Devil in Pinstripes (13 page)

‘Of course Hari,’ Suzanna retorted and Hari smiled. This cut short his thoughts and he followed Hari.

‘Hey Gowri!’ Hari said as soon as he entered the room.

‘Morning Hari.’

‘Hi!’ He greeted Amit, but didn’t say anything else, because he didn’t know him. That was only a façade, because the moment Hari and Amit had left Manish Kakkar’s cabin, Gowri had called him and taken a detailed information download.

‘Hi! Amit Sharma.’ Amit introduced himself to Gowri.

‘Oh, Amit? Yes, yes . . . I remember. How are you Amit? Chanda often keeps mentioning you. I should have connected when I saw you. Come. Come on in. Grab a seat.’

Amit looked around. It was the most lavish of all the cabins. The table was exquisite and made of teak. It almost looked princely. The wooden coat hanger on the right added style to the room. A large painting by some unknown painter hung right behind Gowri – a scene where the sun was behind the mountains. Orange sky, birds flying in clusters. The only thing he couldn’t tell because he wasn’t sure, was whether, it was a rising sun or a setting sun.
Only time will tell
, said the interior monologue as he rested his back against the sofa and almost immediately felt the royal touch of leather. This was clearly the most regally anointed room in the entire company . . . maybe even in the entire NYB group in India.

Hari was with them for a while and then left citing the excuse of another appointment to catch up with. There were only the two of them in the room.

‘So Amit, I believe you are coming in place of Chander.’

‘That’s what I am told.’ There was something in the tone that he didn’t like. So he responded equally arrogantly.

‘Oh ya . . . he is going.
Shaayad jaane ke liye kaha hai humne.
’ His eyebrows were raised and seemed to convey a mischievous intent. He was implying that Chander had been asked to leave. Amit knew that such was not the case, else Aditya would have told him.

‘Hmmm . . . but why? He seems to be such a nice guy. Experienced hai.
Bahut saal kaam kiya hai.
’ He played along.

‘I agree. But you know, he doesn’t know how to deal with people.
Uske log khush nahin the
. His people were not happy you see. They went and complained about him. Numbers were also not happening. Someone has to take accountability na. How long can I keep helping him deliver his numbers? And if I am helping him to do his numbers . . . shouldn’t I get the credit? No free lunches you see.’

. . . Aaah there lies the problem. Non-delivery of numbers. Hopefully that would not be a problem with him. But wasn’t the channel controlled by Gowri?
If numbers didn’t happen shouldn’t Gowri also take the blame? Or was it that Gowri manipulated the channels to underperform and transferred the blame of underperformance to Chander . . . hmm. Interesting times ahead. Get set for the battle.
All this while, Gowri continued speaking.

‘You don’t worry. I will help you out with the numbers. As long as I am there, you can relax.’

Amit didn’t like this statement of Gowri. This is precisely what he didn’t want to do. He would rather take control of his sales channels which were under Gowri and his branch managers and deliver on his numbers himself. He couldn’t rely on Gowri to meet his targets. That would be committing professional hara kiri. Something which Chander and even Shabnam did.

After a few moments of disputed pleasantries—disputed because Amit was not too sure if they were pleasantries at all—he came out of the meeting, feeling a bit weird. Was the guy trying to help or was he trying to act funny with him. He couldn’t tell. By then Chanda had come in and was waiting for Gowri to be through with the meeting.

‘How are you, stranger?’ she said when she looked at Amit. ‘How’s the first day going?’

‘So far so good,’ he retorted.

‘Let’s do lunch together,’ she said to Amit even as she walked into Gowri’s cabin.

‘Interesting guy,’ he could hear Gowri say to Chanda as the door shut behind them. He walked over to Chander’s room to begin the takeover process from him.

‘Hey, come on friend,’ Chander welcomed him into the room. ‘Welcome to the frying pan!’

Amit just smiled. There was something about this guy which made him very comfortable.

‘Tell me, did they sell you this job or did you ask for this?’

‘They . . . as in?’

‘They . . . the bank, Aditya.’

‘Oh ya . . . actually Aditya asked me to move in here.’

‘I should have guessed. Come let’s start . . .’

Amit was a bit confused at this remark but he didn’t probe. This was only their first meeting and he couldn’t be seen gossiping within minutes of meeting Chander.

Lunch, for Amit and Chanda, was at Mahesh Lunch Home. The restaurant was extremely cramped. The food though was fabulous. What better place to celebrate their first day at work together?

‘How was my boss?’

‘He was behaving as if he was mine,’ joked Amit.

‘Oh, he is arrogant. But good at heart.’

‘That’s not what everyone says.’

‘No, no. I have seen him change. He is quite curt in the beginning. But as he gets to know you, he becomes very friendly. Look at his equation with Manish Kakkar. The story is that he used to hate him. Now he is great pals with Manish.’

‘Let’s see.’ Amit didn’t particularly agree, but deferred to her view.

‘Where are you going to sit? Have you found a place for yourself?’

‘Ya. Hari kind of indicated that I would be sitting in the room to the left of Manish Kakkar.’

‘Oh, that’s where Brad used to sit.’

‘Brad?’

‘You wouldn’t know him. Bradley Pereira. He was the head of strategy. Has now gone to Dubai. Quit NFS.’

‘Ominous seat,’ and they both started laughing.

His first day in the new office, and they were already having a romantic lunch. Neither seemed to mind. They weren’t sure if they would be able to take these liberties later on.

Back in office, Amit got busy with Chander while Chanda got back to her day job. The last he saw of her was when she was striding with her laptop into Gowri’s room along with three others. Towards the end of the day, Manish Kakkar walked into Chander’s room. He was an affable, balding, man. He seemed friendly to Amit when he met him in the morning.

‘Young man, how has your first day been so far?’

‘Good. Quite good. Getting to know things.’

Seeing that Amit’s notebook was shut and Chander was packing to leave, he asked Amit, ‘Chai?’

Amit nodded.

‘
Chal
. Come to my room.’

Amit thanked Chander for his help and followed Manish into his cabin. It was small but nice. Not a patch on Gowri’s lavish expanse of a cabin.

Both of them got into the room, and discussed obscurities of life. Manish was a philosophical man and came across as an honest guy. Amit had liked him instantly, when he had met him in the morning. He also liked his values. If a guy could turn down Jacqueline’s advances, he had to be of a great moral standing.

Chai came. The office boy left two cups on his table. ‘Sugar
mat dalna,
’ Amit told him. The office boy looked at Manish apologetically.

‘Doosri leke aa. Phiki laana,’
Manish dismissed the office boy and asked him to get some tea without sugar.

‘Aur . . . how’s Chanda liking your move?’

‘Oh, she is thrilled. At least there is someone to ferry her to work.’

‘But you have a problem, my friend.’

Amit responded with a blank look.

‘How will you flirt with such good looking women here? It’s a pity if Chanda starts interfering with all this.’ And they started laughing.

‘Slowly . . . slowly . . . careful you fool! Keep it down slowly.’ Their interesting conversation was interrupted by a stern voice. It was of a woman and came from outside the room. Amit turned and looked outside the door. Manish didn’t need to turn, but he too was looking outside the door. Their view was blocked by an office boy carrying a large box.

Manish got up and walked out of the room. ‘Arre Sango. What’s happening?’

‘Nothing Manish. Just getting my stuff shifted.’

‘Where?’

‘I am moving here. Into this cabin.’ She pointed to the cabin on the left of Manish’s room.

‘Then . . . padosan . . . you are my
padosan
.’

‘Yes Manish. Ain’t I blessed to be your neighbour?’ laughed Sangeeta.

‘When did this happen?’

‘This evening, Manish. Gowri called me at around four and asked me to bring in my stuff and move,’ and after a pregnant pause added ‘. . . and I moved.’

‘That’s great. See you. Let me know in case you need anything. After all, if I don’t take care of my padosan, who will?’

‘Thanks Manish!’ Manish didn’t hear her say this because he was already back into the room.

‘Who is she?’ Amit asked him.

‘She is Sangeeta, the branch network head for west. She is rumoured to be moving to head the branch network pan India soon. Gowri’s favourite. That’s probably the reason why she is moving into this room.’

‘Moving into this room? But Hari mentioned to me that I was to move in here.’ Amit was surprised.

‘Is that so? I am sure there is some confusion. Why don’t you clear it out with her? I am sure it can be resolved. Come, let’s ask her.’ Manish got up.

‘No. It’s okay Manish. I think I will ask Hari to fix this. We will be unnecessarily embarrassing Sangeeta.’ Manish agreed.

Amit got up and walked towards Hari’s cabin. Karen was there working on her PC.

‘Is Hari in?’ Might as well clear the confusion then and there.

‘No. He has left. He has a flight to catch. Going to Chennai. Will be back in Mumbai tomorrow evening and in office the day after.’

‘Okay, thanks,’ and he made his way out. He glanced at Chander’s room to see if he was there, but he too had left.

He went down to the Mezz floor where Chanda was waiting. Seeing him, she too packed up and they left.

‘Coffee?’ asked Amit as they crossed Prabhadevi on their way to Bandra. Chanda nodded.

Amit parked his car in the side lane, bang opposite Siddhi Vinayak Temple and they stepped into the Café Coffee Day outlet for some caffeine and a quick bite.

As they entered the coffee shop, Amit turned, looked behind at the massive temple and bowed his head; his hand rose to his heart and he stood still for a while, as if thanking God for all that he had done for him till date. That done, he walked to the table which Chanda had occupied and made himself comfortable on the quasi steel, quasi plastic chair. Chanda had ordered a cappuccino for herself and a macchiato for him.

‘Praying to God?’

‘Thanking him for having given me the job of chauffeuring you to and from home,’ he smiled.

They started talking about work and the life in office, people, about Hari, Manish, Chander and Gowri. Amit had heard about all of them but had met them for the first time today.

‘So when are you moving into your cabin?’ It was special for them because in NYB, he always had a largish cubicle but never a cabin to himself. The pride in his voice when he had told her about the cabin, earlier in the day while having lunch was enormous. She was giving him an ego boost by asking him about his new cabin.

‘There seems to be a small issue. Will iron it out tomorrow.’

‘What?’

‘Somebody else has moved into that cabin.’

‘How? Why? There is nobody else of your seniority.’

‘Sangeeta has moved in.’

‘What?’ Chanda was surprised. ‘That bitch. But why? Didn’t you tell her that it was committed to you?’

‘No point speaking to her. I will speak to Gowri and fix it. Gowri asked her to move in. He obviously did not know that I have been asked to move in. Tomorrow morning, I will tell him and he will get it vacated.’

‘That bitch. She always creates problems for everyone.’ Chanda hated her.

‘But why blame her? Gowri told her today to move and she moved. What could be her . . .’

‘Wait a minute. Wait a minute.’ Chanda didn’t wait for him to complete and interjected abruptly. ‘You said Gowri told her today to take that cabin. How do you know?’

‘Oh, I overheard Manish speaking to her. She mentioned to him that Gowri told her at around 4 p.m. this evening.’

‘What? Are you sure?’

‘That’s what she said baba. Gowri wouldn’t have known. I will tell him tomorrow and it will be sorted.’

‘Bullshit!’ She was screaming now. The whole coffee shop, though scarcely populated was looking in their direction. She could see through this.

‘Bullshit!’ this time the volume was lower. ‘Gowri knew about it!’

‘How could he Chanda? Hari told me in the morning and then he left for Chennai.’

‘Because I told him, Amit! I told him! After lunch when I had come up to discuss tomorrow’s presentation, he was commenting about you and I casually mentioned to him that now I will have to serve two masters on the corporate floor. One you, who will be in the cabin to the left of Manish Kakkar and one him in the cabin to the right of Kakkar. He laughed when I said this and even asked if you had been told about the move into the cabin. That bastard! I wish I could . . . I could . . .’ She couldn’t complete the sentence She was too furious and excited.

The sequence of events now panned out in front of Amit – very clearly, and unambiguously. Chanda had mentioned to Gowri about Amit moving into the room on the corporate floor. Gowri was not too happy about it. He looked down upon people seconded from NYB. After Hari had left, he had called Sangeeta and asked her to move into the cabin. This would ensure that Amit does not get a cabin and would have to wait till Chander moves. Post that, Amit would get Chander’s room. Till then he would only have to face embarrassment. What a master schemer! He had worked out a brilliant plan to humiliate Amit and establish his supremacy in the organisation. It was very easy for anyone to be flustered when faced with such a situation particularly in a new organisation.