Yesterday, I went to pay the telephone bill. The online portal for BSNL refused to recognise our customer number so I had to go in person to check it out. I was directed to the accounts section where one bored AAO (Assistant Accounts Officer - only in the government services do you get designations like these!) got up to help after finishing her very important gossip session with her friend on the office phone. Her computer was not working, so she found another but had to move a fan which caused major discomfort for another colleague who was enjoying the breeze. So, for some time, there was a tussle to position the fan to get the maximum breeze and not to hinder sitting next to the only working desktop. After this, some banter ensued on why centralised air conditioning was required. I waited patiently.
After a good 20 minutes since I first went to the office, the desktop booted and just when the consumer billing screen came up, the power went off. She said, "See what and all (sic) we have to put up with?" Yeah sure. Then, she handed over my bill to her supervisor who told me, "May be, there is something wrong with your computer?" Okay. If their site refuses to recognise my consumer number, my laptop ain't working? I had to explain everything again. Mercifully, the power returned and the supervisor started hunting for another working computer. 5 minutes later, one was found and before we could say "Pay," the power went off again. The supervisor smiled wryly and said, "Why don't you just go to the telegraph office (the building next door) and pay?" Okay, it was the last day for payment, I had already spent an hour there and I was also plainly amused to see how far this would go.
Off I trotted to the next building. There was a huge queue of people waiting in the hot sun and from where I stood, the customer service section looked like a little cage with pathetic birds (the employees of course) with wings clipped. The loud churning of the diesel generator was adding to everybody's misery. Anyways, there were 20 people ahead of me. A girl with her tousled mane barely contained in a pony tail, a thin emaciated looking guy with his dirty lungi folded up in the classical South Indian style, the guy in front of me with a big kumkum mark on his head and a few odd faces which don't leave any imprint on my mind. I took my spot.
A boy from the shop next door was trying to get his diesel generator running and then I noticed him. Right next to this boy was a paraplegic with crutches trying to drag his feet. He was dressed neatly and looked very serious. I assumed that he was the owner of the shop and was supervising. Then I realised he was trying to move away with great difficulty. That was because right next to the generator was a slight slope leading to our queue. He was struggling to get to the queue. I moved aside and motioned him to join us. He smiled and nodded with a no. I thought may be, I had offended him and looked away, not wanting to embarass him any further. 2 minutes later, he was still struggling.
I went up to him and asked him what he needed. He showed 2 bills and cheques for payment. I told him to wait right there. I walked up to the head of the queue and requested the first person to allow me to pay for the handicapped person. He readily agreed. I handed in the documents and waited. A slight murmur started. 3-4 people were eagerly looking in my direction and commenting. I heard snatches of conversation. "So bad," "Can't see queue," "Idiot" and some unmentionables in Tamil. I kept smiling coz honestly, it felt like I had the power in me to irritate them for they knew not what I was upto. I got the receipts, went up to the handicapped person , gave him back his documents and joined at the end of the queue again to pay my bill.
Then, the heads started turning. I got curious stares and a few embarrased smiles. I just smiled back. I told myself. They didn't see the handicapped person and just saw the queue ahead. I saw him and only then, did I stop seeing the queue. Curiously, knowing that I had spent nearly an hour in the office with the lazy employees, I really don't know how much time I spent in the queue. I hadn't seen that either. Happens.
After a good 20 minutes since I first went to the office, the desktop booted and just when the consumer billing screen came up, the power went off. She said, "See what and all (sic) we have to put up with?" Yeah sure. Then, she handed over my bill to her supervisor who told me, "May be, there is something wrong with your computer?" Okay. If their site refuses to recognise my consumer number, my laptop ain't working? I had to explain everything again. Mercifully, the power returned and the supervisor started hunting for another working computer. 5 minutes later, one was found and before we could say "Pay," the power went off again. The supervisor smiled wryly and said, "Why don't you just go to the telegraph office (the building next door) and pay?" Okay, it was the last day for payment, I had already spent an hour there and I was also plainly amused to see how far this would go.
Off I trotted to the next building. There was a huge queue of people waiting in the hot sun and from where I stood, the customer service section looked like a little cage with pathetic birds (the employees of course) with wings clipped. The loud churning of the diesel generator was adding to everybody's misery. Anyways, there were 20 people ahead of me. A girl with her tousled mane barely contained in a pony tail, a thin emaciated looking guy with his dirty lungi folded up in the classical South Indian style, the guy in front of me with a big kumkum mark on his head and a few odd faces which don't leave any imprint on my mind. I took my spot.
A boy from the shop next door was trying to get his diesel generator running and then I noticed him. Right next to this boy was a paraplegic with crutches trying to drag his feet. He was dressed neatly and looked very serious. I assumed that he was the owner of the shop and was supervising. Then I realised he was trying to move away with great difficulty. That was because right next to the generator was a slight slope leading to our queue. He was struggling to get to the queue. I moved aside and motioned him to join us. He smiled and nodded with a no. I thought may be, I had offended him and looked away, not wanting to embarass him any further. 2 minutes later, he was still struggling.
I went up to him and asked him what he needed. He showed 2 bills and cheques for payment. I told him to wait right there. I walked up to the head of the queue and requested the first person to allow me to pay for the handicapped person. He readily agreed. I handed in the documents and waited. A slight murmur started. 3-4 people were eagerly looking in my direction and commenting. I heard snatches of conversation. "So bad," "Can't see queue," "Idiot" and some unmentionables in Tamil. I kept smiling coz honestly, it felt like I had the power in me to irritate them for they knew not what I was upto. I got the receipts, went up to the handicapped person , gave him back his documents and joined at the end of the queue again to pay my bill.
Then, the heads started turning. I got curious stares and a few embarrased smiles. I just smiled back. I told myself. They didn't see the handicapped person and just saw the queue ahead. I saw him and only then, did I stop seeing the queue. Curiously, knowing that I had spent nearly an hour in the office with the lazy employees, I really don't know how much time I spent in the queue. I hadn't seen that either. Happens.
