The fourth season of Cubicles has arrived at a time in my life wherein I have graduated from my IT job six months ago. Yet, the events that transpire here (well, the first half of the show) are eerily similar to what had transpired with me (roughly speaking). Ask any IT employer and they will tell you that it is not the work that leads to their insecurities – it is in fact the external factors whose decisions lie in the hands of a couple of key folks who invariably get to decide the path of the company. And the repercussions are usually felt by the employees lower down in the food chain. Similarly, whilst you are acquainted to Piyush and his team again, there is a nervous energy engulfing the team, particularly with respect to the ongoing merger that would threaten their positions. On the surface of it, things seem to be on ‘auto-pilot’ mode as exclaimed by Piyush in a scene, but deep down, there is anxiety and a sense of uncertainty that his team is grappling with, something that forms the core conflict of the show.

The chronicles are immensely relatable even as the drama remains character-driven, mostly unfolding from the perspective of Piyush. It is needless to say that Piyush has fought many a battle for his team over the past, often willing to find a common ground while opting for a ‘win-win’ situation for both stakeholders concerned. But the levels of vulnerability involved on his journey to the top is quite perceptible, mostly because he is mostly alone at the top. And this is where his skill-set of imbibing the values of his leaders comes into play, in what is a game of morality for Piyush. But at the heart of it, Piyush does understand that it is his team that makes him, something that sees him run into a code tester, or even being the calming influence of his agitated team amidst a rumour of an assessment.

The drama here further accentuates the maturity graph of Piyush who is also prone to making mistakes. Yes, there are times when Piyush is in a state of dilemma, being on the fence with his run ins with the higher management who refrain from making decisions with an emotional core, often restricting themselves to heavy doses of practicality. In a scene, his boss exclaims that if you look at things from the management perspective then things won’t seem that odd. In other words, the position of a team lead is wonderfully explored as being the ‘cheese’ between two slices of bread, or a dodgy mid-management role between two sides that usually aren’t on the same page. Yet, it is the emotional core of Piyush in keeping things simple that helps him sail through. This includes focusing on the resolution of a problem as opposed to being reactionary towards his colleague, or often thinking out of the box to pull his colleague back in his team, while keeping his team intact are few of the examples that Piyush is ready to make a splash in the higher hierarchies of his futuristic roles.

There is a certain amount of sweetness tagged to the drama that allows you to connect with the characters here. This is particularly true given my corporate background, and I can assure you that the one thing that I miss the most isn’t work but the synergy of the team that comes together during a crisis. This attachment is what doubles up as a late conflict amidst the clout of uncertainty for Piyush, that results in a bittersweet ending, something that I have done in my corporate life too. There are plenty of life lessons along the way, while the drama also focuses on the personal dynamics of Piyush in the corporate world, while subtly tapping into his new found love (and you still ask why this drama is relatable to me?). My corporate days are over (having decided to take a career switch as film reviewer) but this show this ensured that I get to relive my bittersweet days with the corporate, all over again!