So much for a glass of water...

“May I have a glass of water ?”, GT asks the receptionist (quite a fetching pretty young babe!) at a private bank we are waiting at, to meet someone there. She motions to the water container right next to her. GT takes a glass and finds that the water container is empty. And the PYB simply shrugs! I mean it, no exaggeration, just a shrug in the mould of “as if I care!”

GT now requests her, “Madam, would you just arrange for a glass of water?” And I could see he really needed that, as being thirsty and dry-throated, he had started coughing intermittently.

Our PYB of course has different ideas. She responds sweetly with a smile that “The water is over.” (Bet – they told her to answer customers with a sweet smile). Patiently, GT enquires if he can get a glass of water from anywhere else. And the PYB gets out her empty water bottle and says this is all she has!!!

I have been watching this rather interesting episode, quite passively, from where I was sitting, turning the pages of the timepass newspaper that goes by the name of “The Times of India”.

But now, I can almost feel my temper rising quite alarmingly. I charge up to the PYB and demand, “Can’t the Bank not provide a glass of water when someone requests for it ? A customer, that too ?” I brace myself for a long argument and keep telling myself that no way should I let this go….

And guess what the PYB does, she just shrugs and gives me one of her sweet smiles! No Sorry, no trying to find out if a new water container can be brought in or contacting some other admin person to do anything in this regard!

Yeah, her mouthing a Sorry, may not have helped matters but at least it would have demonstrated some sort of sincerity in her approach to the whole episode. But there she was, totally oblivious to whatever was happening.

I was so mad, angry and incensed at this totally indifferent/smug attitude. But as my anger rose, for some strange reason, the sheer futility and pointlessness of what I intended to say hit me. I just walked away, without even acknowledging her response. Huh!

Such things are not even worth wasting my time blogging. But I just had to get it out and here I am, feeling relieved that I let the steam out! Pray, of what use ? I don’t know and well- I am shrugging my shoulders as I type this - I don’t care!

PS : When we finally met the officer, he got us a water bottle, much to our delight!