Tuesday 4 December 2012

First Day as an Intern

“It is almost 8:30 am, aren’t you going to the court today?” my sister shouted at me.

It was really very cold and I hated to get out of my warm bed but I had to go to the court. I remembered my sister telling me that the Dasho Drangpon is out of station and won’t be back till the Dzongkhag Tshechu is over. I turned to my left and slept off thinking I can go late as the other office bearers won’t mind me coming late. I completely lost track of the minutes I slept as it was cold and I dozed off again.  THUD THUD THUD…I heard a sound so faint in the room. I tried to open my eyes and opened it partially, when I saw my little nephew coming towards me. I sat upright in a rush and grabbed my cell phone to see the time. “Nine? Oh god! I am dead meat now” I screamed at myself. I should have woken up when my sister woke me but still then my instinct told me the Drangpon is not here so I can be late. I again decided to sleep some more. I was almost dozing off again when my brother who was sleeping by my side started pulling my blankets. “Let me sleep some more because I can be late today” I said but he was adamant not to listen to my plea. “Get up and get ready, you can’t be late on the first day itself even if the Drangpon is not here” saying so he kept pulling on my blankets. When I pulled back my blankets he started pushing my mattress. Poor me, I had to get up because when he pulled my blankets, the cold morning air enveloped me. I rushed to the kitchen so that I can sit by the hearth and keep myself away from the morning coldness. No sooner did I reach the kitchen, my sister entered the kitchen and asked me to wash myself up, eat breakfast and dress up.
I followed her words and did so. It was already 9:30 am, when left for the court. The way from my home till the court is all through the forest and I felt lonely and the way looked creepy with tall grasses growing in either sides of the path. Still then I managed to console myself that I will get used to all these as I have one whole month to walk all alone. The chilly wind touched my already freezing cheeks, making it worst. As for my hands, I covered them in the folds of my tego and wonju in an attempt to keep them warm but all in vain. The tego and wonju were cold too. Trying to cheer myself up I played a song on my cell phone and kept walking. The forest was silent and I was of the view that the birds are cold too and they are still sleeping in their cozy nests. The dew drops on the grasses wetted the edges of my kira inspite of me holding it up. I was nearing the court, when I met an elderly from the village nearby. “Madam, where are you headed to?” she asked me. Madam? I thought to myself but told her that I am going to the court. She asked me my village and about my family and I introduced myself as Sonam Zangmo’s younger sister. After parting with the old woman, I started my journey. Once near the court gate I took out my Rachu, slided it over my left shoulder and was entering the gate but the guard near the gate did not want me to go in. The dispatcher just came by when I was telling the guards that I am a student who is supposed to intern here. “Let her go in, she comes here every year, she is an intern” said the dispatcher to the guards as he had seen me in the court the other year. I was glad he came by otherwise I guess I must had to have shown the letter to the guards before I show it to the Drangpon. The court stood as majestically as ever and the registrar was as friendly as ever. He showed me to the Drangpon’s chamber and informed the Drangpon that an intern has come. Nervousness tingling me, I stepped into the Dragpon’s chamber, handed over the letter from the Supreme Court and stood there, if incase he had something to tell me.
“So you are an intern?” he started. The next question was about what help I can render to them? I got a little nervous and abruptly spoke out that I can do anything that I am assigned. Realized it later that I was trying to act a little more confident. What would have I done had he given me some difficult task? I thought to myself and this question made me feel lucky that the Drangpon would be out of station for a week and there was a week holiday, which means I just have the rest days of a month. He felt bad I had just a month to intern and it was a wrong timing as I would not learn anything and can’t even help them. Relieved that I actually escaped whatever work I would have been assigned I stepped out of his chamber. So it was way easier than what I thought. He accepted me as an intern and I had no work to do. Once outside his chamber, I was stuck in the way with the thought of where to head to? I choose to stay in the dispatcher’s room where not many people visited. Getting a little nervous as of what the dispatcher would think of me when I enter his room, I headed towards it and there he was sitting in the round chair looking at the computer screen. I stepped in and he offered me a seat nearby the heater. I was glad he was friendly and did not mind me being there. “So you are interning this year too?” he asked me, to which I answered by nodding my head. I was getting so bored sitting there idle, staring at the wall clock and wishing it was lunch break so that I can have a little time all to myself and decide whether to bunk or not? Finally it was lunch break, people started leaving for lunch and the bench clerks invited me to have lunch with them at the canteen on the ground floor. I wasn’t feeling comfortable so I decided to stay back and miss lunch and it wasn’t a big deal to miss it as I wasn’t hungry. I was left all alone in the chamber. I waited for another fifteen minutes and then picked up my bag and called my sister. She wanted me to come home as she and brother were having a hard time preparing for the next day. I told her I can’t come as the Drangpon was there and it would not be appropriate to be bunking on the first day itself but still then I put my bag over my shoulder and left the court.
It was the first day of my internship and I was leaving before the office hours were over. Still then I was confident that the Drangpon will not notice my absence. I should not have thought so because I was caught the next day but I got lucky enough. The Drangpon was in a good mood and I escaped the scolding. The first day of internship was over and from the next day I was punctual and helped the chief clerk. I am still doing so. After all I may not get lucky enough the next time and I can’t take another risk.

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