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“Today is Friday, so let me wear casuals to work,” Swami thought while having his breakfast. The sun was bright in the sky and Ghatembur had risen to a pleasant Friday. Like most mornings, it was a hurried one for Swami, though being a Friday, it was slower than normal. “There’s nothing new in the news,” he told his wife sipping on his coffee cuppa.
“Why do you read the news everyday if there’s nothing new?” she asked. Swami had enough experience to let such questions go without an answer. He got up and got ready.
“I am leaving,” he told his wife as he stepped out after tying the shoelaces. She shouted back from inside, “Have you put your eyedrops?”
That is when it struck Swami. Things were looking brighter than usual for him this morning. And he had been wondering why. Was it the blurry vision in his eyes again? He let a doubt creep into his mind. In all the hullabaloo over Purno and the fashion couple, it had slipped his mind that he had been advised rest. He put his eyedrops and resolved that today was the day when he would ask Raichand for leave. In fact, he told himself that he will not ask, he will just tell Raichand that he was working from home for a few days. As he took the lift, he asked himself. Why work from home and why a few days? He decided that he will tell Raichand that he is going on leave for the entire next week. Not ask, tell. That was it. And that he didn’t have a choice. It was necessary as per medical advice. And that he had earned the leave balance.
With a surge of such bravado in his mind, Swami entered the battlefield of his office with a war cry. Today is going to be my day, he said to himself. The first thing Swami did after reaching his office was to check his empty calendar and Raichand’s full calendar and fix a meeting for 3 pm. ‘One-on-one discussion’, he named it in his calendar invitation first. But on second thoughts, he changed it to ‘Last week’s discussion continued’. Such a title had a better chance of being accepted by Raichand, he thought. And he was right. He got an acceptance for the meeting within ten minutes with a note that said, “Feel free to walk in earlier.”
Conversations with Raichand, as acrimonious as they tend to be, were never among the pleasures of life that Swami looked forward to. But with this unexpected meeting of minds based on this note, he decided to take advantage of the turn in tide. He had the swagger of a commander who walks into enemy territory to bring about a peace treaty even before the battle has begun. With that braggadocio, he knocked on Raichand’s room.
“Can we meet now?” He asked, adding, “in case you have fifteen minutes?”
“Can you give me ten minutes? Just in the middle of something,” Raichand said without looking up from his laptop.
“Sure, I will come back then,” Swami confirmed.
Damp squib, he thought. For all that talk of feel free to walk in earlier. He decided that he will not go back. Does my time have no value? Ten minutes became twenty, and twenty became forty. Forty became sixty. Swami felt like the water in the geyser that gets heated for a bath, and then someone switches the geyser off, and it turns cold again. That water has every right to complain, he felt. Why not me then? So, when Raichand came out after ninety minutes and called him, Swami gave him a stony glance.
“These agencies we hire are such idiots.” Raichand kicked up a fuss about project vendors. “We pay them for work, but they behave as if they are the ones doing us a favour.” He was still engrossed in doing something on his laptop. He cast a cursory glance at Swami.
Swami pretended to look at the vase on Raichand’s desk. He swallowed discreetly to overcome a momentary urge to pick that vase up and hit Raichand on his head. While the vase broke on Raichand’s imaginary head, Swami’s real ears heard Raichand say, “We spend tons on these agencies and get zilch in return. You know that I hold a budget to spend crores, right?”
“Of course, I know, Sir,” Swami said. And then thought, not only do you hold it, you also hold on to it. If only you released some of it, I would be ready to retire by now, Swami said to himself. The real vase came back to haunt Swami’s imagination again with more destructive possibilities on Raichand.
“We have to ensure every paisa we spend is worth it, Swami,” he said.
“Yes, Sir,” Swami warped into his slimy, obsequious mode at the first hint.
“We must keep a watch on how our vendors work. We must be relentless in checking if they are giving us our money’s worth.”
“Absolutely, Sir.”
“Money doesn’t grow on trees, right?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Yes?”
“I meant absolutely not, Sir.”
“Very good. Let me not keep you waiting any longer. Tell me how can I help you?”
The hollow pretence of this rich, self-indulgent brat. That was Swami’s first thought before he gathered himself. But he reminded himself of the meeting’s purpose. Stay focused on your leave, Swami reminded himself. The start wasn’t good though.
“Well, I…err…was thinking…umm…” Swami clenched his teeth while speaking. All the swagger of the peace warrior had flattened out. Raichand waited. He glared at Swami. “Of course, only if it’s possible…and if you agree…” Swami mumbled.
“See, Swami. Be straight. Like me. Don’t hold anything back. I want my people to be bold.”
Well, Swami had intended to be straight. His intention had been to be boldness personified in this meeting. But his voice choked in his throat and didn’t come up any further up than that.
“Well, yes, Sir. I was wondering if I could, you know, next week…perhaps…um…if the business allows it…”
“When will you grow up, Swami? People are going places just with confidence. See here, my batchmate from business school – look here…” Raichand erupted out of the blue and pointed to someone on his laptop. Swami peeped into it dutifully. “He got funding recently for his start-up in the US. Ten million dollars with just an idea and loads of ambition and confidence.” Then he pointed at another person. “And this guy is speaking at this global conference next week. Look at their big dreams. And their confidence.” He looked up from the laptop at Swami. “And you can’t speak your heart even to me, someone who understands you so well?” Raichand admonished Swami.
“I was going to…err…but was only wondering…if you give me some time…”
“Again, ifs and buts. What are you saying?”
“Yes..see. What I am trying to say is…”
“Don’t try. Say it.”
Swami picked a glass of water and gulped it down his dry throat. He breathed a few deep breaths. The tyre of his war march had been flattened by the onslaught of aggressive punching by this bully.
“Well…what I wanted to say…was that…actually, next week…”
“Swami, just sit down and relax,” Raichand put a hand on his shoulder. “I think you are under a lot of stress.”
“No, Sir.”
“I can see sweat on your brow.”
“It’s because the AC is off, Sir.”
“No, look. I can see it. I hope last week’s appraisal meeting didn’t cause it.”
“No, Sir. I am fine, Sir. “
“So, you mean to say that I am wrong?”
“No, Sir, but I mean to say…”
“Don’t mean to say anything, Swami.”
“Okay, Sir.”
“I understand my employees very well.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“And I know you are under tremendous stress. Sometimes I can be demanding. I can see that.”
“Okay, Sir.”
“So, I have a suggestion.”
“What, Sir?”
“Please take the next week off.”
“What, Sir?”
“See – I see worry again. You are tense. Don’t worry so much about work. Someone else will handle it.”
“Okay, Sir.”
“Not just okay. I want wholehearted agreement. No working from home. No nothing. Just a few days off, okay?”
“Okay sure, Sir.”
“Just finish the evaluation of the new agencies I have shortlisted today. And email me your report before you leave. Is that okay?”
“Sure, Sir.”
“And I want you to apply for leave before you go home today, alright? I don’t want to see you in the office next week. And this is an order.”
“Yes, Sir. Sure, Sir.”
“Alright good. Now I feel good. Now get back to work.”
“Sure, Sir.”
“And by the way, don’t worry about whatever you wanted to discuss. We will have our discussion after you are back when you are more relaxed. Okay?”
“Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir.”
Swami stepped out of Raichand’s cabin wiping the sweat on his brow. The meeting didn’t go as planned. But the outcome was better than expected. He smiled to himself when he was at his desk. Things indeed looked bright, even though it was evening. And he was certain that it wasn’t due to his eyes. Jigneshbhai was right. A set of ‘Yes Sirs’ and ‘Okay Sirs’ for a good appraisal and a week’s leave wasn’t such a bad deal. He was a lucky man, Swami thought while emailing the agency evaluation report. Isn’t that feeling called joie de vivre? When you have inexplicable gaiety in your demeanour and a glowing sparkle on your face? That is what Swami had after applying for his leave and stepping out of his office that Friday evening.
Excerpted from the book “Give Me a Break” by Ranjit Kulkarni. Available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback. Follow Ranjit Kulkarni on his Amazon Author Page to hear about his latest books and get updates from his blog.