Anil didn’t answer. He just laughed. The sadistic laugh of seeing a fish out of
water gasp for life. ‘What happened? HR screwed up?’ Anil said. His phone rang
again. The secretary confirmed business class and a BMW pickup at the airport.
Anil asked her to make sure it is a 5-series at least.
‘Remember the Tata Tea deal we did with BankAm? I came back with that idiot
MD from BankAm and the car company sends me a Toyota and a 5-series for him.
Can you imagine what I went through?’ Anil emphasized again. The secretary
confirmed she wouldn’t make him slum it in a car that cost less than an
apartment. Calmness spread in the room as Anil’s mood improved.
‘Where was i?’ Anil said and looked at me. He laughed again. ‘Which college
are you from?’
‘IIMA,’ I said.
‘Salute, sir,’ Anil said and mock-saluted me.
I didn’t brag about my college, you asshole, I wanted to say. He got the name out
of me.
‘I went to IIMC. I was on the waitlist for IIMA but they never called me. I guess I
am not as smart as you,’ Anil said.
I had no clue how to answer that question. Another trainee in the room was
from IIMC and he introduced himself. They hi-fived before Anil turned to me
again.
‘But who cares, I became the country manager and many of your IIMA seniors
didn’t,’ Anil said and winked at me.
Obviously you still care, you obnoxious, insecure prick, I said to myself even as I
smiled. What would life be without mental dialogue.
‘So, you had the idea of selling Internet stocks to housewives?’ Anil asked
after he touched down from his gloat-flight. ‘And Bala, you didn’t stop him.’
‘Sir, I always try to encourage young talent. Plus, IIMA, I thought he’d know,’
Bala said, picking on Anil’s resentment against my bluest of the blue-blooded
institute.
‘IIMA, yeah right,’ Anil said. ‘You have cost the bank more business than you
can ever make back in five years.’
nora
(Nora)
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