Experiences of a 'Treater'

There is a new buzzword in my office these days “Treat” (and it is on me. No prizes, if you have guessed it right). Since I am the newbie in my office I been repeatedly hankered by my colleagues for a treat.

I had been hearing this word for sometime now. The reason for asking a treat grows larger than the wish list of Christmas presents. While some may be justified, others are way beyond my understanding. Treat for having seen a good looking girl, treat for having spent a whole day in the office without any major consequences (which includes not getting lashed out by your boss), treat for having gotten a treat from another friend, and the list goes on.


There were times when I couldn't escape these 'treats'. When I was in college in Mumbai, my friends somehow found out about my birthday (despite my precautions). Think about giving a treat to twenty plus teenagers. My parents will long throw me out of college before I could ask money from them. Fortunately, my mother came to my rescue. She invited my friends to our house and served them with dosas and idlis. Surprisingly it worked well, as Idlis and dosas are considered as snacks in north India, whereas it is a regular breakfast for us, south Indians.

When I was in my previous office, I have to give another treat to my colleagues (again for my birthday). And again this time luck was on my side as our company credited some of my unpaid arrears. Since I was giving the treat, I ordered a huge falooda. This restaurant, in which we were dining have a different seating arrangement, where a long sofa was laid beside the dining table and I was made to sit in the far corner. Once our main course was over I was waiting for my falooda. Instead, I got only the bowl and the spoon in which it was served; no thanks to my colleagues (remember I was in the far corner). So much for my thinking that the 'treater' can atleast enjoy his own food (what a sucker).

Despite all these shortcomings I am still considering, giving a 'treat' to my new colleagues as it works wonderfully in making new friends. So any one in for a treat???