snacks and coffee! That 'sprint', with the bag hung on the shoulders used to create the same sound with the tiffin box and water bottle fighting for space along with the rest of the possessions inside.

The simple world of a student or the big bad corporate jungle, tiffin boxes continue to make sound. Sound that reminds you that you need to run faster to reach wherever you intend to reach, earlier the better!