Day 5: A New Hope

Why were you absent on Saturday?
That, from the indefatigable creature, the secretary. While Sarkar seemed lost and uninterested for once, his secy unsurprisingly looked eager to begin his day and mine by dishing out some of the old-fashioned spitefulness. Needless to say, I was stumped by the question. I had assumed they would know I signed up for a five-day week job. It never really is upon the employee to dictate such terms, but Mr B has acceded to my humble request readily last week. Convincing the higher powers would be a harder task, I realized. I marked the day's attendance and left the stuffy office with all but an apologetic smile, vowing to re-address the issue come Friday evening.

I got to know today from Sharmaji and Rajbeerji that the steel plant was in fact, a 24 hours production plant. Work took place during the nights with the very same intensity as during the days. So it was that I came to meet a new character who went by the name of Prateekji, and who was on his first day shift in many days. Senior Chemist was how Sharmaji introduced him to me as. Prateekji came across as a very friendly chap too, although a bit quieter and more reserved than the others.

As I sat in the office jotting down my stuff, I felt colder than usual. Room temperature was in the 26 degrees range, even lower than last time. That was courtesy the persistent cool winds and the now heavily overcast skies that could be found outside. It was too pleasant a day to be sitting shivering inside the chilly office room, and I ventured out more often than not. All the processes that together conspired to manufacture steel, were being performed in full flow everywhere, and it seemed with greater vigour and intensity than usual. The mighty furnaces were being used, cleaned, re-laid and re-used in very quick succession. Ladles carrying the liquid metal came almost flying, filling the molds repeatedly. I attributed the sudden frantic activity to the excitement and expectations that came with the first day of the new week.

My training went as planned, in the same typical manner of last week. I met a few more people and interacted with them as much as possible. During yet another delightful lunch conversation I was having with Sharmaji and co., I received a special and not unexpected request. It was regarding idli, sambaar and coconut chutney. I met this with a very warm smile and promised to bring the special preparations for them sooner rather than later. That apart, the day progressed quicker than usual and soon it was time for me to leave.