My Ramblings...

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The story of my Resignation

I have resigned from my first job.

This is the second time I am resigning it ! When I had decided first that I have to resign my job I took a day off .. because the thought of handing in my resignation sent shivers through my body ! After sort of psychologically keying me up for a day, I entered my office the next day. Instead of following my usual schedule of seeing my mails amd reading that days article on Sulekha I started of with opening Word Pad. I keyed in my resignation hurriedly .. consulted a colleague "secretly" about the wordings, he made a small correction. I took a print out. By now everyone in my division knew that I am going to "gundu poda poraen" ( drop the bomb shell )

You should realise here that unlike an office in which you are working resignations are pretty rare in mine. A government organisation. Once people come in they sort of mould their body shape according to the shape of the chair due to prolonged draping of the chair ! And refuse to budgge. But not in my division. Its as busy , as exciting and as chaotic to work in as any other place. But the catch is, one can't hope to go to "USA" and one can't hope to earn so that one can spend lavishly and make speeches on retrospective philosophy like "Money is only the means and not the end". So people move in and out of my division quiet often.

Well coming back to the first time I resigned my first job : I walked into my boss's room. She is a pretty good lady. Well, atleast she is good to you as long as you keep up your promises ! And she has been always been good to me. (Its upto to you to decide if I am praising my boss or myself here). As soon as I entered she involved me in a project discussion absolutely unaware of the contents of the half folded paper that I had in my hand. I was nodding and shaking my head .. mumbling things like "yeah .. that might work" or "no ... that won't work" (we are allowed to say such things) now and then so that the tremble of my hand beneath the table is kept under control ! Well, I dunno if the other colleague who was also involved in the discussion noticed anything or not. Finally we were asked to "Go and finish this off". But I stayed back to timidly draw my hands above the table and present the letter. She read it pretty calmly and asked what happened and all that .. well .. I do not remember exactly. But I do remember she asking me to give it more serious thought and give the resignation back if I was sure (I dunno how she knew I was not sure) I mumbled that the letter would be safer with her.

Then I was standing out of her room soon enough. I was sweating, feeling guilty and was not able to face any of my colleagues atleast for three days. All the while I was thinking in what way I should reject the offer I had in hand and take back my resignation. On the fourth day I just walked in and told her that I wanted to take back my resignation. Fortunately for me, my boss happily said she'll give back my resignation. At that point of time she was not able to locate it beneath the piles of paper.

Well after that I got back my resignation, then my best buddy gave in his. I was asked to take over his projects. Pity.

But I must have made it clear to her that I will be leaving anytime.

That's why things happened so quickly when I gave my resignation again after a couple of months. I didn't take a day off, I didn't type things in word pad (it was there already), I didn't hide my hands below the desk (I think she identified it the moment she saw the folded single sheet in my hand). She said the same things as before, but she was sure that I was not taking back it this time. So she forwarded my resignation.

Then came the boring, funny part. I had to do my documentation. I had to hand over my projects. And the most tricky of all I had to get relieved two months ahead of the legal notice period. Well. All of it happened. Its nothing short of a miracle !

You see, if you have to get relived from our office you have to get a no dues certificate and serve a notice period of three months if you don't want to be blacklisted by Customs guys and stopped if you try going out of the country.

Fortunately for me, as my controlling authority, my boss recommended that I be relieved in just one month as I had handed over all my projects and had nothing to do for the next two months. That was solved easily

But the case of no dues certificate was still there. If you have to get no dues certificate you'll have to meet atleast 40 people whom you have not met before. Tell them who you are, where you are from, what you do. Beg them .. plead with them. Before all this you'll have to get hold of them.

You won't know how difficult it is to get hold of some one who has nothing much to do in a office .. unless you have got your no dues certificate. They come in at 10, then go for tea at 10.30 and come back at 12, then go back to lunch at 12.30 and come back at 2.30, then go back for tea at 3.30 and come back at 4.30 and leave office at 5.00.And then there are Gazetted holigays, Restricted holidays, Earned leaves, Medial Leaves, Half paid leaves, Casual leaves, Special Casual leaves. And then there are meetings. And off course .. they do have SOME work !

I had two days, forty people to meet and get their signature. I got them all. These are the times I strongly renew my faith in religion, GOD , the all encompassing power and all that ! Now, you should realise that I am not being funny or joking here !

Then on the third day I got my relieving letter, a farewell party and hey .. I got a personal gift from my boss !(It was "You can Win" by Shiv Khera .. makes me wonder if she thought that I was a loser)

And then .. that was it !

Till the day I join my new job .. I was jobless .. 48 hours of joblessness !

In retrospect,it was fun !