When Love Becomes Blind in office!!

After completing MBA from a local college in Trivandrum, Ramakrishna Pisharadi joined HR of an established company only to answer his nasty relatives who pester him with questions like “Will I ever see a text message in your phone stating that your salary is credited?, When are you getting us a family dinner after your first salary?, When are you getting Married? etc.” right from the day he finished his college. A very sober guy by his nature, Ramakrishna always wanted to lead a peaceful life without a job, following his father’s footsteps as many of us dreamt about. By the way his father is the manager of his mother’s rubber estate and heads a team of 2 children of his own.

But to his dismay he got into an team where peace is a distant dream, where peers compete to escalate peers, boss compete with other bosses to bully subordinates and big boss is a slave driving psycho. Asking for leave is like asking for boss’s daughter for a date, weeks don’t end for the team members as everyone is provided with a laptop and will have to oblige the unrealistic targets set by big boss. Though it is named as The BS Team, i.e., The Business Support team, members brand themselves as part of The BullS#it Team.

On his induction, Ramakrishna Pisharadi got his nick name as RP and was very happy about it. Thus RP finished his induction and went ahead to meet his manager the next day. RP’s manager has been with the organisation for 3 years and will continue for another 30 years. Jobish Abraham is his name which his team mates unofficially call as snobbish Abraham. RP went to his cabin and saw him discussing with a team member on compensatory leave.

Jobish: Why did you apply for a comp off for working on August 15, 2016?

Team Member: It was Independence day, national holiday.

Jobish: Who do you think are working for? Do you work for Indian clients? You work for the US. They don’t have Independence Day on August 15th. You can apply for comp off on US Independence day, July 4th next year which is a Sunday.

Team Member: But I live in India.

Jobish: you get paid from the US. Tell me if India or the US is more important for you?

Team Member: US Jobish and I’m a US citizen by profession. Thank you.

Jobish shrugs him off with a scornful smile and RP made an entry to his cabin. RP was well groomed and neatly dressed up. Jobish started his conversation with RP by:

Jobish: Are you the new guy to our housekeeping team?

In a terrible voice, RP replied

RP: “Are you managing the house keeping team? I’m a new member to your team”

Jobish though felt immensely offended, but did not exhibit it, instead took him to introduce his team members. RP understood that all his peers are snobs as no one even smiles to him and offered him cold handshakes. RP could see his life getting terrible right on the very first day.

Jobish took RP to his big boss, Harsha Patil to her cabin while she was speaking to her boyfriend on her mobile. And for a moment, RP lost his connect with reality and stepped into his world of imagination. Such a beauty was Harsha in her ethnic red kurtha, her midnight black hair flowed over her shoulders, her alluring, galaxy-blue eyes looked down on sweeping eyelashes, her songbird sweet voice and her elegant personality has bowled him over.

As she noticed RP staring at her, she concluded her call and the first word she uttered to Jobish was:

Harsha: “you are one nasty human mistake, quit this job and go to hell, if you don’t want me to fire you.”

RP heard the sound of a building collapsing inside his heart and he slowly realised that it’s the palace of his imagination about his big boss reducing to a scrap. And she said,

Harsha: “I’m cancelling your leaves for your wedding, if you are not able to satisfy me, how would you satisfy your wife, you don’t get married”

On seeing a weird reaction from RP over that comment, she corrected her wording to,

Harsha: “I meant to say, if you cannot stick on to your professional commitments, how are you expected to oblige your family commitments? I’m sick of you. By the way tell me who this new guy is?

Jobish (with head bowed in shame): He is our new member to the team.

Harsha: Welcome aboard, get trained on the process right away and start working on it after your lunch. We have lot of pending work which is something I hate; I hope you will contribute productively to the team. Best wishes.

RP: Thank you Harsha.

That evening while Harsha was making her regular rounds to Jobish’s cabin, she saw RP working on his desk. She went to him and gave him his first task, the most significant task, the make or break task.

RP was asked to prepare a report of all employees in Harsha’s team with their biographical details and monthly salary information and asked him to send it to Joseph of Finance team. He was asked to mark a CC to Jobish and Harsha when he sends the report.

RP was all charged up as it was an opportunity to convince his beautiful super boss and he took the task very seriously. Considering the importance of getting into the good books of his super boss, he took time and did it very diligently and applied a wonderful format to it.

RP had never spent such time and effort on anything else in his life and he was very happy that Harsha would love it and would definitely send him a note of appreciation.

As instructed RP marked a copy to Jobish and Harsha and sent his report with a well drafted covering note to Joseph. As soon as the email was sent, Jobish ran to the desk of RP yelling at him,

Jobish: What the hell is happening? Are you trying to play over smart? What have you done? What on earth made you do that?

RP was wondering what happened and he saw Harsha rushing to his desk with a trembling voice.

Harsha asked “Why did you do this to me?” and RP started shivering.

RP: I followed your instruction; I’m unsure what you are talking about”

Harsha: I told you to send it to Joseph of Finance Team and you sent it to Joseph Kuruvila, who is our Chief Operating Officer, who reports to the global head.

Its silence all throughout the team and everyone stood dumbstruck as if they have nominated this for the escalation of the year award. It was more than a thunderbolt hit for RP and he slowly sat on his chair.

Harsha asked him to send Joseph Kuruvila an apology email and returned to her workplace in total discontentment. RP is totally lost and started feeling like being on the tip of a suicide point.

As Harsha has advised, he started typing an apology email to Joseph. RP was in his worst mood and temper and could literally see his hands shivering.

RP intended to type:

Dear Joseph,
Kindly ignore my previous email.
I apologize for the ‘inconvenience’

But when he typed it with his shivering fingers, it had a spelling mistake and the spell check function in outlook caught it and offered a suggested fix. RP clicked accept without double-checking as he wanted to send it at the earliest. And it ended up sending Joseph an email saying that “I apologize for the incontinence.”

Dictionary meaning of incontinence is “The unintentional loss of urine or faeces” colloquially means a “Diaper Boy”

The same scene which concluded moments back started re-rolling. Jobish came first followed by Harsha and its moments of terror attack in RP’s desk. Meanwhile came the reply from Joseph Kuruvila, which read “you need not be sorry for my incontinence, No problems dear!!”

Thus what took off as an escalation touched down as the joke of the year. Thus Ramakrishna Pisharadi became Ramakrishna incontinence Pisharadi and the team started calling him R.I.P.

This incident made RP a laughing stock in the team and he started feeling frustrated the moment he steps into the office. RP didn’t even feel like coming to office, but was forced to come as leaving the organisation before completing a minimum period would not be advisable for his career. With each passing day RP learned the process, but was not at all comfortable working with Jobish and his team.

He really wanted a break from his job for 2 days and thought of asking leave to Jobish. But considering his current posture in the team, he was well sure that he would be denied if requested.

RP was an introvert and had only a small circle of friends. It was during this time RP’s close friend who is in Dubai has come home for vacation. Thus RP resolved to avail a planned sick leave to spend time with his close buddy. Though he was a bit sceptic at first, he mustered all courage to ring up Jobish and let him know that he will be on leave.

RP: Hi Jobish, I’m not feeling well today.

Jobish: RP, come on man, you can do it!

RP: No Jobish, I’m having a stomach upset. I don’t think I’ll be able to come.

Jobish: Don’t tell me that, don’t eat or drink anything and come, and you know stomach upset is not a disease, it’s just a discomfort, I cannot grant you a sick leave for not being sick.

RP: Please grant me a casual leave Jobish

Jobish: you have to understand that casual leaves are granted when an event occurs by chance or accident without any pre-planning or anticipation in the normal course. You could have very well anticipated your stomach upset; after all it’s your stomach right? So it’s your irresponsibility and your mistake.

RP: Silence!!!

Jobish: Please come with the Abdominal CT Scan report and a medical certificate and join office tomorrow. I’ll grant a LWOP.

RP: Disconnected the call

Though the incident was highly embarrassing to RP, he was happy that he got his leave approved. The moment itself, he called his friend and his friend offered a treat at KFC.

Both proceeded to KFC and started sharing their fond memories and it was a time well spent for both. Both took photos and shared funny incidents and kept themselves engaged for the entire time of their togetherness.

As every person who works abroad behaves while coming home, his friend posted these photos in Facebook and tagged RP, without knowing the fact that Jobish is RP’s FB friend.

Two minutes later, RP got a WhatsApp message from Jobish, and it was the photo of RP himself biting a chicken leg and posing for a selfie. A message followed: “Abdominal CT Scan report and a medical certificate not required.” The issue got escalated to Harsha and RP faced the wrath of both his managers like judicial trial of a person with many criminal cases to his credit.

Days passed by without much change in the daily routine and then came an email from Harsha announcing a Year-end review meeting the next day. This made RP nervous and was not able to concentrate on what he was doing.

He started generating a feeling of job insecurity and was not very sure on how the YER turns out. He knew that he is not a great performer and had committed many errors. It added to his concern as people get kicked out immediately after their YER, thus he went home with these daunting thoughts and was very disturbed for the rest of the day.

He started counting the number of cases that got escalated to Harsha and the nasty emails she wrote to him. RP went to bed to ease his burden of worrying thoughts on what would happen to his employment post appraisal.

RP resolved to a conclusion that the only person who can make or break his career is Harsha and to stick on in the organisation, he is required to get into her good books.

That morning he received a SMS from Harsha, which read “Come prepared for your appraisal.” This added further tension to RP and he gathered courage and replied “Sure Dear”. This was his first time RP replied to Harsha’s text on a casual note.

He felt he will face the reality and take on the review meeting with confidence. On reaching office, RP was asked to go to Harsha’s cabin for the review:

Harsha looked at RP and asked him to be comfortable. She started her conversation by saying:

Harsha: It goes without saying that your performance was not up to the team’s expectations. Hence I want you to explain to me what support would you require in order to improve your performance.

RP: I understand your point Harsha, Thank you for asking that, this is the first time ever someone is asking an empathetic question in this organisation. I want a person who understands people rather that process in the team, I meant to say a person who gives due consideration for the people element in an individual.

Harsha: If you can treat me as one such person, I can really help you. Tell me what prevents you from being a good performer?

RP: I was a rank holder for B. Tech and was very ambitious in my career. I used to be the leader for all events organised in college and headed various teams. I was the best outgoing student of the year. With all positive thoughts I went in pursuance of doing MBA, which changed my life.

During our induction activities, I was assigned a partner and was asked to introduce my partner and my partner would introduce me before the students. That was when I first spoke to Jennifer Abraham, we called her Jenny. Jenny was a calm and quiet girl, who was very afraid to come to the stage. I spoke to her and gathered all information about her and I introduced myself to her. That day itself I resolved to a decision that I would help her in overcoming her weaknesses and help her in coming up in life. We exchanged our mobile numbers and started conversing to each other.

Over a short period of time, we got very close to each other and I could influence her in overcoming her weaknesses. Upon my advice she took initiative in introducing the idea of a College Radio, a program introduced to keep students updated on current affairs. She took complete charge and she introduced it in the college, which was a huge success. She got appreciation from all corners and this incident changed the direction of our relationship. She started feeling a sense of intimacy with me and when she expressed it to me, I had an obvious answer.

We were having lot of fun and it progressed as a wonderful relation. We have never complained against each other and both compromised well on areas of incompatibilities. We mutually helped each other in academics and due to this relation even my best friends looked at me with envy.

One fine morning, Jenny didn’t turn up to college and I tried reaching her over phone, and was not getting through. I tried the entire day without success. I anticipated her to come the next day, but that didn’t happen either. This continued for a week and I went to office to enquire what the case and was taken aback to know that she discontinued her course owing to ‘Personal Reasons’. I got her guardian’s mobile number from office records and I contacted her brother, who said in a trembling voice that “She has gone to the UK where she will continue her education.” Her brother also warned me not to contact him again.

This broke me into pieces, though a short relation, it meant a lot to me. I didn’t feel like going to college any further, but owing to mom’s pressure I pursued further and completed my MBA. Every day I went to college, I felt a void in me and I got conditioned to that emptiness. I stopped all my activities and led a secluded life. Those who looked at me with envy never came to me for help, neither did teachers. The day I joined this organisation was her 24th birthday and I celebrated it with your escalations. Ever since that I have never been able to perform the way I wanted. I understand that I should keep my personal and professional life in parallel lines, but for that I require some more time.

Harsha: RP, I’m sorry to hear that. There is nothing that I could do in helping you here. As this is something to do with the past, I request you to recover from it at the earliest. The only person who can help you here is yourself. Take your own time; come to me next time with more vigour and performance. I want to see the B. Tech guy in you, an active leader and enhance your overall performance.

RP: Sure Harsha.

Though Harsha understood that RP is immature she felt immensely sad on hearing the past of RP and thought of giving a fair appraisal to him to motivate and encourage him. She posted his appraisal in the system and called Jobish for his feedback. Jobish comes to her cabin immediately after her call and they started her discussion.

Harsha: Jobish, as you very well know, you are too poor a leader and too good with your process. Tell me how to sort this out.

Jobish: I hope you have completed reviews of almost all my team members, but I’m sure you haven’t spoken to Ravi, who is our oldest member in the team.

Harsha: Why do you want me to talk to him about you? I’m supervising you every day.

RP: You are here for only a year and a half. You only know the current version of mine; I had a previous version, which only Ravi knows.

Harsha asked RP to call Ravi and Ravi stepped in and Jobish walked out.

Harsha: How long are you with the organisation?

Ravi: It’s been 5 years Harsha.

Harsha: Is Jobish the same person whom you saw when you joined? Do you really see a change in Jobish.

Ravi (heaved a sigh of relief): Jobish has never been the same person whom I saw when I joined. If I remember correctly he took a long leave 2.5 years back and came back as a totally different person. He started showing frustration to his team members and many left his team just because of this.

Harsha: Do you know what happened to him?

Ravi: I’m sorry Harsha; I don’t know what happened to him. I tried asking him, but he refused to disclose. All what I know is that he lost both his parents and he has a sister. Once I saw him taking his sister to an eye hospital. He is from an middle class family. I’m not sure if he has any further problems. I suggest you asking him directly.

Harsha: Thanks Ravi. You may go.

After this discussion, Harsha was even more confused and worried as she was clueless on how to build a good team given this odd situation.

She called Jobish again to her cab for his review:

Harsha: I’m sorry to hear that sad story of yours Jobish. I appreciate you for the courage you have shown in bringing up you sister after loosing your parents. You have been a great brother.

Jobish: You have heard only the positive version of my story, which has another version, which I keep deep inside.

Harsha: Would you mind opening it to me; maybe I can be of help.

Jobish: I did my MBA from England, and was working there. It was when I got a call from my mother stating that my dad has been diagnosed with vascular dementia, a fatal disease. My mother who was living on the bounty of my dad could not take it. All happiness in the family disappeared and I was planning to take him to England for further treatment. I allocated all my savings for his treatment and was working on the visa formalities.

One fine morning, I was informed that my dad left irretrievably to eternity and I had to return home. There awaited another shock to me, my mother also ended her life leaving behind me and my sister. Thus my life made me walk through the roughest of patches. I lost hope and was deeply desperate on how to proceed further. I had to conceal my frustration only to keep a smile on the face of my sister. I started living a life only for her and her happiness. It was when I joined this organisation.

Though we lived a secluded life, we had happiness around. I was always keeping a smile on my face so that I’ll infect it to her. I was taking proper care of my team and everyone loved me for the way I acted in the team. Though I was not keeping well inside I wore a mask to keep up enthusiasm in the team. Thus things went perfectly well.

One day after she returned from the college she started behaving indifferently; I noticed that her speech is becoming less fluent and started developing symptoms of Disorientation. It took me by shock and had taken her to a nearby hospital, where I got to know that the same disease which slew my dad is on another turn. Doctors named it young-onset dementia, which is in its very initial stage. Since the disease has not progressed, doctors advised me to offer her the best of medical care before it advances to the next level.

I took her to England for treatment and exhausted all my savings I’ve generated for my dad’s treatment and could save her out of it. Again fate butchered me by taking her vision off after the treatment. Now I live my life with a blind sister. A girl in her pink of health got deprived of all happiness and lives a life in dark. I don’t know what’s happening to her when I’m not around, yet I have to work to take proper care of her. I feel utmost insecurity when I come to office leaving her alone at home. I need to be around her, pampering her and ensuring that she lives safely and happily. This is one reason why I hate my team members when they lie for leaves on medical grounds.

Harsha (with tears on her eyes): Oh my goodness, I’m sorry to hear that Jobish.

Jobish: It isn’t over Harsha. While doing her studies she had an affair with a nice guy, which I intervened to break up. I made her understand the intensity of her disease and requested her not to keep a guy crying for his entire life time. She understood my genuine intention and broke it irrevocably. Ever since that we never had a discussion on that topic.

Harsha: What was that guy’s name?

Jobish: She called him Ramu

Harsha: What course did she do?

Jobish: She joined for MBA, but couldn’t complete.

Harsha: Jobish, I think I’ve a doubt. When I spoke to RP in your team, I heard his story which I feel is corollary to yours. I think RP is the same guy whom your sister loved. Is her name Jennifer Abraham?

Jobish: Yes it is. Oh goodness, in that case he is the person to whom I’ve done sheer injustice in my entire lifetime.

Harsha: No Jobish, whatever you have done is absolutely right. That’s why your sister has never blamed you for that. No one would knowingly admit to marry a girl who has been diagnosed with this disease. So don’t feel bad about it.

Jobish: Can we call RP here?

Harsha: please do.

RP came to the cabin of Harsha where he saw gloomy faces of both his managers.

Harsha: RP, it’s a pretty strange situation that I’m in. Do you know the name of the person whom you enquired about what happened to Jenny?

RP: I don’t remember asking his name Harsha.

Harsha (pointing to Jobish): It is Jobish Abraham, the only brother of Jenifer Abraham.

RP looked at Jobish in anguish and asked Jobish if he has heard it right. Jobish stood in silence with his head bowed down.

RP: What happened to Jenny? Why did she quit her MBA all of a sudden? Can I know more?

Jobish: Not here, we will go to my cabin.

Jobish explained the entire series of events to RP and he couldn’t control his tears. Mixed emotions ran through him and he let Jobish know that his love for Jenny is still intact no matter what happens to her.

Jobish: I don’t know what is to be done at this point. I’ll need to talk to her and I’ll come to you afterwards.

That day after Jobish reached home, spoke to Jenny on what happened in office.

Jenny was equally shocked and surprised. She wanted to meet RP and apologize to him for abruptly breaking the relation. Jobish agreed to it and said he would take her for the Team’s family get-together.

On the day of get-together, while Jobish was searching for RP, a lady walked to him and said:

Lady: At this point in time, Jenny requires the care of a mother, rather than a brother or a husband. She would be even more comfortable in a family where she gets the care and affection of a mother and a father. Can I take her home as our own daughter? I’m Ramu’s mother and we look forward to welcome her to our family.

It’s not just my decision; it’s the collective decision of our family. I know how good a brother you are and the pain you have taken in bringing her up. I assure that we would follow your path in the way you cared for her. My son’s love for her goes beyond the territories set by caste and religion and I know the pain my son had to undergo when he was left in lurch by fate. If reuniting them would help my son reinvigorate himself and if this would help your sister lead a meaningful life that she dreamt of, we shouldn’t be thinking of further options. Let’s unite them for ever.

Jobish: Good to hear that mam, over the years, fate has always been very cruel to me. It hit me hard at all my nerve centres and made me cry with no one to see and wipe off my tears, not even my sister. Until this point, I considered myself the most unfortunate guy in this world. It’s been a long since I heard such real words of hope. Your magical words have the power to heal my wounds, I’m sure it will work wonders for my sister as well. I wholeheartedly agree to your proposal and I’m happy to have had such a nice alliance for my sister.

RP married Jenny and lived a jovial life. RP was awarded with an exceptional client service award in the next quarter. Jobish regained his lost energy and started concentrating on team building and exhibited powerful leadership and infected enthusiasm in the team. This made him get nominated for the golden beam award for influential Leadership. The team re- rebranded themselves to The Business Support team, as against The BullShit Team.

–END–