a Random miss

Another tiring day at office nearing its EOD. Some five minutes to six at eve, I went upstairs to cafeteria to have a cup of hot tea. That old tea-lady there seemed to be used to this...to smile at me even though I never smiled back. May be she never expects it back and was always trying to sooth this guy who often came for tea, all alone !. It sucks to be there @ the abandoned cafeteria at this time and have tea alone. So, as usual I took it down, came to my bay and placed it near my system to sip it while I worked. Just when I settled down and was about to unlock my system, a colleague handed over two post cards to me. It belonged to outreach team (well..a team within my company who do all sorts of those 'serving the poor' things..like providing aids etc to govt. primary schools and many more). I was supposed to jot down some inspiring lines on both the cards and to wish in it my 'all the best'. Two cards each were given to others too. The team would then collect it the next day and will soon distribute them among the kids of some school. Thus..I am supposed to motivate an unknown & unseen little mind through those golden words of advice ! hmmm..something good to think..something interesting indeed. I smiled @ him and took the cards in my hand.

Just then a familiar pleasant smell just worked a refreshing magic in my head, that no amount of tea or coffee would otherwise have done. It was this simple smell from those laminated post cards, which suddenly brought to me those sweet memories of greeting cards ..oh ! something that I have forgotten in past few years here @ work. They were too good..they had that touch of personal affection,love and friendship. Birthdays were sweeter, meaningful..and selecting cards for someone else was something of more fun.

I remember reading somewhere that familiar smells are in fact the strongest agents of memory. Yes, I felt it now. I miss it. I miss many things and this is just a random one !