After you m'lady

Our office lobby has six working lifts and the general courteous behaviour here is not to stuff your elbows into other people's guts in the quest to be the last guy in. Usually, even when it is half-full, people stay put politely and wait for the next lift. As an Indian, I think this is very unusual, but I've eventually got used to it.

Today Mallika and I reached Novena on the same bus and were walking up the escalator and through the mall corridors to reach the office lobby. As we got off the escalator, I saw my ex-boss trailing by around ten feet and greeted him with a formal eyebrow raise.

As we approached the lift lobby, from the distance I saw the nearer lift door open and just a few people slowly trudging in. Oh sweet lord there is a special joy in winning races like these! And hence I had an unbearable itch (not that kind) to make it in time. Of course, it would have to be orchestrated in tandem with Mallika (or so I thought...).

We were 5 feet away from the lift. That's when I felt Mallika was taking steps a little faster. Could it be? Did she share my disposition? Would we be able to make it to the blessed lift? I added that bit of extra pace too. The Up Arrow blinked brightly. And like an early morning moth I propelled myself towards it, just a step behind Mallika. Even through a painfully acute angle, I sensed there was space in the lift. Finally, two feet away, trashing six months of discipline, courtesy and people skills, I leaped into the lift, swiveled, waiting for Mallika to step in. Evidently she had no plans of doing so. And so we held our places.

As the lift doors closed, I assume she was giving an understanding look (knowing my inept nature); I wouldn't know because I was not looking at her, but my ex-boss. He was standing flabbergasted, right opposite the lift, with a smirk conveying a dozen emotions (I think you can guess a few). Just before the doors shut, he grinned and said, 'Wow Arvind...how very courteous..'

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Related post by Suhaib: After you m'lady