The mystery of the disappearing things

I often think there is a chor bazaar style flea market operating in my city and some of my colleagues moonlight as blackmarketers. How else would you explain the fact that we have no scissors or tape or staplers easily available? The only ones you can find are tethered by sutli threads or plastic extensions to tables and drawers. But that isn't always a guarantee against theft as one of my colleagues found out. He reached for his stapler and found only thread!

Pencils, erasers, pens and post-it notepads all disappear with alarming regularity. Mostly people are too lazy to go to the supply closet or ask the office assistant for something they need. Why take the trouble when it's easier to pick stuff from someone's desk and then have the temerity to tell others to go take another one! After I've lost some personal decorative pieces, found my pencil holder emptied of all its contents, and post-its (that I brand so that I know they are mine) floating around, I've kept everything under lock and key. Even tissue boxes are not safe. I've stuck mine to my desk with tape and double tape. Some jokers take the last one but leave the box for me to throw!

Things are so bad that food from the fridge disappears as well. Anything you keep in the fridge is treated like public property. Like it's a magical box that fills up on its own! I've had my sandwiches eaten, juices drunk and once (hold your breath) my lunch box (the entire thing food and all) just disappeared. Two years later I still haven't found it! You've eaten my food but return my box please. My lunch box now comes with my name tagged on it (much like how school kids would do). I thought I was the only one, till I noticed another colleague who also tagged her fruit boxes. Another guy leaves a threatening message that goes: This is my food, not yours. Anyone who touches it, will die a thousand deaths.