Episode 303 : Mamma mia!

2009 was a year when recession had begun to show its effects in different ways. It never struck me that childbirths could also be affected. My diary in 2009 would have been as follows-

Dear Diary,
I am moving to a new project in March. S and Ash are my team members, and Ash will lead the team. I will be the "next-in-command".

Dear Diary,
S is pregnant and will start her maternity leave after October. Ash and I will now do the work of three people.

Dear Diary,
2009 is a recessionary year. I got to cut down on my expenses. So no long motorcycle trips till December.

* * * * *

2010 began, looking rosy for some. For me, the troubles were just beginning.

Dear Diary,
The year has just begun and my manager tells me that Ash is on sick leave and will work from home intermittently for two weeks. He wouldn't say anything more.

Dear Diary,
I asked Ash and she replied cryptically "I'll tell you when I see you". It sounds suspiciously familiar.

Dear Diary,
Ash confirmed her pregnancy today and she will go on her leave a month or two after S returns. That means I will have take over till she returns. Oh boy!

Dear Diary,
I got a laptop to replace the ageing desktop. My life is now pwned! I cannot go on a long motorcycling trip till Ash returns!

Dear Diary,
I told S that I will apply for "paternity leave" after Ash returns. I will get only 3 days but I can take another 10 days off and go somewhere.

Dear Diary,
S and I have to choose our new projects. I am going to stay on; he has made an offer I cannot refuse. Ann is my functional project manager and M is the project lead. And this team has more men than married women. Next year, I can go on a long trip!

Dear Diary,
S tells me Ann could be pregnant. Not again! I don't feel very secure about my life in 2011 anymore; there is still M.

* * * * *

At first, I felt it is just my imagination. Then as I observed more carefully, every day I noticed a different pregnant woman at the office cafeteria or on one of the floors.

Now that recession is behind us, more and more couples seem to have opted to have children. In the last 5 months, I have seen more pregnant women than I did in the last 5 years at this workplace.

If this is the case in one office building, I wondered how would it be in all office buildings in Bangalore. And, in India.

I am imagining all this, I told myself.

Then one day we had a large gathering of people from other divisions in our office. I saw more pregnant women.

* * * * *

Three years later, there are not going to be enough seats for admission.