I used to pity myself for continously going through some kind of troubles, especially for whatever I have been going through for the past 5 years. Also I used to feel that this sorrow multiplied many times as I went through them almost alone.

Now that I am a manager, as part of the job I am ‘officially’ expected to interact with lot many people than what I am used to. As I spend more time, I get to know lot many things about these individuals – not just about their professional lives but bits of their personal life too. Few of them carry their personal baggage to work and feel depressed time to time. It might sound strange, but yes I often have to get them out of that and help them concentrate in their work. In the course of time, I got to know one thing – each heart has its pain.

One girl lost her father at a very early age and her brother has a serious medical problem. Another girl, recently broke up with a guy and was weeping over him through the weekend. Yet another guy lost his reputation at office and has been going through some rough weather. He has a girl friend and would like to get married soon, but his parents want his sister to be married first. That means another two years for his marriage. There is an indifferent guy in the team. When I spent time with him, I learnt that he got a seat in an US university for higher studies. But as time would have it, India exploded nuclear bombs which costed his visa.

Not all of them are from my team. But it is kind of consoling to know that I am not sailing alone in this rough waters.