Atoning at the office fountain

Although I am no more afraid of diving into a swimming pool, I still prefer plunging into the fountains. Why?

Don’t ask, as I do not have a precise answer. May be its something that I have liked doing since my childhood.

I remember the first time I showered at the one of the club’s fountain. There was no water in the women’s washroom, and I had just finished swimming along with my neighbour in the one and only sports club of my hometown. So, we sneaked into the men’s washroom but alas, we had no water there too. Thus, we finally decided to cross the iron bars and drenched ourselves in the ever-gushing fountains. The smell of the chlorine water finally went off and so did my lunch hour buzzer.

 ‘Pavi! Are you dozing off again after having that sad cafeteria meal?’ Velusa asked in her amazement.

‘Can you believe this, even on her last day she is so consistent with her routine.’ Sree smirked looking at Pooja.

‘By the way, do you remember the dare you need to finish before your farewell speech?’ Pooja was curious.

‘Off-course I do! But you guys must log off for the day now. The treat is on me. Let us get out from here.’ I had promised the girls that they would witness me taking a plunge in a fountain on my very last day at the office.

We all punched out. As I was just a few hours of guest in the office premises, my boss had got nothing to say to me and to my friends. I was recalling all the sweet and sour experience I had at my very first job. How I used to loathe my manager when he used to put a pile of sheets on my desk. My mentor who initially used to act like foe but later changed her attitude towards me. It is still a mystery why did she turned so sweet later. To be honest, I really didn’t care to ask as I was just happy with the fact that I was finally leaving. Although, the uncertainty used to creep time and again on what lay ahead. Whether it will be for worse or good. Thoughts kept pouring in my head until Sree remarked, ‘Oh! so you carrying an extra pair of clothes? Look at her, she is already prepared!’

A couple of minutes later we arrived at the office lounge. It was in its usual way bustling with the employees from the other offices. I was glad that there was no familiar face to watch me doing the crazy dare. We all headed to the ice-cream parlour while I still contemplated on the task that lay before me. I realised it was not just a task but an act that I always fancied, a deed which would cleanse my body from all the manipulations and lies that I was once a part of. All those regrets, that I still carried in my heart which I wanted to somehow wash away and go.

I had finally finished munching my ice-cream while my friends were still relishing on theirs. My eyes were fixated on the huge fountain that stood right in the middle of the atrium. I was also low-key cursing myself for the day I accepted that challenge. I was no more a carefree girl in my teens that I believed in but then I looked around at the crowd. Wherever my eyes went, I saw the dull corporates in their formals gulping their snacks down in a hurry to reach back to their desks. ‘They do deserve some entertainment’, I thought. Thus, I started moving towards the fountain although at a lower pace. As I neared the fountain I turned around and waved at my friends and splash! within no time I was under the fountain and shouted those three magical words, ‘I GOT FREEDOM’.

‘Freedom, Freedom, Freedom,’ I continued. My friends wanted to abandon me in their embarrassment but realised it was too late. They never took me seriously and believed I was bluffing the entire time. I looked at other people and could not feel happier, some faces where staring in utter shock, some in stark amazement and some laughing out loud in their disbelief. My girls who were still gushing red took me out from there and then straightway headed to the rest room.

‘We are not taking that path via the atrium again,’ Pooja remarked. I knew they cared about their reputation and did not want to be recognised walking along by my side. ‘I know these people have just witnessed my madness but ideally you guys should not care at all, because I am really feeling proud of myself’ I quipped. ‘Oh yes, we are so proud of you!’ Velusa mocked. ‘But let us get you changed first. You are still dripping in water and we need to man our desks soon before the sky gets duskier. Sadly, we still are the slaves of this organisation that you just gave your final tribute.’ She concluded.

As I got into the changing room, I thought of rehearsing my speech. ‘What’s the point’ I was thinking, this was not any presentation that I had to be fully prepared for nor any business meeting where I was supposed to pitch in. I looked at myself in the mirror and closed the door. I was eventually taking a leap of faith and saying to my mundane job, and commiting to my dream.

Suddenly I heard someone approaching the girls in the washroom. ‘Hello, was that your friend who dipped herself in the fountain,’ the lady inquired. I figured out it was the cleaning lady who too recently witnessed my glorious deed. ‘Do tell her to bathe properly, it was the discharged water from the ACs,’ she remarked. To this Sree called out loudly, ‘it is great, nothing to worry, she just has to go to her farewell party, cut her cake which would be finally smeared on her face and then she can have her bath!’.

I was smiling at myself in the mirror knowing that I was still the same carefree girl of my early teens.