Over-Looked

I am sure most of you all know that my summer internship is at Maruti Suzuki. Well if you weren’t in coma on 11th October 2007, then you would most definitely know. Well for those fortunate souls who don’t know me, I announce every minute detail and change in my life to the world. But this one, the “getting-through-to-and-celebrating” MS went, well, a little out of hand. Let’s just say the adrenaline got the best of me and I was shouting, “Maruti here I come” much to the amusement of many and the embarrassment of one: Pranks. But not that is a pivotal detail at all. So, one fine Monday morning two weeks ago-after 6 months of waiting in the wings, finally- I reached the gates of the Gurgaon plant. And hence began the roller coaster ride of an internship called the MS trainee program.



You see that big MARUTI SUZUKI sign in the pic. Seems inescapable doesn’t it? But I totally missed it. Till now, that is till two weeks into the program. I had Over-Looked it. And today as I stood across the road from it, I did finally see it. And I mean SEE IT. For a few moments I couldn’t take my eyes off the sign. It’s not that gigantic, or well ornate or flashy. But I just could not take my eyes off it. I finally did, only because I had to scan the road to see if my car had shown up yet. It hadn’t. And so I went back to admiring the sign as I would admire a muse- the way I would run my eyes all through the object of my attention, how I would carefully note and relish in its presence. Or how I would see a beautiful little child- and realise the fact that they all are beautiful. Or how would I see even a chocolate cake after a long dieting period- how I would savour its smell and its texture and the taste. And I stood there, across the busy and bustling old gurgaon road, almost as if I had come face to face with my creator. Well, MS isn’t my creator but is my ‘feeder’ for the next two months. And literally as well, not just the “feeds my family cos it pays me” bit…
If I sit and think of my reaction, it was of total awe, over awed even, enamoured, bewitched yet bewildered as to how could I have missed this sign. It was big and right above the front gate. Wasn’t too high, in fact I had noticed the Pseudo Bridge behind it. And yet I blimely unaware of its existence.
And its strange how this giant corporation with numerous accolades to its name- which we were intimidated a number of times during the 2 day orientation- could so simply and aptly be summed up into two words. That’s what it is supposed to be? The name of a product, or a brand – it’s the summary of the product. Plainly, the sign is the summation, bearing the logo of the Indo-Jap joint venture. So much energy, money, people… all signified by this sign.
And so, I stood there for almost five odd minutes, before I decided to click the picture. Because the moment seemed note-worthy. Like a young suitor had just realised that the untidy, unbeautiful, old rag wearing, formerly flat chested slave girl was actually the woman of his dreams.
I wonder, how much I looked at that sign today...for how long...how Over-Looked it became again...
And I wondered, realised and came to the conclusion, of how absent minded I really am.
And I still am over-awed and enamoured by the simple sign that reads, “MARUTI SUZUKI”.