The Great Apple Debate: A Meeting Gone Bananas (Or, Apples?)

First Sundays of the month are sacred in my society—not for peace or relaxation, mind you, but for the grand Society Management Committee Meeting. It’s where we all trade in our quiet Sunday for a round of complaints and issues, ranging from "Why is there no clean water in the flush?" to "Has someone sublet their apartment to a total stranger?" (Now that’s a juicy story for another day.)

But amidst the chaos, there is one consistent saving grace—our beloved Samosa-Chai break. In fact, we’re so passionate about it that we spend a good five minutes debating the perfect place to source our samosas from. It’s a big deal, okay?

Now, with all the recent health scares doing it’s rounds in the news, I had a brainwave. What if, just this once, we swapped the samosas for something healthy? I mean, it’s all about well-being, right? And as they say, an apple a day keeps everything at bay... including society complaints (or so I hoped). So, there I was, with full confidence and enthusiasm, raising my proposal during the meeting: “Guys, let’s eat healthy! How about we skip the samosas and go for California Red Apples instead?” And then…pin drop silence. Clearly, I had underestimated the emotional attachment people had to their fried, crispy, potato-filled love triangles.

Let me walk you through the chaos that unfolded once everyone recovered from the shock., and maybe—just maybe—you’ll recognize a few familiar faces (or yourself).

Before I could even say “Red Apple”, Mr. Prashnachinna Kumar- the Challenger, jumped from his seat to question the very premise of the problem itself. He’s the one who loves to challenge literally everything, “Why are we even talking about Red apples? Shouldn’t we be discussing Green apples? They’re healthier, aren’t they? And What about pears? They’re just as healthy! Or better yet, bananas—they’re full of potassium!”

And just like that, my simple apple suggestion was spiraling into a full-blown fruit discussion. We went from apples to pears to debating the merits of tropical fruits in under two minutes. The actual question? Out the window. The Challenger is great for making us question things... but sometimes, I just wish we could stick to the actual topic!

Next comes Mr. Mungerilal- The Nostalgic Storyteller, you know the type who can take any mundane topic and somehow make it deeply emotional. “You know, samosas remind me of my childhood. Every Sunday, my family would gather with a plate of hot samosas and chai, share stories, tears, laughter. Replacing them with apples… well, it just feels wrong. Like we’re losing a piece of tradition.” With that... what was once a conversation about snacks has converted into an emotional TED Talk on Indian family culture.

At this moment, I have started box breathing (a technique to calm myself) and thinking to myself… Great! Now I’m not just the apple advocate—I’m the destroyer of nostalgic family memories.

Just as I think we might circle back to the actual point, dives in Mr. Gyaneshwar the Ethical Philosopher with his existential questions. “But why apples at all? Shouldn’t we think bigger? Why are we ignoring the dry fruits or other healthy snacks like nutrition bar? ?Aren’t we being a bit... exclusionary?”

I realised, he is not here just to talk about apples but to challenge our entire moral compass. And now, instead of choosing a snack, we’re debating the DE&I agenda of Snacks. Fantastic.

Then there’s always one Mr. Bomkesh Bakshi- The Skeptic who sits back with their arms crossed, casting doubt on the entire meeting’s purpose. “Do we even need snacks? Isn’t this just another unnecessary distraction from actual work? Shouldn’t we be focusing on, I don’t know, our jobs instead of fruit?” Besides, “What’s the point of all this healthy stuff? We’ve been eating samosas for years, and we’re still here, aren’t we? Plus, apples won’t help with the fact that the flush hasn’t been working for a week.” Thank you, Mr Bakshi, for always bringing it back to the real issues.

Just when I think things can’t get weirder, here comes Mrs. Chulbuli- The Over-Optimist, brimming with energy. You know the type—overly enthusiastic about literally everything. ?“I love apples! Why stop at Red Shimla? We should do an apple-tasting event! Let’s decorate the building with apple-themed banners !

At this point, I’m not sure if I should laugh, cry, or start a petition to ban apple-related meetings altogether. But one thing’s for sure—the Over-Optimist can turn anything into a full-blown event. How did we get from a snack question to planning an apple carnival?

By the end of it all, I was left staring blankly across the table, wondering how a simple apple question turned into an existential debate on fruit, nostalgia, and carnival. And after much debate (and some strong opinions on the ethics of fried vs. fresh), we ended up… right where we started. The samosas stayed :-(

Let’s be honest—we’ve all met these characters at work (and maybe we are one of them). So, who are you in this meeting chaos? The Challenger? The Storyteller? The Skeptic? Or are you just like Me, desperately trying to keep things on track? Share your thoughts—let’s see who else has survived the Great Apple Debate!