How did I forget them?

Its been a long time in Netherlands. Quite a long time, over three years. But long before I went to Netherlands, I worked in the present company for 4 years. At one time, I worked with a great team. I still miss those days.

Looking at the past, you tend to forget to live the present but cannot help and remember the past.

I worked in the Support department where I had to interact with a lot of users. I had to interact with the other support department like Admin and finance and the boys who do the movement in the office, the canteen boys and all the users. I knew a lot of people. It was a high stressful job, running around solving problem and we enjoyed it.

We were young and loved our job. It was funny with the users. We solved the users calls and while we were working with the users, we would be talking to them. Sometimes the stuff would be about the project and question that would help us determine the problem. Sometimes it would be about nothing in general.

We would meet many users in a day and they would remember the nice talk we had back then but we would only remember their faces and they would remember our names. So we had lots of people saying “Hi” to us when we wondered who they were.

The same with the support staff but with them it was better because we interacted more with them and knew their name. When I joined office after returning from Amsterdam, I met the finance people. Some of them had left Finance but some of them were still there. I talked to the person there and we laughed remembering the old times. She said I haven’t changed. Did I?

In the last few days, I met a lot of these people. I can remember some names but I cannot remember most of the names and I guess they too don’t remember my name but they remember me.

I met a person who would help me move the computers all over the building. He has moved up to other things. I met a person who worked in the telephone department and set up links. He still does that. I met another person who set up links in another building and we talked. I am not sure if we talked in Hindi or Marathi but we talked.

I met a person whose problem I had solved long back and he recognized me too. We had known each other quite well and all I could remember is the face. We said our pleasantries and separated. There was nothing much to say.

Is it true, that out of sight is out of mind? Most of these people were mere acquaintances. We worked together and we had a good time together. I may have forgotten their names but I have not forgotten them. But not everyone is forgotten. Today I met a person “N” who worked with me. He has moved to a new job and a new company and still while we talked over lunch today, we did not feel that uncomfortable moment. We talked where we had left off.

I didn’t forget him neither did I forget his name. I will always forget some of them. If not them, then their names.

Its like the Kishore Kumar song from Anurodh

Aate Jaate Khubsurat Awara Sadkon Pe
Kabhi Kabhie Ittefaq Se
Kitne Anjaan Log Mil Jaatein Hain
Unn Mein Se Kuch Log Bhool Jaatein Hain
Kuch Yaad Reh Jaate Hain
Unn Mein Se Kuch Log Bhool Jaatein Hain