The week between Christmas and New Year is unofficially termed “Dead Week”, and not because of the hangovers. It’s the week when most office workers do little that is “productive”. The idea is that ambition takes a backseat in the holiday season, and people don’t do any more work than is absolutely required. While this concept may have originated in the West, it is now ubiquitous in Indian corporate culture as well, with MNCs allowing their employees one week of relief — or deadness — as this name suggests. What may yet be required, though, is to attend office parties and come up with the not-too-expensive-yet-thoughtful Secret Santa gift. Then there’s the compulsion to meet friends and family, engage in unnecessary socialising, and drink unreasonably.
But imagine obediently spending a whole evening with chachi/chinnamma/chitta/kaaki/cheriyamma droning on about her Tinu’s phoren promotion. Isn’t that work? Plotting an escape past the jolly drunk uncles is probably the most painstakingly thorough planning many do all year. It takes its own kind of work to be a good family member, who is, much like a good employee, part of an organisation. Being at leisure is also work when you don’t live in a “good fences make good neighbours” society because there are no fences to begin with, with neighbours or family.
