‘Has to be five-star,’ Bala said.
‘Who is the top singer of the three?’ I said.
‘Hariharan,’ said one agent.
‘No, it is S.P. Balasubramanium,’ said another.
War broke out between the normally peaceful Tamilians. When it came to
music, they could kill.
‘No match, Hari is no match for SP,’ Madhavi shouted emotionally.
‘Suchitra? You forgot Suchitra?’ another agent said.
Bala stood up. Like all corporate meetings worldwide, even this one had ended
without a conclusion. ‘All I am saying is, we can’t afford to pay this much. The
venue, food and advertising are already costing four lakh,’ Bala said.
‘Advertising?’ I asked.
‘We are giving a half-page ad in The Hindu,’ Bala said.
The agents closed their files to leave.
‘Isn’t it an invitation-only event?’ I said.
‘Exactly, the ad will say so. Only our customers will have the invites. However,
the ad will ensure their friends and relatives feel jealous.’
‘That’s the Citi advantage,’ I said.
‘Exactly.’ Bala patted my back.
‘So, dad’s happy, huh?’ I quizzed Ananya inside the auto.
‘You bet. Dad only talks about the presentation at dinner every day. And now
he’s in Delhi, to make the same presentation in head office. Can you believe it?’
Ananya said.
‘Wow!’ I said as we reached our destination.