Bidding farewell to someone has always been difficult here. And this time it was especially so, since one of the two who was leaving had been with us for more than 3 years and the other was someone who joined as a fresher and made an enormous impact with her work. Well, heavy hearts get balanced out if there is good food and some drinks on the house. The name is Happy, after all.
Rishi joined us three years back as an illustrator and had the unenviable record of having to work till 3 am on the very day he first visited Happy. Here we must clear our part and put out on record that this was the only time this had happened and we couldn’t help it. From then on, Rishi has done some fantastic work at Happy. His works on Nirvana had gotten us recognition, and his brilliant illustrations have been a mainstay of some of Happy’s most popular works.
NItya on the other hand had a relatively easier first day at work — the toughest part must have been to sing the introduction song. But she was flung into the thick of things before she could say, ‘what’s the way to this place again?’ But she took every challenge head on and proved to be indispensable in the client servicing side of things. Getting someone with the same verve and understanding is going to be a daunting task.
But things weren’t going to get embarrassingly heavy-hearted. At least not from the onset. So out came the barbecue, the heavy-bottomed glasses, and the bottles of beer and breezers. Some paneer for the vegetarians, and chicken and sheekh for the carnivores. The growl in the stomach as this is being written underlines how tasty the food was.
Aside from the food and the drinks, one other thing that was quickly becoming the flavour of the evening was speeches. Everyone got their Oscar moment, that too without time limits. A few speeches were short, and few others had to be pulled off from the stage. By the end of it, even the glasses expressed their sorrow by shattering themselves on the cold, hard floor.
As the drinking progressed deeper into the evening, things started turning a wee bit emotional. Alcohol might drown sorrow, but sorrows themselves tend to come floating up. A few tears were shed, and the duration of the hugs became longer and longer. But if you are leaving Happy, you always leave with a buck-toothed smile.
And it is this spirit that we wish, and are positive that Rishi and Nitya will take wherever they go. That being happy comes easy. It’s just about being yourself. We wish them all the best in their endeavours. But next time either of them comes to visit us, remember — the drink is on you.
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