Shankar grinned hopefully at his colleague Sadhana as she walked in and placed her bag under her seat. She smiled and waved, making his heart somersault. He waited for her to finish her morning ritual of drinking water before turning to him and narrating some adventure or incident - she found spice and thrill in even the most ordinary, and managed to make it sound exciting enough for Shankar also to want to be a part of it.
Sadhana had joined his company six months ago, bringing some fresh air into Shankar's otherwise dull and boring life. Each passing day strengthened his belief that she was made for him. This evening, he was going to somehow work up the courage to ask her out - not the usual coffee break, but something special.
He was about to get up and go to her when, unexpectedly, she got up and walked to his table, her smile coy. Shankar felt his excitement mounting and an eager yes danced on his tongue, waiting for her to pop the question.
"Shankar, I have some exciting news. My marriage has been fixed! I had to share it with you first!" she said. He heard a tinkling sound and thought that it was his heart breaking.
"Oops! Sorry," she said and bent to pick up the gem clips that had fallen off the table accidentally.
By the time she looked at him again, he managed to smile and congratulate her. She told him about the groom-to-be in agonising detail. What hurt the most was that she never seemed to have cared for him in any special way.
If he hoped for any miracles, he was disappointed for, in the next six months, Sadhana's love for her fiance deepened and she was married to him in a grand celebration. She continued to work, and however much Shankar hoped, he could make out no evidence of wistful looks or disappointed sighs. She was truly and happily married.
Well, he shrugged, and decided to turn his attention to work and nodding whenever his parents decided to present a suitable bride for him. But nothing seemed to be working in that direction. He was made to run from one temple to another to placate gods for some past life sin or maleficient planets that stood in the way of his finding his life partner.
His only opium for this disappointing life was work. He put his heart and soul into it, and looked forward to the annual appraisal. When Ritesh, his boss called him in, he was sure it was to be informed of a promotion. It was due, and it took tremendous self-control not to appear arrogant and over confident.
So when Ritesh started saying, "Shankar, you know that we are going through a very difficult phase... The company has lowered the scale of pay rise..."
Shankar dismissed that light-heartedly. It was expected. He nodded to show he understood. "My promotion...?"
Ritesh looked at him in surprise. "I am sorry, I don't think that's also possible this year! It hasn't been an altogether satisfying year. I mean, not just the company. In fact, there are some things I have to discuss with you..." And the boss launched on a short but incisive list of the shortcomings in Shankar's work - his failed strategies that cost the company dearly and some of the other unexpected problems, none of which were directly Shankar's responsibility but he couldn't deny his role in them. "What about the two large clients I got you?"
"Yes, you did. That's what saved you..." Ritesh replied bluntly.
Shankar stepped out of Ritesh's room in a daze, angered and hurt. He wanted to quit his job right away. He couldn't believe that Ritesh had just spoken to him the way he had! And yet, he should have seen it coming! The company needed a scapegoat and some of the risks Shankar had taken were being used against him now. What irked was, Ritesh had never stopped him from trying some of the new strategies though the sanction was all verbal. And now, he was acting as if only Shankar had to shoulder all the burden. So he was going to be the fall guy!
He went to his seat and buried his face in his hands. "Oh Shankar!" Sadhana's concern jarred on him. He got up abruptly and left without any explanations.
"I want to quit my job," he informed his father on reaching home.
"Have you another in your hand?"
"No! But I am not being appreciated here."
"Your planets are such that wherever you go, it will be worse! That's what the astrologer said the last time I spoke to him. He anticipated this problem and even asked me if you had said anything about politics at work. I didn't mention it to you since I didn't want to cloud your mind. But looks like that man was right," his father revealed grudgingly.
"What did that man say?" Shankar asked, half shocked, half angry.
"That anything you do will not work out the way you expect, will not give the desired result. And people above you will use the first opportunity to blame you..." his father said looking at him with sympathy.
"And? Did he say I should change my job?"
His father shook his head. "No, he said wherever you go, you will face trouble. Best to stick with the known devil..."
Shankar sat back, and wondered. What was he? A mere puppet that the planets played around with! How did a stranger know about his problems before he had even realised it! And if that's all life was about, why was he blaming his boss or allowing that man to blame him!
The anger and disappointment drained from him. As he sat thinking, he realised the mistakes he had made and how he could have saved the situation.
He will not slink away, no. He would persist, prove himself.
"And how long am I supposed to suffer this?" he asked his father
"Look... You don't have to believe everything he says..." his father started but kept silent at the withering look Shankar directed at him. "He said this is the peak period. Things will start looking up but will take some time."
"OK..."
"So what do you intend doing about it?" his father asked apprehensively, not wanting to see his son jobless in addition to being single.
"I will think about it," Shankar said calmly. "I will not quit my job now, you are right, but try in parallel. If things have to look up, obviously they will..."
He felt lighter, realising this was not the end. When he reached office the next morning, he went up to Ritesh and said, "I want to discuss the plans we had made, the ones that didn't work... Do you think we can tweak it?"
Ritesh was unsure why Shankar seemed so cool. But he was happy at the change. "Yes, I have some ideas," he said.
Whether it was the planets, or whether it was Shankar's own level-headedness, next year, he got the best employee award. The only thing still evading him was the girl. "She will also come when the time is ripe," he reassured himself.
Sadhana had joined his company six months ago, bringing some fresh air into Shankar's otherwise dull and boring life. Each passing day strengthened his belief that she was made for him. This evening, he was going to somehow work up the courage to ask her out - not the usual coffee break, but something special.
He was about to get up and go to her when, unexpectedly, she got up and walked to his table, her smile coy. Shankar felt his excitement mounting and an eager yes danced on his tongue, waiting for her to pop the question.
"Shankar, I have some exciting news. My marriage has been fixed! I had to share it with you first!" she said. He heard a tinkling sound and thought that it was his heart breaking.
"Oops! Sorry," she said and bent to pick up the gem clips that had fallen off the table accidentally.
By the time she looked at him again, he managed to smile and congratulate her. She told him about the groom-to-be in agonising detail. What hurt the most was that she never seemed to have cared for him in any special way.
If he hoped for any miracles, he was disappointed for, in the next six months, Sadhana's love for her fiance deepened and she was married to him in a grand celebration. She continued to work, and however much Shankar hoped, he could make out no evidence of wistful looks or disappointed sighs. She was truly and happily married.
Well, he shrugged, and decided to turn his attention to work and nodding whenever his parents decided to present a suitable bride for him. But nothing seemed to be working in that direction. He was made to run from one temple to another to placate gods for some past life sin or maleficient planets that stood in the way of his finding his life partner.
His only opium for this disappointing life was work. He put his heart and soul into it, and looked forward to the annual appraisal. When Ritesh, his boss called him in, he was sure it was to be informed of a promotion. It was due, and it took tremendous self-control not to appear arrogant and over confident.
So when Ritesh started saying, "Shankar, you know that we are going through a very difficult phase... The company has lowered the scale of pay rise..."
Shankar dismissed that light-heartedly. It was expected. He nodded to show he understood. "My promotion...?"
Ritesh looked at him in surprise. "I am sorry, I don't think that's also possible this year! It hasn't been an altogether satisfying year. I mean, not just the company. In fact, there are some things I have to discuss with you..." And the boss launched on a short but incisive list of the shortcomings in Shankar's work - his failed strategies that cost the company dearly and some of the other unexpected problems, none of which were directly Shankar's responsibility but he couldn't deny his role in them. "What about the two large clients I got you?"
"Yes, you did. That's what saved you..." Ritesh replied bluntly.
Shankar stepped out of Ritesh's room in a daze, angered and hurt. He wanted to quit his job right away. He couldn't believe that Ritesh had just spoken to him the way he had! And yet, he should have seen it coming! The company needed a scapegoat and some of the risks Shankar had taken were being used against him now. What irked was, Ritesh had never stopped him from trying some of the new strategies though the sanction was all verbal. And now, he was acting as if only Shankar had to shoulder all the burden. So he was going to be the fall guy!
He went to his seat and buried his face in his hands. "Oh Shankar!" Sadhana's concern jarred on him. He got up abruptly and left without any explanations.
"I want to quit my job," he informed his father on reaching home.
"Have you another in your hand?"
"No! But I am not being appreciated here."
"Your planets are such that wherever you go, it will be worse! That's what the astrologer said the last time I spoke to him. He anticipated this problem and even asked me if you had said anything about politics at work. I didn't mention it to you since I didn't want to cloud your mind. But looks like that man was right," his father revealed grudgingly.
"What did that man say?" Shankar asked, half shocked, half angry.
"That anything you do will not work out the way you expect, will not give the desired result. And people above you will use the first opportunity to blame you..." his father said looking at him with sympathy.
"And? Did he say I should change my job?"
His father shook his head. "No, he said wherever you go, you will face trouble. Best to stick with the known devil..."
Shankar sat back, and wondered. What was he? A mere puppet that the planets played around with! How did a stranger know about his problems before he had even realised it! And if that's all life was about, why was he blaming his boss or allowing that man to blame him!
The anger and disappointment drained from him. As he sat thinking, he realised the mistakes he had made and how he could have saved the situation.
He will not slink away, no. He would persist, prove himself.
"And how long am I supposed to suffer this?" he asked his father
"Look... You don't have to believe everything he says..." his father started but kept silent at the withering look Shankar directed at him. "He said this is the peak period. Things will start looking up but will take some time."
"OK..."
"So what do you intend doing about it?" his father asked apprehensively, not wanting to see his son jobless in addition to being single.
"I will think about it," Shankar said calmly. "I will not quit my job now, you are right, but try in parallel. If things have to look up, obviously they will..."
He felt lighter, realising this was not the end. When he reached office the next morning, he went up to Ritesh and said, "I want to discuss the plans we had made, the ones that didn't work... Do you think we can tweak it?"
Ritesh was unsure why Shankar seemed so cool. But he was happy at the change. "Yes, I have some ideas," he said.
Whether it was the planets, or whether it was Shankar's own level-headedness, next year, he got the best employee award. The only thing still evading him was the girl. "She will also come when the time is ripe," he reassured himself.
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