Corporate Love Stories

Corporate love stories

Relax Relax! You read lot many articles here. Now, it is time to freshen up your mind. However, within the theme of the blog, corporate love stories. Stories are stories, fiction, do not relate with anything else.

SOFT CHEATING

‘Hi, Sarika; are you going to Noida today ‘.

Sarika responded to Subhra in return, ‘Why?’

Subhra explained the reason, ‘Just asking? If you can drop me near INA market. I need to go there to meet one of my friends.’

‘It’s fine, just come with me. I shall…’ Sarika responded indifferently.

The discussion was going on in a corporate office at Connaught Place, New Delhi. Subhra joined there recently as a business head. Sarika, a marketing expert had been working there for a long time and was reasonably popular in the organisation because of her charming nature and efficient work.

One Hour Later:

‘Oh! See, we reached ‘South Extension’. I’m supposed to get down at INA’, Subhra suddenly uttered.

Sarika pushes the brake paddle and parks the car beside the metro station, ‘Sorry Subhra, my apology, I just forgot as we were so engaged talking to each other. Should I drop you back at INA.’

‘No, not required, thanks!  I shall take the metro. It is only a few stations from here, bye’, Subhra waved his hand and walked toward the metro station.

One Year Later:

Sarika and Subhra are not unknown to each other now. They are most trustworthy to each other, and frunk as often help each other out of the way. People believe that they are in love.

One more discussion, at the same office, with the same characters, and the same topic.

Subhra, ‘can you recall that when I joined, within a few days you gave me a lift for INA?’

Sarika told with a smile, ‘not INA boss. I dropped you at ‘South-Extension’. Your memory is too short.’

‘Yes, yes. That is what I am saying. However, do you know that I was enjoying talking to you so much that knowingly I passed INA, AIIMS and did not tell you to stop the car?’, Subhra laughed.

‘Do you think, as I was driving the car, even then I did not notice where we were…then guess why I did not stop the car at INA?’, Sarika gazed meaningfully at Subhra.

Subhra, ‘then you shall be surprised to know that I have had no plan to go to INA to meet any friend that day.  I just wanted to spend some intimate time with my most important colleague. So, I created the drama. When you dropped me at ‘South-Extension’ I took an Ola and came back to the office for some urgent work.’

‘Oh! You never told this to me earlier, my dear cheater’, Sarika replied, ‘Then I can give you one more surprise my dear khados boss. That day I had no plan to go to Noida.  Rather I am supposed to go to Punjabi Bagh in my mother’s house, which is just the opposite side from our office location. So, I took a U-Turn from the next crossing after I dropped you. Guess Why?’

—o—

 

FOOLS ARE BEAUTIFUL

While the majority of people are enjoying the new year with family, Nikhil and Shila are busy preparing their business presentations alone. The reason behind it is, Nikhil the National Manager of Beautix Inc, a global company known for its cosmetic products needs to attend the review meeting with the global team through Zoom within a few days.

Beautix started its operation in India around three years before appointing Nikhil as country head and handing over the entire responsibility of setting up an office, appointing the right team, setting up distribution channels and to hit the business number as per the plan and expectations.  Nikhil had a good experience of working for a similar organisation as a mid-level manager, but the new position and salary were so attractive that Nikhil did not think twice to accept the challenge. The business also started rolling in the right direction. About a year and a half before Nikhil took a few big challenges.  Taken this good office in Gurgaon in a very expensive business tower. Nikhil convinces the management that they should have a good office to attract quality people and good distributors for establishing the brand in India. Also fulfilled several positions in sales and marketing which by then were mostly handled by Nikhil only.  John, who is his boss, did not agree initially to approve such major expenses but Nikhil somehow convinced him by giving a good business projection.

Nikhil appointed Shila about six months before as a second in common. Shila takes care of the entire sales and marketing. Nikhil can recall that he made up his mind to appoint Shila in his first interaction with her in a very profound Beauty-Product Shop in CP. Both were there to fight for the eye-level row of that shops using their all sales tricks and showcasing benefits to the owner that include additional discounts also. Somehow Nikhil won the deal, but he liked the way Shila was presenting her case. After that, both went to a nearby coffee shop which Nikhil proposed to Shila. Because Nikhil believes competition is a mind game and personal relations should not be affected by professional conflicts.

In the very first meeting, Nikhil proposed to Shila to Join his company. Shila was working in a bigger organisation but that was not the only reason not to accept the offer and resign from the present organisation where she was working for six years with good success as such a very stable job.  However, ultimately accepted the proposal and for that, Nikhil had to pay a little higher price.

Later when they were quite close to each other, Nikhil understood why a stable job was important for Shila. Because she is the only good earner in her family and takes care of her widow mother, and a disabled brother as her husband does not earn well as run a small business. She also had two little kids whose future completely depended on Shila’s earnings. Nikhil started respecting her knowing her challenges. She never takes her personal challenges as an excuse but is always highly engaged in her work, spends sufficient time for the company, travels as much required as well as started bringing success. Nikhil was happy that Inspite of higher expenses he recruited the right manager.

It was Monday. Nikhil was in his cabin with the global team through a video conference. Shila was impatient outside and frequently looked at him through the glass door because of tension about what is going to be the outcome of the meeting. The future of many employees and the organisation depends a lot on this meeting as they got hints through emails that due to lesser business than expected, John can dismiss few employees especially the expensive people in the organisation.

When the meeting was over Shila rushed to Nikhil’s Cabin and realised that the meeting did not go well watching his face as by now Shila understands Nikhil more than she understands herself.  Shila knows that as a very genuine person Nikhil cannot pretend and every feeling Shila can read in his face.

Shila asked, ‘What happened boss. Looks like the meeting did not go well’.

Nikhil smiled and said, ‘Yes. Number matters.’

‘What John told’, Shila asked with anxiety.

‘Nothing unique, same what I expected,’ Nikhil took a long breath.

Shila asked, ‘Tell me naa, what they told. Did they suggest any hard action?’.

Nikhil smiled and said, ‘Nothing great. I know how to manage. Let me to think.’

What Nikhil did not say was that John suggested serious cost-cutting to match business volume. The first action John suggested was to get rid of a few employees where the first name is Shila. Nikhil suggested to submit his resignation as he draws the salary which is more than several of his subordinates. However, John did not accept it as no one wants to leave such an efficient employee.

Shila went out as Nikhil suggested to be alone to think.

Nikhil murmured, ‘Oh my god!’.

The situation became normal. None of the employees realised what was going on inside Nikhil.

A fortnight later Shila got a call from John, ‘Hi Shila. There is some good news for you. Can you handle the country’s operation? Shila was surprised, ‘but John, What about Nikhil?’.

John said with a bitter voice, ‘We had to take some disciplinary action against Nikhil as he broke the compliance. The company asked him to resign.

Shila asked, ‘What he did? As I have never seen an honest and better person than Nikhil. Even if God says something wrong about him, I am not going to believe.’

John said, ‘I too was with this impression, but we have some clean documentary proof. Nikhil accepted the fault so nothing more we need to investigate. I also had a lot of soft corners about Nikhil, but compliance is compliance. No one can do anything.’

‘But what is that’, Shila became impatient.

‘I cannot tell you in detail now. Nikhil already submitted his resignation. And today we are sending you the promotion letter’, John congratulated and disconnected the phone.

Shila cried when the next day she had to take charge of the position where Nikhil was till yesterday.

Shila calls Nikhil frequently. But Nikhil was very silent about what happened, Rather used to suggest to Shila what the things she needed to do to grow the business and manage administration well.

John came to India for the first quarter review. Shila was not afraid as the company reduced the target and Shila achieved it well.

Shila asked, ‘John, can you tell me now at least what was the issue where you feel Nikhil broke the compliance?

John opened a mail in his laptop. The mail was written by Nikhil to a distributor to pay a bribe to a government official. And this can be a most serious compliance issue. The distributor forwarded the mail to the Beautix compliance team.

‘John, I do not believe Nikhil wrote this mail. He simply cannot do it as I know him’, Why you did not check the authenticity of the mail?’, Shila almost shouted ignoring the office decorum.

John said, ’Yes, I also did not want to believe and was going to suggest a cyber inspection. However, when I asked Nikhil about it, he accepted and said it was his mistake only’.

John continued, ‘How you can think I can do something wrong. You may not know Nikhil wanted to resign after the annual review. But I just did not accept it rather gave him some increment also. Rather I am supposed to take few jobs and you were one of them as management decided for India.’

‘Anyway, whatever happened is for god, I am taking it like that, several people saved their job, and you also got a promotion’, John tried to laugh loudly.

Shila went into deep thought. Nikhil suggested distributor to pay a bribe! That too a super FCPA expert like Nikhil sent the request by mail and the distributor forwarded it to the ethical team! And the distributor who admires Nikhil more than anyone. Haziness disappearing from the eyes of Shila. She can see Nikhil more closely than she was earlier. Some people are so foolish, that they only make the world so beautiful.

—o—