With New Year round the corner, shedding the extra mass became an obvious resolution for almost everyone. So the setting up of a gym at the workplace got huge approval ratings.
Except from me, that is. For someone who reaches office on time only by accident, it was difficult to entertain the thought of walking in an hour
or two early to go to the gym. It was much easier to live with the extra kilos. The first few weeks, I would see off my colleagues to the swank gym (who by the way were quite unrecognisable in their smart gym wear), run my hand over the brand new equipment, when the trainer wasn’t looking, and then shamelessly sneak into the canteen, which is adjacent to the gym.
Two hours later (sometimes a little less, at times a little more) my colleagues would be back at work, looking well-scrubbed and tossing their blow-dried hair. That’s when I realised there were other advantages of joining the gym. The shower rooms were great, I was told. Clean towels, hot water (so what if they don’t provide toiletries).
The unlimited supply of nimbu-paani would also do me good, I thought. And, yes what better place to catch up with the gossip?
{{/usCountry}}The unlimited supply of nimbu-paani would also do me good, I thought. And, yes what better place to catch up with the gossip?
{{/usCountry}}It, therefore, came as no surprise when a colleague remained unperturbed when there was a water shortage in her area. She would walk into office, head straight for the gym, work out, have a hot water shower and then go to her workstation. She was pretty forthright about her daily showers, “What’s there to hide?” she would say.
As the weeks rolled by, the gym-brigade started trotting into office with even more baggage, and the first signs of envy started showing in me. My grouse was not against them because they had started slipping into their old denims, or because I disliked their who-lost-how-much-weight talk.
I just hated the idea that they were such fantastic time-managers. They somehow managed to find a slot to hit the treadmill. Before office hours or after office hours. They also took their big break during work hours, blisfully unaware that their bosses were sweating it out, in real time, while they were away.
May be it’s time I hit the gym too, to lose those extra kilos. Between work hours. Flexi-timing. Yeah, that’s what they call it. Or will someone please make me the boss!