Parle-G, Professionalism, and the Team That Let Me Be

Connecting with my own teams across organisations for the past 16+ years has never been a problem. I love people and can strike up a conversation about anything—from their hairbands right up to who their favourite parent at home is. I'm that nosey little Indian aunty on trains who will offer you a Parle-G biscuit in exchange for your entire life story. 

As I stand on the brink of returning to the office after close to two years of remote working, I can't help but think about the last team I worked with in person until November 2024. Let me tell you why this team was so special to me. Of course, they are gems of people—that's a given—otherwise, why would I write about them over and over again like a rabid person? No, the fact that they are nice is not why I think about them so often. 

I think about them because this was the bunch of men and women who accepted a grieving widow's heart without dispensing too much life gyaan and unsolicited advice. I could be loud, noisy, sad, cranky, aggressive, and a whole list of other action verbs, and this team would just let me be. 

I still remember the warm, day-long farewell they threw for me with all my favourite foods—butter chicken, cheesecake, and Indian sweets. They also framed a picture of all of us and handed it to me on my last day. It is only natural that I can never forget this bunch of beautiful souls. 

Thank you, Corporate Brand and Communications team, for accepting me just as I was. Now, if this isn't a love story made in corporate heaven, I'm not sure what is. To the most understanding and empathetic team in the world: I miss you, and I think of you at least once a week.