Honey, I am going onsite-I

Disclaimer: All incidents and characters mentioned in the story are purely fictional. Any resemblance to real life is a mere co-incidence

An episode in an IT professional’s life

What could be one possible thing that would bring happiness on a techie’s face?
A love proposal from his teammate?

A dating invite from a hot chick in his company?

A decent hike in his salary?

His marriage getting fixed?

There is something very important that would bring loads of joy and happiness apart from the ones above mentioned.


An ONSITE OPPORTUNITY!!!

I am Pattabhiram. I joined as a fresher and currently a PM handling a project at offshore. Traveling to onsite had always been my passion and desire right from the day I decided to work for an IT company. I still can remember the incident that happened on my first day of induction

Day 1, Fresher Induction:
Sir, Will there be any onsite opportunities for me?
Hmmm… May I have your name please?
Pattabhiram, sir!
Pattabhi. There are 2 points to be noted. Point# 1: Do not call me or address anyone in this company as “sir”. They do have a name. Call them by their name or their nicknames. Point# 2: Your onsite opportunity entirely depends on the nature of the project you are going to be put in and the requirements at onsite. There is nothing I can do about it and this is after all your first day of the induction. All your unanswered questions will be clarified as time passes by. Ok Folks now let’s move on to the next slide in our agenda which speaks about the dress code policy for both men and women. On Mondays…
He had an answer to my question but not the answer I wanted to hear

********* *********
Project#1, Year 1:
Hi Guru, Will there be any onsite opportunities for me?
“Pattabhi. You joined this project just a few weeks back. There are lot many people in the queue waiting for onsite. Everyone will get their chance some day or the other. Frankly speaking, now it is just not your time. You need to gain a lot of experience in this project. Try to get some hands on with lot of new tools available in the market. My advice to you is, do not depend on one technology alone. Try to gain as much knowledge as you can. Will surely send you to onsite, when I feel it is the right time to send you there. Until then, keep dirtying your hands with lot of coding. This is the right time and age to learn lot of things” He replied me back

********* *********
Project#2, Year 2:
“Hey Pattabhi. Here, take some chocolates” Deepak, my project mate with lot of excitement showed me a box full of chocolates
I wished him Happy Birthday
“It’s not my Birthday you idiot. I am going onsite next Monday. Hufssssshhhhhh…. Lufthansa!!! Business Class!!! 3500$ a month, Enjoying on weekends travelling the entire stretch of US!!! Life tho pooraa settled hai yaar…What else can I expect big in my life? I am so happy” He said
“So how long are you going to work there Deepak?” I asked him
“No idea Pattabhi. Might be for a few months or it might even take a year or two. Who knows? Whatever it is, I will enjoy it to the max” Deepak was all in a mood to enjoy
“Good. Thanks for the chocs and all the very best mate” I wished him good luck
“Thanks Pattabhi. I got to rush up pretty early in the evening. I’ve got a whole lot of purchase to be done. See you tomorrow” Deepak took leave

********* *********
Project#3, Year 3:
“Pattabhi. Please come to my desk immediately. I have some good news for you man” I got a call from my Manager.
“Sure Sandeep. I will be there right away” I replied and rushed to his cabin
“Pattabhi, you’ve been working really well in this project. I must admit that you have exceeded all our expectations. The ratings are really impressive for the last 2 years. I am expecting you to get a role change this cycle. There has not been any official confirmations yet, but i am 99.9% sure that you will get a role change this cycle” He told me in an enthusiastic tone
“Wow Sandeep. That’s really a big news for me. Am really very happy and I must thank you for all the affection that you’ve shown towards me” I replied with a grin
“Don’t mention it Pattabhi. Please do not discuss this with anyone unless we get an official mail on this regard. Is that clear?” He put it plain and straight
“Sure. I won’t! One more thing Sandeep” I extended the conversation
“What about my onsite? Will they process my Visa this time? I’ve been waiting for my onsite since I joined here 3 years ago” I asked him with a long face
"I understand your desperation. But you need to know the fact that both Arun and Vijay are holding the visa and waiting for their dates. I will let you know if any requirement comes, Pattabhi.” He ended the conversation with no room for any further conversation
I thanked him and left

********* *********
Project#5, Year 4:
“Hey Deepa, you are supposed to travel this weekend right? Is the purchase over?” I asked my teammate
“No Pattabhi. I am not going to travel. I told our PM firmly” She said with a happy face
“Not travelling? Have you gone mad? Why do you want to miss such a golden opportunity like this?” I asked her
“Actually, to tell you the truth, my boy friend wants me to stay here in India. He doesn’t like the idea of me going to onsite” She replied me back
“But you’ve got a H1B visa. People like us are struggling hard to get one. How can you simply reject it? If I were in your position I would have definitely accepted it. Travelling to onsite has always been my passion” I said
“I agree Pattabhi. But I can’t go against him. He is pretty more important to me than anything right?” She questioned me back
“True. But if you had this in mind since long back, you could have asked our PM not to take your name into consideration for processing H1B visa right? It’s anyways a waste of money for the company and atleast you might have given chance to folks like me who are dying to get a Visa to travel abroad” I replied in desperation
She gave me an impertinent look. “Who cares!!! Our PM had asked me if I was willing to travel and I said ok. Whenever I feel like going to onsite I can go, if I have the Visa ready in my hand. Without Visa I can do nothing. So I nodded my head when he asked my name for visa processing” She coolly replied
“So the plan is like, get the Visa ready in hand, reject the opportunities that knock your door for your boy friend’s sake or expire the visa and get married to him or whomsoever and tag along with him under H4” I told her with utmost frustration with boiling blood and rage inside
She looked at me and sensed that she had been a reason one way or the other for the fact that my Visa was not processed
"I got to leave Pattabhi. Will catch you later” She said and rushed out immediately

America is another name for opportunities and this woman has ensured it remains closed for me, forever