Last Day @TCS -- a short story but long experience !

Yeah .. Finally the last day arrived .. which  I was always dreaming about !
I am about to drop the mail titled " My last day at TCS " and then go on  further with my journey as a non - TCSer !!
Dont know why  .. but wasn't feeling very excited.
Its not like my new job was not good enough .. rather it was better.. one I always used to dream about ..
Its not that I was afraid of a big city .. I never was ! .. I loved to fly since childhood .. now was the time to take a leap ..
Its not like I was going away and was feeling homesick .. I never was .. for I firmly beleive distances on the ground does not matter unless our hearts are distanced apart ..

But  still I was getting a sinking feeling in my heart , breathing was getting troubled and stomach was whirlpooled with a sweet PAIN ..
Everything was getting so .. so .. heavy ..

Thankfully one of my colleague-cum-friend was resigning on the same day .. so I was able to maintain the calm during the HR proceedings/ No dues hues ..
 But lo ! there was a townhall session  where all those, who actually were responsible for complete the last day formalities --  were busy !

Hard luck yet again in TCS. :(.

The session completed by 2 pm and HR had lunch till 3 i guess .. And all the formalities were put on HOLD .
I had hard time in waiting for them as I had to catch my train to home by 4. The emotions were replaced by exasperation and every passing minute took me closer to missing my train ..


Somehow I tried to grab a quick lunch, where I saw HR people giggling on "something on earth" as usual in their sophisticated manner .. pheww .. boring !

But then I was called from behind by a masculine female voice .. :D

It said : " Excuse me -- you madam ... "

I turned around to see HR head Madam .. running fiercely towards me .. with her fingers pointing at me like a sharped knife meant to shatter me to pieces .. :D :D

Yes she was RMG turned HR head for Centre and strongest lady in that TCS branch partly because of her strong personna and partly ( as rumoured) because of her husband - an IAS officer.
( No offences meant Madam .. I heard all this .. ) 

I almost froze as what wrong on earth have I done . I was calculating things in my mind when she fired the first GUNSHOT statement ;)


" Are you a TCSer  ? "

I was like -- " wat the **** .. why else would I be in a TCS cafeteria wearing my TCS ID ? "

Observing the question mark face of mine .. She re-shot
" I am asking  -- Are you a TCSer  ?"

I said : " of course ma'am ! "

She : " Then why are you wearing these denims-tshirt- floaters on a weekday " ..


My Gosh ! .. It was then I realized what I was wearing on my Last working Day @TCS as I had to run directly to Railway Station.

If it would have been a regular encounter .. I would have feared replying to that .. but today I was the king -- rather a queen ;)

I shotback : "Ma'am this is my last working day in TCS and I am here just for some formalities/no dues. I have a train to catch in the evening . Because of the TOWNHALL session and people being  busy in that, I will have to run directly to station. So I am sorry but this is how I happened to wear the casuals. "


OMG .. I loved that POKER face of her ..

" Oh !!! ( long pause ) .. So you have already  resigned .. "
She was almost moving away with her poker face .. when it suddenly occurred to her, being an HR and a lady she must say something and win the argument ;)

 " But still you should comply"  apparently feeling her hollow words she left.

With a broad smile -- I said : " Sure Ma'am I will , if at all I happen to rejoin TCS".. To which she also smiled and said bye.

Feminine ego had won gain  but this time it was mine ;)

So I rushed to HR and tried to complete the formalities. I thought it to be a 5 min task which actually took 40 mins and alas ! I missed my train .. "
I paid some emotional goodbyes to my friends/colleagues. Saw my seat/desktop { win 7 ;) } and employee id : 352*** one last time.
On the ground floor , returned my TCS ID card , which was my identity till date to HR with heavy heart. I had to ask my friend to swipe the card to open the exit gates from TCS -- One LAST TIME ! "

With tears in my eyes looked back to see the 7 - storied  TCS building one last time . And hence left the TCS as a proud/happy /emotional TCSer !

Went to my flat where I already paid my bills , asked them that I want to stay for one more day in that empty- clean room, which till last day used to be my own  messy - home.


Evening - Emptiness of Room - Packed Goods - Lost identity of being a TCSer .. all combined to give roaring tears to the eyes of a " SENTIMENTAL" girl - as people prefferred to call me. 


 
5 days later I joined a renowned product legend. With all the pride and confidence I introduce myself as an " " ex - TCSer ". I see so much craps about TCS on these  confession pages, I too had very tough times during my first appraisal by a boss who was a certified bastard .. I am sure!. But still really do not have any hard feelings about TCS.  As I got to know the wrong people but a good culture being in TCS, I would honestly suggest  ( though not asked for :D ) to leverage all the resources/opportunities/experience in TCS to grow as a better person, a better professional. Don't let the appraisals/bench let you down yaar. I may have been lucky in getting the opportunity or may be I was just KEEN , OBSERVANT , OPTIMIST , LEARNER , EXPLORER to make it happen.
I leave the decision to you !!


From --

A happy and Proud TCSer  :)