When I asked my manager that I want to go back, back to my country, he was amazed. He wanted to know why on earth I want to go back when there is entire pool of employees who’ll give their right hand to be on an onsite assignment. You get paid almost 4 times what you earn in your home country. You get to be in foreign country for which you don’t have to pay the air fare. You get to work in close proximity to your “client”, which apparently is a good thing for your career. You get to work in a work culture that is far superior to that back home. Here, colleagues are supportive. You get to live in a country where living conditions are way better than home country. Then what’s the rationale behind being so pushy for going back.
Well, to be honest, the questions seem logical. I asked for time to ponder upon them. Thinking practically, my mind could not come up with strong counter argument to even a single question. Was I slowly becoming submissive to the lure of onsite? Was surrendering to the power money could bring. Or was I irrational to bring up such questions the first place.
I was thinking of these things… thinking weather I should even think about these things, when came an email. It was a Friday. I got an email from a friend in India with subject line “Advance wishes”. I thought it was too advanced for my birthday or Diwali or New Year… what it could be… another of those prank emails which were such a fun in early days of career… Why aren't they equally fun now? Anyway, I had better questions to think about… without wasting time and energy I opened the mail.
It was animated .gif image of few children colored in all colors possible and throwing more colors on each other… and a marquee text scrolled across the screen “Happy Holi”. It was Holi on Sunday. Less than 40 hours later. And had it not been this email, I wouldn't have known maybe till Sunday or who knows even till past Sunday.
2 days before Holi… it was time when I was told to get 5kg of Suji from market, for that’s the amount of gujiyas that were planned to be made. It was time when most of the girls would start avoiding going to market, for this was the time when the Road Romeos of city had right to treat them with water balloons. This was the time when people in general would start to avoid new cloths, for this was the time when new cloths attract the most attention and get the worse color treatments. It was time when all plans were made as to where to start the “Holi ki Toli”. It was the time when excitement reached threshold, ready to burst in 2 days.
And here I was… two days before Holi, sitting in a country where explaining people how mudding strangers can be a tradition, reading emails with electronic colors and electronic wishes.
I was starting to get answers… to questions posed by my manager. Why do I want to go back?
Here I was paid almost 4 times the salary I get in “offshore” (that’s the new name for my home land these days). But what’s the point of getting 4 times salary when I cannot spend it to buy a ticket to watch the latest Bollywood release in a multiplex. Here the colleagues are so supportive; the work culture is so good. But they are no match for irritating friends who won’t let go a treat for your new pair of shoes. Here you get to work in close proximity of clients. But it’s no match for working in close proximity to that pretty face whom everyday you determine yourself to wish a simple ‘good morning’ but every day the words are lost somewhere as soon as you see her. Here you have all the independence you may ever want. But it’s no match for the fear of parents waiting at home. Here you can do, go, be whatever, wherever, whoever you want. But it’s no match for making your friends come and persuade your parents to allow you to go weekend trip. Here you get world’s finest beer at shoe string price, but its no match for karol bagh ki mashhoor lassi.
Here traffic is so smooth with such beautiful traffic sense in motorists and almost negligible traffic jams, but its no match for the Nariyal sold at traffic signals on a hot summer afternoon. Here you see all the car models that you had desktop wallpapers of, but still watching the rave reviews of Tata Nano gives a goosbump.
Here you just have to walk to a girl, ask her out for a drink and more likely than not, you have a date. But its no match for the anxiety, the uncertainty of “will she or will she not look at me”. Girls are open- minded and nudity is not a taboo. But uninhibited skin show is no match for a desi girl in sleevless salvar kameez.
Here you have a beautiful house with all the modern amenities and luxuries, but its no match for a shabby “HOME”.
I've found all the answers, all the reasons, all the logics. I hope I can explain them to my manager. Soon.
