Work from home is convenient. Trendy. Flexible.
At least, that’s what the internet says.
But no one tells you what happens when her home becomes your workplace.
Let me tell you about my friend. Let’s call him Raj—because he deserves anonymity, and also
because Raj sounds like someone who has suffered politely.
Phase 1: The Dream Job
Raj joined a fast-growing pharmaceutical company. The founder? Disciplined, visionary, the kind
of leader who says things like:
“We are building the future.”
In the early days, he was open to ideas. Listened. Nodded. Occasionally even smiled.
Raj thought: This is it. This is where I grow.
Then success happened.
And with success came… external wisdom.
Phase 2: The Upgrade Nobody Asked For
The founder, now bitten by the “next level” bug, decided his existing team was… insufficient.
Enter: Shailaja Pandit.
Hired through what I like to call the “trusted outer circle of people who once had coffee with
someone successful”method.
She came in as CEO.
Then became Head of Marketing.
Then became… everything.
Phase 3: The Workplace Relocation Program
Office? Oh no. Too mainstream.
Raj’s new workplace depended on one critical KPI:
“Did she pick your call this morning?”
If yes: “Come home.”
If no: “Go to office.”
If you guessed wrong: Congratulations, you’ve unlocked a new level of suffering.
Her “office” was a rented luxury home in Malabar Hill—paid for by the company, of course.
Because why separate business and personal life when you can confuse everyone equally?
Phase 4: Dress Code Roulette
Raj never knew what kind of meeting he was walking into:
Pyjamas meeting (casual terror)
Jeans & T-shirt meeting (startup chaos energy)
Saree meeting (formal intimidation mode)
There was no calendar invite that said:
“Today’s mood: unpredictable. Proceed with caution.”
Phase 5: The Hunger Games – Corporate Edition
If Raj went to the office when he was supposed to go to her house:
“WHY ARE YOU THERE?! COME HERE!”
If he went to her house when she wanted him in office:
“WHO TOLD YOU TO COME HERE?!”
If he somehow survived both:
“Send someone else next time.”
That “someone else” would then be punished.
Then replaced.
Then punished again.
It was less of a team structure and more of a rotational sacrifice system.
Phase 6: Performance Review = Emotional Endurance Test
Feedback wasn’t about work.
It was… personal. Very personal.
Her words could slice through confidence like a hot knife through corporate jargon.
And the founder?
Well, he had given her what we in professional terms call:
“Unlimited authority with complimentary blindness.”
Phase 7: The Golden Cage
One day Raj asked me:
“What should I do?”
I told him the truth he didn’t want but needed:
“You’re not being paid for your skills anymore. You’re being paid for your tolerance.”
Welcome to the Golden Cage:
Great salary
Zero dignity
Unlimited confusion
People didn’t stay because they loved the job.
They stayed because:
EMIs exist
Salary hikes are addictive
And sometimes… the next job might just be another version of the same story
Phase 8: The Silent Corporate Tribe
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Raj isn’t alone.
There are countless professionals:
●●●●
Dialing bosses like it’s a lottery
Working from homes that aren’t theirs
Navigating moods instead of meetings
Updating sanity more than spreadsheets
They don’t post about it.
They don’t tweet threads.
They just… quietly move on.
Or stay.
The Thought That Stays With You
We romanticize “Work From Home.”
But maybe the real question is:
Whose home are you working from—and at what cost?
Because flexibility is great…
Until your workplace depends on someone else’s mood, wardrobe, and morning coffee.
Raj? He’s still there.
Last I heard, he now waits before calling in the morning.
Not to check instructions.
But to mentally prepare.
Because in his company, the real job description reads:
“Adaptability: Expert level.
Emotional resilience: Mandatory.
Logic: Optional.”**
If you’ve ever had a boss like that…
You didn’t leave a job.
You escaped a season of a psychological thriller.