The lift

The lift is a sullen place. The moment you enter a lift, something snaps. Cheery people turn poker faced. The talkative man is silenced. Couples who looked into each other’s eyes, dewy-eyed, stand apart. Argumentative spouses opt for a truce. It is as if, there is a stay-order on everything. You stand grim and solemn, with the gaze firmly on the feet. No is related to anyone- we are perchance fellow-travelers in the lift’s journey through the floors! Such is the lift’s inexplicable impact!

It is surprising that a lift with so many buttons, should have no provision to “undo” a floor selection. Sometimes, your finger accidentally hits a floor-button. But once pressed, there is no way to correct the mistake. You have little choice but to watch the lift meander its way listlessly, much like a passenger train.

Time is at a premium in the morning. You have just those few seconds to get to the office-cab. That’s when the lift is at its slowest! You press the ground-floor button with all your strength, hoping some secret-sauce will kick in, to avoid stopping at other floors. Murphy’s law grins at you even more. The lift stops at each floor, while you clench your jaw, impatience writ all over the face!

A lift has its absent-minded professors, who stay glued to the cellphone. Each time the lift halts, our professor strides out. Just when the lift is about to shut, there is a frantic shuffle of feet. The professor outside is all worked up, trying to pry open the door. He sticks his hand and foot and risks every part of his anatomy. Professor suddenly discovered that this was not his floor after all!

A lift ride is never complete without a stop at an empty floor. The door swings open, but there is none. Time hangs like eons. Eyebrows knit, you repeatedly blink, wondering what happened. Perhaps, someone changed his mind and took the stairs instead?

If it happens at the dead of night, it does not get spookier. You turn around and tell your fellow lift-traveler, “They say this floor is haunted! Years ago…” and leave the sentence dangling! Your lift mate’s face turns pale and once the lift comes to a halt, he bolts out like a frightened deer!

I have often toyed with the idea to greet the empty space on some such unscheduled lift-halt with loud, animated banter, “Long time buddy! Good to see you!” As a draft of air flows in, and the lift closes to the emptiness, you turn around and spot scared feet retreat to a corner!

It is good to add that feather of mystique to your personality!