ONE NIGHT (28 page)

your best, and every now and then, I will come behind to give you a bonus

push. But is has to begin with you. For otherwise I can’t distinguish who needs

my help most.’

‘Point,’ Vroom said.

‘So, if I listen to my inner call and promise to do my best, will you be

there for me?’ I said.

‘Absolutely. But, I have to go now. Someone else needs no reach me,’

God said.

‘Wait! Hel us get us out of this pit first,’ Esha said.

‘Oh yes, of course. I have to help you out of this pit,’ God said. ‘Okay,

Vroom, you are balancing on a few rods now. There are two tricks to get out

from such a situation.’

‘What’s that/’

‘One, remember the reverse gear. And two, make friends with the rods

—do not fight them. Use the rod as rail tracks and the rods will guise you out.

Shake things around, and you will fall right through.’

Vroom stuck his neck out of the window. ‘But these steel construction

rods are as thin s my fingers. How do we bunch them up?’

‘Tie then,’ God said.

‘How?’ Vroom said.

‘Do I need to tell you everything?’ God said.

‘Dupatta. Use my dupatta,’ Priyanka said.

‘Here, I have this half kn9itted scarf in my handbag too,’ Radhika said.

‘I think you can take from here. Bye now. Remember, I am inside you

when you need me,’ God said.

‘Huh?’ Vroom said and looked at the phone.

‘Bye God,’ the girls said one after the other.

‘Bye everyone,’ God said and disconnected the call. I waved the phone

goodbye in reflex. Silence fell on us.

‘What. Was. That?’ Priyanka said.

‘I don’t know. Can I have the dupattas please,’ Vroom said. ‘Military

Uncle, can you open the rear door and tie up the rods under the wheel. Tear

up the dupatta if you want to.’

Priyanka flinched for a second at the last line, but that was the last we

saw of her dupatta and Radhika’s half-scarf. Vroom and Military Uncle tied up

the rods right under the wheel for the Qualis to do its ten-foot journey to

reach firm ground. Several times they bent over deep and had to look right

into the pit. I was glad I was not the one doing it—I would have died just from

the view.

‘Okay people,’ Vroom sat back on the seat, wiping his hands, ‘hold

tight.’

Vroom started the ignition. The Qualis vibrated, as the rods below us

started quivering again.

‘Vrr...oom…I am…sl…ipp..ing,’ Esha said, trying to grip the handle of the

glove box.

In a nanosecond, Vroom put the Qualis in reverse and drove back. All of

us ducked down, partially so Vroom could see, but mostly in feat.

The Qualis shook as if It was rumbling down a hill. However, we did not

fall. My upper and lower jaws chattered so hard that I thought a couple of

teeth would break loose.

In six second, it was all over. We were out of the pit and on the slushy

mud road again.

‘It’s done. I think I am alive,’ Vroom said with a grin of relief. He turned

around. ‘Did anyone survive?’

#31

Everyone released their breaths together. The girls broke into hugs, and

Vroom reached out and backslapped me so hard I thought I would die of a

broken spinal cord.

Vroom took a U-turn and drove back slowly in first gear until we

reached the highway.

‘We made it,’ Esha said and wiped her tears. Priyanka folded her hands

and prayed a few times.

‘I thought we would die,’ Radhika said.

‘What was that call?’ Esha said.

‘Something very strange—van we make a pact to not talk about it?’ I

said. Everyone nodded, as if I had said exactly what was on their mind. It was

true. The call felt so personal, I did not want to discus it anymore.

‘Whatever it was, we are okay now. And we shall be in office soon,’

Priyanka said.

‘It’s still only 4:40. We are just two kilometers away,’ Vroom said. He

soon regained his confidence and began driving at sixty an hour.

‘I’m just lucky to be alive, I don’t care when we reach,’ Esha said.

‘I do want to reach soon and find out about the layoffs. However, I’m

quitting in any case,’ Vroom said.

‘Yes, enough’s enough,’ Vroom said.

‘I don’t know long-term—maybe get back to journalism. But as an

immediate short-term goal, I’m going to try and save the call center,’ Vroom

said.

‘With you?’ Vroom said, looking back at me.

‘I’m quitting too,’ I said.

‘Really?’ Priyanka’s eyes popped open. She looked at me as if a seven-

year-old had just announced his decision to climb Mt. Everest.

‘Yes, I came close to death in that pit. I could have died there, with

having tried nothing in life. I am tired of soft, comfortable options. It is time

to face the real world, even if it is harder and painful. I’d rather fly and

crash, than just snuggle and sleep.’

Everyone nodded. I was shocked; people were really listening to me for

the first time.

‘Plus, I have made one more promise to myself,’ I said.

‘What?’ Vroom and Priyanka said together.

‘That I am not going to work for an idiot anymore, anywhere. Even if it

means less money. I cold skip a meal a day and sleep hungry, but, hell, I can’t

spend my life working for a moron.’

‘Not bad,’ Vroom said, ‘looks like our team leader-in-waiting just

became wiser.’

‘I don’t know if it is wise or note, but at least I have made a choice. We

will see what happens. For now, I have a short-term goal too.’

‘Like what,’ Vroom said, as he drove with utmost concentration, ‘don’t

tell me it is call documentation and all.’

‘No. I have to take care of Bakshi too. Since we have nothing to lose,

let’s teach him a lesson,’ I said.

Vroom screeched the Qualis to a halt and we all fell forward.

‘Now what?’ I said.

‘Wait. I just had an Eureka moment. I have an idea for fixing Bakshi and

the call center,’ Vroom said.

‘What?’

‘Aha, I like it,’ Vroom said and smiled to himself.

‘What, damn it,’ I said.

He leaned back and whispered something in my ear.

‘No way, I mean how/’ I said.

‘Yes way, I mean how?’ I said.

‘Yes way, I’ll tell you how when we get back. Let’s meet in the WASG

conference room,’ he said and pressed the accelerator hard as we made the

final stretch to reach the call center. We entered the Connexions main gate at

4:45 a.m. We passed Bakshi’s car again.

‘Want to bump it. Should we give it a nasty dent?’ I said to Vroom.

‘The thought crossed my mind,’ Vroom said and let out a sigh, ‘but I

love all automobiles too much to hurt them. This Lancer is already suffering

under Bakshi. Don’t worry, we will deal with him inside.

Vroom took the Qualis to the parking lot. Our driver was sleeping in

another vehicle, so we quietly parked the Qualis next to him. We wanted to

give him a few more hours of rest before he saw his mud-coated vehicle.

‘People, let’s go, 4:46,’ Vroom said and jumped out of the car.

At our desk, I saw an A4-sized sheet stuck on my monitor with big bold

letters scrawled on it.

‘Check this out,’ I said . It was Bakshi’s writing.

WHERE IS EVERYONE? PLEASE CALL/REPORT TO MY OFFICE

ASAP. WHERE ARE MY BOARD MEETING AGENDA COPIES?

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE XEROX MACHINE? AGENT

VICTOR’S MONITOR?

Vroom looked at the notice and laughed. ‘Whatever. He’ll get hi

answers. But first, he will answer us. Guys, conference room first,’ vroom

said.

We went inside the conference room and Vroom bolted the door.

‘Guys, sorry to sound like the MBA types, but I think in the next few

hours we have a three-point agenda. One, to save this call center. And two, to

teach Bakshi a lesson. Agreed?’

‘What’s the third point?’ Radhika said.

‘That’s between me and Shyam. It’s private. Okay, listen…’

And that is where Vroom revealed his plan to a) save the call center and

b) take care of Bakshi. All of us jumped in our seats when we first heard it.

Slowly, Vroom convinced us. Between laughter and intense concentration,

everyone pooled in to refine the plan further. We concluded our meeting at

5:100 a.m. and came out of the WASG conference room.

‘All set?’ Vroom said.

‘Of course,’ all of us said in unison.

‘Good. Step 1: Getting Bakshi out of his office,’ Vroom said. ‘Esha, you

ready?’

‘Yes,’ Esha said and winked at us.

She picked up the phone, dialed Bakshi’s number and took on the voice

of an older woman.

‘Sir, this is Elina calling from the main bay. Sir, there is a call for you

from Boston I think,’ Esha said. In a dumb-but-conscientious secretarial tone.

‘No sir, I can’t seem to transfer it… Sir, I tried that, but the line does

not go through… Sir, I am a new assistant here, so I still do not know how the

phones work… Sir, sorry but can you come down sir… Yes sir,’ Esha said and

hung up the phone.

‘Worked?’ I said.

‘Total sucker for anything Boston. He is coming right now. But he’ll only

be out for a few minutes, so let’s rush.’

#32

As expected, Bakshi’s office was empty when we got there. Vroom went

straight to Bakshi’s computer and opened his email.

Radhika, Priyanka and I sat as Bakshi’s conference table.

‘Hurry,’ Radhika said and kept one eye on the door.

‘Just one more minute,’ Vroom said as he furiously typed on Bakshi’s

keyboard.

I know what we were doing was wrong, but somehow doing this wrong

thing was not associated with ‘real, hard, painful guilt,’ as Esha had put it. In

fact, it felt good. Once he had finished, Vroom printed several copies on

Bakshi’s printer.

‘Five copies,’ he said, ‘one for each of us. Fold it and keep is safe.’

I folded my copy and put in my shirt pocket.

Bakshi arrived twenty seconds later.

‘Can’t believe we have such outdated telephone systems,’ Bakshi was

talking to himself as he came into his office. He noticed us at the conference

table.

‘There you guys are. Where were all of you? And what happened to the

Xerox machine and agent Victor’s monitor?’ Bakshi said. He wrapped his arms

around like middle and looked at each of us in quick succession.

‘Sit down for a second, will you Bakshi?’ Vroom said, patting a chair

next to him.

‘What/’ Bakshi said, shocked at Vroom referring to him by his name. You

should learn how to address seniors…’

‘Whatever Bakshi,’ Vroom said and put his feet up on Bakshi’s meeting

table.

‘Agent Victor, what did you say and what exactly do you think you are

doing/’ Bakshi said, still standing.

‘Ahh’ Vroom said, ‘this is so much more comfortable. Why don’t people

always sit like this?’ Vroom crossed his legs on the table.

‘I can’t believe you are misbehaving in times when I have to recommend

rightsizing…’ Bakshi said as Vroom interrupted him again.

‘You are mega fucked Bakshi..’ Vroom interrupted him.

‘Excuse me/ what did you just say Agent Victor?’

‘So you are not only dumb, but deaf too. Didn’t you hear him?’ Esha

said, trying hard to suppress a smile.

‘What the hell is going on here?’ Bakshi said and looked at me blankly

like I was a renowned interpreter of nonsense.

Vroom pushed a printout towards Bakshi.

‘What’s this?’ Bakshi said.

‘Read it. They taught you how to read in the MBA course, right?’ Vroom

said.

The email read as follows:

From: Subhash Bakshi

To: Esha Singh

Sent: 5.04 am

Subject: Just one night

Dear Esha,

Don’t be upset. My offer is simple-just spend one night with

me. You make ma happy –I’ll save your you from the right-

sizing. My pleasure for you security–I think it is a fair deal.

And who knows, you might enjoy it too. Let me know your

decision soon.

Your admirer.