Dominic and I sat quietly for a few minutes. What do you say in a situation like that? In any case I was mentally prepared for this. I have been since the day I heard Tom got arrested.

Robin Einstein Sacrificial Lamb Varghese.

Dominic began sobbing a little. Once again I was very close to lightening the mood with a casual joke. But then decided against it. Noted it immediately:

Q: Which Indian scientist was very good at finding jobs?

A: C.V. Raman.

Excellent. But Dominic may not have got the Indian cultural context.

After that he went around telling everyone in the team of our departure. Still no sign of Rahul Gupta. Imagine if I had to go and tell him? How much shame!

Carlos and Hassan were shocked. James hugged me very hard and started telling me how much he felt for me. Five minutes later I told him I was feeling awkward and then he stopped hugging. Kurt shook my hand and then touched my shoulder. It was such an outpouring of grief for him. And then he went back to work.

Spent the second half packing up things, taking a backup of the phone and the laptop.

Finally said bye to everyone and then settled accounts at the office canteen and office gym. (NEVER went to the gym. Not once. And buggers charged me 20 pounds a month for membership. Now it is too late to exercise. But I took a box full of complimentary energy drinks before leaving.)

On my way out I ran into Valentina. She was going to the gym and dressed in exactly one piece of tight plastic. One piece with holes for heads, legs and hands. I told her what happened and asked her to forward any email or couriers to my Indian address. Then she thought about it for a second and asked me: ‘Very good! For how many people you want this?’

I just turned around and left. Fuck.

No laptop any more. I am writing all this from the apartment’s business centre.

Assuming I won’t get paid any more I need to save money for the flight ticket home.

Whenever I can I will come here and give updates.

I should be crying and screaming right now.

But not here in the lobby. Will do when I go back to the room.

19 July 2007

10.01 p.m.

Impossible to get privacy in the business centre unless I come early morning or late night.

For breakfast, lunch and dinner I basically eat duty free chocolate and drink GlucoFight energy drink from the gym. Constantly feel like doing something. But no idea what.

One second …

Sorry. Some old bastard thought I was Sugandh and wanted me to do his web check-in for him.

What a cruel twist of fate. I am doing IT work. And Sugandh is still working for Lederman.