Social Short Story – Door Access in Office Premises
Photo credit: hamper from morguefile.com
It was 8 PM at night when Swapnil returned from office to his house. It was chill winter and he thought of wasting no more time and to do dinner and go off for sleep as quick as possible. However just as he was about to sit for his dinner, he got a call in his cell. He knew the caller and so took the call and spoke.
From the other side of the phone, Rahul, a good friend of Swapnil spoke. This Rahul had been very regular to the tea shop in which Swapnil also have his morning tea. Also from this shop only their friendship started. Rahul was also working in an organisation.
He told, “Swapnil yaar, I am in some trouble. I know that this time would be too late and also in winter like this to call you and request you to give me a solution to my problem. But I am indeed in some great danger, need help badly and I know that it is only you who could save me from this. Actually what happened you know Swapnil, for some reason I had some clash with one colleague in the office once. His name is Kumar. Now today when I reached office, I found my access card was not accessing and I was unable to open the door to go inside. At last, since that was quite early in the morning of winter like this, only security guard present helped me go inside with his access. He understood, somehow my card access was lost and he knew me very well as because he had seen me quite a lot of times before as well. So he did this favour to me.
I went inside and thought of getting back my access by today only, but after sometime, after allowing everyone to arrive. But somehow or the other it completely got washed off from my head. I forgot for the whole day. It was then I remembered when I again was coming out seeing the door not opening again for me. But that was again quite late to expect anyone helping me getting back the access.
So I thought of doing it tomorrow the first thing in the early morning after everyone arrives and not to forget this time I gave a reminder as well in my cell. I somehow again taking help of another security guard similarly, got out. But when I reached home, I got a call in my cell from Kumar’s cell. He was still there in the office. So this means he was still there in the office when I was coming out, just waiting for me to go out, keeping a regular watch on me for the whole day. He is now telling that today the higher management has asked for a report of employee’s presence, the ones working in salary department, for today only, the month end, and I have not swiped and my name is not there in report.
And as you know the people in salary department has a lot of stuff to do during the month end. So they are checking that only that everyone are really on their toes to do that. Now this report they are going to get from door access report. Now you could understand, in the report my name wont be reflecting. This doesn’t mean that I was not there, but the higher management won’t take the work I have done as proof that I was present in actual. You know this work can be done by anyone, so frankly speaking this also cant be shown as proof. In fact though there could be a lot of things to prove but they could not be reached to prove so in front of them. Also if others say that I was present, what is the proof that they would believe and not think that everyone is not talking in favour of me. They would only see what they want and judge by that.
So this Kumar surely did know this or did take back my access intentionally from before. Now as I told I had a clash with him some day before for some reason, so he took revenge of that by this. He is in this door access department. He actually took my access off for today and waited for me to leave for the day and then give me back the access and then tell the access was there but I was absent, doing some modifications in the report which shows access for employees were there or not. Even if I had gone and asked, he would have given me but had taken my name off from report, which he would be presenting to the higher management, proving me absent for the day. So now tell me how could I get saved from this?”
Swapnil said, “Fine, so have you saved Kumar’s cell number?”
Rahul to this cut his tongue and said, “O no, see I completely forgot again. But what’s the use?”
Swapnil said, “You first save and then wait, I am coming to your house.”
Swapnil came to Rahul’s house. Swapnil entered and said, “Boss I just returned from office and was just going to have dinner and then go off for sleep, when you called me. Also this is winter. Feeling very hungry as I had not taken any food for long. I would look for a solution to your problem. But till that time could you please give your cell to me, show where you have saved Kumar’s cell number and then go to bring some coffee for me?”
Rahul smiled, thinking Swapnil assured means he would surely be finding for some solution, gave his cell to him, showed Kumar’s cell number and then went to bring some coffee.
In the meantime Swapnil did something and as Rahul came back with the cups of coffee and some Bombay Mix, Swapnil told, “So seeing that you being in salary department, not necessarily how important you were, being absent on crucial day, would the higher management personally come to your desk to get the show cause?”
Rahul said, “Yes, and that’s what I am scared of the most. In front of them every word of mine seems to be drowning, though I may not be guilty. I hope that I could have still managed if this exchange of words between higher management and myself would have taken place through mails.”
Swapnil said, “There’s a good news for you. You tell that you have come yesterday but just not swiped your card. Also the reason for that is you had got an sms from Kumar saying not to access, as your card is under maintenance and is not having the access.”
Rahul smiled away and said, “And so where is that proof? Where had he sent me the sms?”
Swapnil said, “See here it is. In the morning. I told you there’s a good news for you. This is the one. He sent but somehow you missed out, may be because then you dint have his number saved in your cell. Or may be somehow for sometime your cell went into silent mode. See the time also. In the early morning.”
Rahul saw and said, “But how could this be possible? Then you want to say my suspicion is completely wrong? And even that is wrong why would he call me and tell all these when he knows he only told me not to access. Would he not have been kind enough to gently include my name in the report without even informing me? Could he forget about this sms completely? Never.”
Swapnil said, “May be he also thought like you. First he sent you the sms and then remembering of the revenge he thought that since you wont be having his number saved in your cell, you might not have noticed or taken his sms seriously. So let him take a chance, which he took and remained successful. If you would have noticed, remembered and questioned him about sending of that sms then, he could have simply told, that actually he had forgotten about the sms. Then accordingly to get saved from getting accused of trying to trap you he could have included your name in report.”
Rahul believed this and went to the office next day and as expected the higher management came to his seat to ask for a show cause from him. He said exactly the same what Swapnil told him to tell and showed them the sms. They were happy and went away.
At night Rahul went to Swapnil’s house with some sweets to thank him and that he was happy to get saved from such a danger. Then Swapnil said, “Yes give your cell and now I would revert back the names saved, once more from mine to Kumar and Kumar’s to mine. That means I saved my name to his number and his name to my number. Also I need to change your cell clock timing which also I adjusted. Then sent one message from my cell stating the same that was there in the sms. So it reflected in your cell with Kumar’s name and also the time it showed in early morning as I adjusted. How was the trick? I dint let you know yesterday about this trick of mine so that you could perform as if this was the fact and not stammer knowing the truth. You know people don’t stammer from telling the truth, how much he have to tell that in front of how much higher management. I knew you wont be able to notice the change of cell timings as you mainly use your wrist watch for time and also the names mapped to wrong number, would be too tough for you to guess as generally noone remembers the cell number of a person.”
__END__
