3:00 PM Pause - Part 1

A wooden hammer came crashing down. A large metallic gong came to life, and the office floor swelled with a peculiar sound that was unrelenting and considerate to the ears at the same time. 

We all knew - it was time!

I heard the gong in the washroom. The mirror screamed at me, 'Go, Nancy! Run!! You will be late.' I was not ready to leave the spot - but the shopping reverie dominated my self-admiration sojourn. I adjusted clothes and came rushing to my cubicle. I sat on my chair with a thud, ramrod straight, with my hands folded on my lap. I closed my eyes and carefully moved the two fingers close to the thumb, both hands, till they touched each other - a three finger technique, taught to all of us for 3:00 PM break. 

It was time to leave all behind, and travel to the 'level' - my level, and then play it back. My case was a difficult one, thinking of nothing was unlikely and counting back was not my glass of sweet-salt fresh lime Soda. I had a gifted brain, I always believed. 

I tried for weeks to be in sync before I found my musical Mojo. It was magical, always, a treat to my soul, to my skin, and to my.....never mind! I loved roaming around and shopping, no constraints, no one to stop, all free!

In my excitement, I tripped and lost control. A loud noise broke the silence, and I was rendered back in a Jiffy. My level vaporized instantly; dresses snatched away from my hands. I opened my eyes in disbelief and looked back in the direction of the sound. A young man with glittering eyes had raised his hands above his head, palms facing the roof. Embarrassed, silently apologizing to all of us. I looked around. Everyone busy practicing fluency in their reverie, undisturbed. I then looked at him. His eyes were fixed on mine, unflinchingly. 

I saw him for the first time on the floor. Maybe he was a newcomer. His steel water bottle was lying on the concrete floor close to my cubicle. I had no idea how it managed to travel on its own so far. I quietly picked it up and walked towards him. 

Handing over the bottle, my glare met his sparkling eyes. I could not endure the faint fiery sensation it elicited inside me instantly. There was something about his eyes, something strange, something inexplicable. Before my brain could decipher the code, this famous song began playing in my ears...

Your beautiful eyes...Stare right into my eyes...And sometimes...

My inner voice summoned my neck. I came back to my cubicle awestruck. I still felt that strange sensation inside me. It took me a few minutes to be myself. He quietly picked up his laptop bag and walked towards the exit. 

I did not see him after that....till a couple of months later he reappeared.

I was holding my plate, scanning the cafeteria, trying to find an empty chair during peak lunch hours. And there it was! I walked briskly towards the chair and grabbed it with a tinge of arrogance. I was starving. My fork picked up a slew of noodles strings, appeared feminine with a steel body, from the plate, and before I could shove it inside, my eyes met Mr. Fiery eyes. 

'Hi! I am Sahil' he sat next to me with his plate. 

'I responded, Hello! I am Nancy.' The feminine fork was in a dilemma by then - to find a landing spot, back on the plate or to aspire for taste buds. Mr. Fiery eyes smiled at me and then focused back on his plate. On the lunch table, the conversation floated around the 3:00 PM Pause. 

'I just came back from my training, am curious about the 3:00 PM concept. I was wondering if you could be kind enough to explain to me,' Sahil asked me. 

I felt, I just read an office mail. 

Before I could respond, he said, 'I also wanted to say Sorry about that day.' Though, I felt, there was no need for it, the nascent savage build up inside me began settling down, sitting next to him. 

'Let us discuss over a cup of coffee after work,' I told him. 

We met in the cafeteria at 6:30 PM. It was almost empty. Sahil picked up coffee for both of us and sat opposite to me. 

Passing one to me, he said, 'So, now, all ears on you.'

I smiled, picked up the paper cup and explained to him.

'Each day, sharp at 3:00 PM, someone in the company hammers the giant gong that hangs amid the cubicles. As the ring echoes through the office, work at the company grinds to a halt. People turn off their music, wrap up their calls and pause their conversation for fifteen minutes. All employees just focus on their breathing taking the time to recenter themselves from the hustle and bustle of life. This afternoon break is called as PRANA - an effort to keep team members attuned to their heart, minds, and bodies throughout the day. It is a kind of mindfulness exercise.'

Sahil was listening to me intently. He did not utter a word and kept his focus on me.

I continued, 'You know Sahil, maybe we all crave for money and position and recognition and so on but this 15 minutes pause prepares all of us in a different way to be moral beings, to learn to be right to self and others. You can not measure its value. It keeps us grounded to Earth, and it is priceless. 

We often met over a cup of coffee, after that day...

..something was set in motion...

to be continued....