ChintaMany's diary - page 6 ( The pressure builders)

 {The axiom that an idle mind is the devil's workshop, didn't foresee the possibility that it could also be a playground - for devils’ advocates!  - ChintaMany's diary page -5}

Knowingly or unknowingly, some people take it upon themselves to unsettle others. Honestly, if you ask them why they do it, more often than not you may end up being questioned, “did I do so?" and feign hurt. Before you bat your eyelids, they would have found another victim for their trade. Now, you may have questions- Who are they? And where they get to work? I think of them as pressure builders, and space and time do not constrain them. They might be from the family, relatives and friends. This generic malady might have infected me and you too, once or twice. 

Hospital:

The consulting room is crowded, and anxious patients are waiting patiently for the doctor to come. The pressure builder enters the room, eyes a known face and glides effortlessly through the throng. The patient looks up to find a familiar face and greets with a weak smile. This is enough for the pressure builder. He opens up his chronicle of diseases suffered and known to him, treatments that have succeeded or failed, cost of hospitalisation and medicines. Finally reveals, maybe he has made a wrong choice to consult this particular doctor. The patient who had come with a cold and body pain complaint hurries out with almost a mild palpitation. The patient's mind has managed to load kilograms of pressure, wondering what had gone wrong with that chronicler and the doctor? Now, you appreciate my point!

Travel:

Any family will plan a pleasure trip, keeping budget, free time and visit to a list of possible places of their interest. Everything goes smooth and travel arrangements get completed. In this serene atmosphere, an unseasonal mini low-pressure trough forms in the form of a well-wishing pressure builder. Acting as a seasoned traveller, he states picking holes in the itinerary, places selected for sightseeing, accommodation booked and not to forget about the likely inclement weather at those places at these times. He stopped short of calling it a foolish plan. Having done his duty, the well-wisher takes leave ending his surprise visit. Will it be hard to imagine the tension building up in household, already worried about other important things. 

Childcare:

Children often go a bit under-weather, as seasons change. No doubt the family will be paying utmost attention and initiating remedial measures. Naturally, visits to doctor, bottled medicines and other paraphernalia will also be taken care. Choosing this time, a pressure builder drops in, and in a few seconds, starts to highlight prevailing viral spread, acute cases in hospitals and the healthcare advisories doing the rounds. The pressure builder did not even bother to know what the nature of the illness is, the child is suffering with. In the wake of this unmindful trawling, the family promptly starts to view conflicting videos on all these highlights, and wallow in a pool of self-doubt. Like a ghost the highlighter disappears.

Schooling:

The future of children weighs heavily in the minds of parents and in this regard no stone is left unturned. Selecting suitable education stream and institution, transport and sports, fee structure and other incidental details are examined under a powerful microscope, to spot hidden pitfalls. Securing an admission depleted their energy and took a toll on the bank balance. When everything is done and dusted, a pressure builder walks in, chooses this time to offer alternatives spiked with criticism, points out is as a bad choice by them and takes leave after sowing seeds of doubts in the minds of parents. They wonder, why he came in uninvited and who asked him for an opinion and add a little more pressure upon themselves.

Interviews: 

The first step, getting into a professional stream, brings its own qualms, in the form of tests, call letters and interviews and tensions. The aspiring candidate and his or her nears and dears, sweat it out from different perspectives, to cross all the bridges successfully. Every one of them walk on thin eggshells, till an offer of appointment is received. On the D Day, the uninvited - a habitual soothsayer disguised as a well-wisher, lands amidst the family members. A long, and equally uninvited talk on rigged tests, casual call letters and finally eye-wash interviews, is delivered to unsettle everyone. His job done, taking cue from the stony silence that greeted his speech, the pressure builder hastily departs. 

The candidate leaves for the test, with trepidation and palpitation, imagining the worst.  You may question why the candidate should get upset like that. Mind is a complex machine and likes to work out screenplays and dialogues to keep it, self-busy, without your consent. It takes only a little push to disturb that equilibrium. This is the weak link the pressure builders exploit, naturally or by training - which is what, they only know. 

Self-goal player:

There is a V I P type of pressure builder - at home and in self. This type goes all out, to find hidden worries, regrets and failures to bolster the pressure build-up and won't rest till a bursting point is reached. This inner turmoil leads to friction with near and dear or friends and associates. The original type is driven by one up man-ship, bragging, know-all attitude and other pathological self-boost traits. Like high octane number in liquid fuels, this type carries a tag of high compression adrenalin content.

The pressure builders are so accomplished in their craft, even bystanders come unwittingly in to their hold. If you are wondering- the answer is a no, they have never heard of diplomacy and not known to use tact. They are driven by letting-the cat-out-of-the-bag syndrome. The question hanging in the air above all of our heads is - how to spot the species of pressure builders? Why the pressure builder always makes an uninvited appearance, at the last minute? 

What would happen, when some of these pressure builders themselves meet with a high-pressure builder, in an inappropriate moment? Would they be surprised or unsettled? Would, the lucky ones manage to find a way to avoid the overtures of that hyper pressure builder! Feel free, to share your practical wisdom.

Foot note: The tribe of pressure builders are equally populated with he, she and them.