What comes to your mind when you hear restrooms? Poop and pee, probably? But let me tell you that the workplace restroom is a whole different organism altogether. It is one place where whether you are a boss or a junior, your reach and status are the same which makes you equal. And that makes it one of the most hilarious and entertaining places at work apart from serving the usual purpose. The other day when I was thinking about the things I miss about my office, I couldn’t help but think about those interesting restroom encounters. I couldn’t help but think about the colourful world of workplace restrooms.

Naturally, there are a lot of other things that I miss about life before COVID. I miss dressing up for work. I miss being at work in my own space. For those precious few hours, no one dangled off me. I didn’t have to take care of anyone but me. I miss the commute to the office too. Who would have thought, right? I miss the chai breaks with my friend when we talked about all those people who annoyed us. I miss putting on headphones and working without having to get up every few minutes for cleaning potty or doing something else. I miss the little things I noticed at work and I also really miss the various conversation snippets I got to hear at the office washroom.

I know water cooler conversations are something everybody associates with the office but trust me when I tell you the conversations you hear in the restroom are a whole different level of entertainment altogether. From listening to a wife chastise her husband for not helping her with housework when his parents come visiting, to overhearing two colleagues talk about their boss who happens to be a pain in the arse, the washroom is a kaleidoscope of stories. From noticing the concentration with which someone responds to job openings on call to feeling helpless seeing someone cry, I have seen it all. It’s like a microcosm of the world out there.

The workplace restroom is a whole different organism altogether. It is one place where whether you are a boss or a junior, your reach and status are the same which makes you equal.

You get to hear lovers tiffs and the silly conversations of newly minted lovers. You get to hear negotiations between those recently engaged. It’s like walking into a radio show where you can’t turn off the channel because there is only so much space.

On festivals, you get to see people dressing up, helping their friends. The camaraderie between women who don’t know each other but are only happy to compliment each other is wonderful. There is so much which happens there really.

A restroom is a haven in that floor of desks where you always have to be at your best behaviour. It is a pocket of air in a vacuum. Share on X

On days when there is a fire drill, the washroom is also the place where many hide. It is also the place where one goes to avoid attending townhalls which are a waste of time anyway. Sometimes the washroom is also the place where you make new acquaintances. A sudden compliment for someone’s hair or dress and from there on every time you meet, there is an acknowledgement of the other. Precious, I tell you.

Then the restroom is also the place where you go to have secret conversations with your colleagues or share gossips. It is also the place where you overhear someone talk about how she finally stood up to the bully in her team. You feel proud even though you don’t tell her that because you don’t know her.

It is also the place where you go when you get overwhelmed with emotions. Things happen, arguments happen so when you don’t want anyone else to see how shaken you are, it’s the restroom you run to for some alone time.

It is the place where you walk into every morning to get ready to tackle the day ahead. It is sometimes also the place where you find yourself invariably walking into after hours at the desk even though you don’t need to go. It is the place of those secret phone calls and sometimes naughty messages.

But there is a silent and implied covenant to restroom conversations. What is said in the restroom, remains in the restroom. You can talk about it in a blog but not with any references to anyone. I made that up but you get the point, right? It’s that one place at work where you can be watched without actually being watched. It is a haven in that floor of desks where you always have to be at your best behaviour. It is a pocket of air in a vacuum. Yes, that’s what it is.

Restrooms are emotional stressbusters. It is a place where you can talk about anything and everything and it would all stay hidden behind the sound of a toilet being flushed.

Of course, I speak about women’s restrooms here. So, yes, I miss the world of the office restrooms. It is a living breathing organism in itself. Don’t you agree?