Perplexing Times

It may look like I am late to the party. Let me assure, I am not. I am right on time, my time to look at effect of pandemic on my corporate life and its ripple effect.

I can very categorize this almost 1.5 year into 2-3 phases, with different areas of focus.

The first phase was focused on the Work.

Being a Workforce Strategist, it was a busy time, ramping up the infrastructure to support WFH (Work from Home), also the analytics support that is required and the flexibility needed in the ever-fluid situation. The team had to evolve in 24-48 hrs to delivery on war-footing the new asks with changed scenario. Truth be told, people in this vertical also understand that the chaos is an opportunity to push for changes for better. That’s what we did.

?With approximate 2-3 hrs. saved for each of us, we were stilling on additional time in our hands that we saved from commuting.

?In the first phase – the additional time was taken up by trying to get the team and work adapt to new normal. It paid off, the jump we made during this phase was least to say 6 folds. The maturity of the team moved up by 3 folds and the collaboration and purpose brought the team together like never. We went BAU (Business As Usual) earlier than most of the team or companies.

It was time for Healing, Skill Development & Creative Pursuits.

?When we reached BAU. It was the time to invest the additional hours that we got. It was time for Healing, Skill Development & Creative Pursuits. ?

Not surprising, the companies associated with LnD (Learning and Development) saw a surge in the registration numbers. Some made very good utilizing this time. Some took this time to heal. For me, learning contributes to my healing process. I joined a course I had been contemplating for long. I decided to make use of this time during the weekdays, in addition to the weekends that I dedicate for my Creative Pursuits. Diving the time between my Skill Enhancement and Creative Activities.

?Will talk about my Skill Enhancement later in another post, for this post, I want to talk about my Creative Pursuit; my new novel that I could complete in less than a year.

Presenting Perplex-city, a bouquet of suspense, crime and horror thrillers woven in one novel.

Perplex-city paints an intrinsic layer of city in its three different lockdowns, decades apart, telling the story of a night as Khali Dera, Blossom Haveli and Jharokha Apartment remained a silent witness to the unprecedented acts of love, hate, jealousy, regret, and redemption that changed the lives of everyone around. The colossal events looked distant and insignificant, all they wanted and prayed was the night to end.

?In the year of a Rat, a night before the lockdown starts, a barkeep finds herself in possession with ICE,?ecstasy drugs. With cops of her heels, she?finds no place to dispose it. She?empties the content in water tank?of her?society –?Jharokha?Apartment;?just before the cops show up in her place.?During the night the water is consumed by the cops who came for the search to the unaware?resident. Under the influence of the drugs, ICE, the?residents come in face to face with their demons – their anger, the guilt, their lust, their?greed,?and their love.??How many demons would surface and who all would be their casualty.

In the year of a Pig, greed and hatred had divided the country. Blood stained the walls, the roads, and the hearts. The neighbors had become enemies and strangers, friends. Air smelled of burnt houses and decaying corpses. Army was still not fully operational and police watching helplessly from a distance. Whole city was put under a curfew.??A girl in her twenties, Libni finds herself stuck alone in this city. Searching for a shelter where she can pass the night, Libni reaches a lone Haveli in outskirts of the city. Little did she know, she was walking right into a sinister plot. Will Libni’s presence deter Onkar’s plan or is Libni a part of a bigger conspiracy?

?In the year of a Red Snake. Sepoy mutiny changed the course of history for the subcontinent. India was losing this fight for Independence; the freedom fighters were being rounded off. Imam Akbar Amanat Ali urged his daughter Meher to escape before the East India Company’s army captured them. Meher managed to reach the road leading to Gurgaon. The road was barricaded by the army. Meher had to hide in a small, desolated house in a deserted kasba. In those ruins seeking refuge was another couple, Guneet and Eshana. They were going to meet Eshanan’s brother for the last time before he was executed by the Company. They thought to wait the night out in this dilapidated ruin. They were not alone. Terror ran high as Meher, Guneet and Eshana face the forces unseen and unknown, namely Ajooni who walked in the ruin whole night, night after night, claiming anything in it as hers.

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