GG, the greatest of all compulsive Dumbledores/Gargoyles ever lived, or the Satyam world has ever known, directed, not just directed, but thunderously ordered his financial proselyte Suresh to escort the stunningly beautiful Michelle for an official outing around town after the 2000's annual conference at STC.
Since Suresh, possibly in his entire life, had never taken a lady out, he initially became nervous (but perhaps not lacking the desire) about taking a breath-taking beauty out in the town. Hence, his tensed face was a magnified example of how to show a woman around the city.
Saying no to GG would be tantamount to wishing for his extinction from the planet right at the very moment if he sounded negative by any chance — so Suresh, come what may, will accept the challenge because he never thought he would be so daringly brave as to disobey GG's commands! He did not. Luckily for him, he was in sublime company: Michelle's, so he had nothing to complain much about. In the company of someone as beautiful as her, who wouldn't want to bask in the joy of that experience? Suresh definitely would.
Suresh's Day Out with Michelle
Upon hearing about Suresh's unexpected escort assignment, I jokingly teased, "Wow, Suresh ke mann mein toh laddoo phoot rahe hain!" Looks like Suresh is on cloud nine! Bubbling over with joy!
Mandeep laughed pleasantly in response, even as Suresh felt deeply anxious about how to take a stunning woman out around town in a company-hired vehicle.
Devi flashed a grin at Suresh and encouraged him earnestly, saying in a light reprimanding tone, “Come on, Suresh, go re! You’ve got this! Go for it!" However, Suresh couldn't shake his concerns about the unexpected assignment GG had handed him. He wished someone could join him on the trip, but GG had turned down his request for any company.
Back at the office the next day, after our annual client meetings ended at STC, Suresh faced a perfect quandary: how to show Michelle about town. On GG's orders, our financial pro, that is Suresh fell into a romantic tizzy. It must have been a rollercoaster challenge, a thrilling experience no less for him to go from his cubicle to the city with a stunning companion like Michelle, balancing his anxieties on the one hand and avid admiration for her captivating beauty on the other for an outing he had never done before, let alone with a woman outside of his household maybe. Suresh's day out with Michelle was an adventure he never anticipated would come by. We thought that GG had handed him a lovely anxiety, a delightful task, to manage, and Suresh would do well to work it out nicely.
The problem wasn't just taking out a woman; the problem was taking out a stunningly beautiful woman! The difference between the two perspectives ate Suresh up from the inside. How could he be expected to take a stunning woman on a local city tour when he had never before taken anyone out? Suresh demurred by half. As a result of this highly official obligation, he started the day slightly anxious, getting restless even. He drank several cups of coffee while surveying the floor of his cubicle and looking askance this way and that, contemplating long and hard and asking us ad infinitum, "How do I get this over with, alone?" Because of that imagined tension eating our office’s Gilbert Grape, he became a little nervous and jittery about the impending expedition that GG had imposed on him. Fair and square, it was now Suresh’s responsibility to see it through. The proverbial ball is firmly in his court. We could hear GG implore: Good luck with that!
A "No," even if it were a tame-lame "No" from Suresh, would mean his continued employability in Satyam would be at stake, besides a horrible unleashing of GG's rage no man had ever witnessed. So Suresh — hair nicely prickling on the back of his neck and raising goosebumps of all different shapes and sizes upsetting all his facial lines in the process, tragicomic perils of the age we are living in, more of GG-instigated tragedy than of Mandeep-improvised comedy — could only react, very very cautiously by saying something two-worded: “Yes GG,” and got on with it.
Not that he did not want to sound a categorical "No" to GG's explicit directive, but still, showing Michelle around the city would be more comfortable if someone could tag along with him, for heaven's sake. Suresh wanted me to join him on the short excursion with Michelle. Eager to see some historic landmarks before returning to London, she made hotel reservations at the Grand Kakatiya and extended her stay by two more days. Our team's responsibility was to ensure she had a memorable experience that exemplified the best of our hospitality — from the warm greetings to the personalized touches. However, GG put the kibosh on our action plan and insisted that only Suresh accompany her. Period.
GG derived altruistic pleasure in reprimanding us every step of the way; saying 'No' to almost everything became known as his forte, his signature response to everything that his subordinates might score a brownie point or two over his wish and will. It was his way or the highway. Because of this, a certain sort of stubborn bone-headedness was writ large on his person all year round (in fact, for a little over two years at a stretch that we worked under him, we always found him to be in a hedonistic chauvinistic disposition); it was almost pathetically entertaining to observe as it spiralled around him day in and day out creating an atmosphere of tight-ass oppressive intensity much like being trapped in shackles and making others who reported to him see the trifling frivolity of it all. Good grief!
Now, Suresh was a cheerful, down-to-earth, temple-going, God-fearing finance professional who preferred his clothes nicely tailored. Readymade garments did not quite appeal to him much as he wanted the old-world, vintage charm of going to his same old, seasoned tailor shop every few months for stitching, particularly when Dussehra or Diwali festivities were approaching. “Proper fitting” and "comfortable fit" were always the common issues with the brouhaha about the new-age readymade garments such as Arrow, John Miller, White House, Newport, Pan America, Independence, Wear House, Peter England, et alia, which were beginning to be every IT professional's wardrobe in Hyderabad; part of this sentiment Suresh and I had absolutely abhorred while Mandeep swung between having his dresses sourced by readymade or by bespoke tailoring.
On a related note: Mandeep got his clothes tailored at Yeomen Tailors, his favourite tailor, while I got my clothing custom-tailored at Visa Tailors. Afterwards, I moved on to Superb Tailors, which I had quit going to many years ago, though I still love to get my clothes stitched at a professional tailor's. But soon, new businesses sprang up like mushrooms among the slowly forgotten old-fashioned, traditional shops to vend readymade garments — more the prettier and get to be called modern or developed mindset; less or nothing, then be dubbed under-developed or not so forward-looking and backward class. That is how the world works and sounds and aligns with those realities. Talk of being spiritual!
The prêt-à-porter quickly dominated and monopolized the stores and malls that surfaced everywhere almost overnight, old ways giving way to the new. And I could not say if I appreciated even an iota of that kind of new-age development. Anyway, hardly any bother for the world (read marketplace) out there who welcomed and fell for it immediately. (I suppose when times change like that, you realize it and accept it even if you do not fall into the trap of fancying it much.) Eschewing bespoke tailoring, the trend of buying readymade clothes had already caught on — confounding effects, I am sure, of rampant 'CORPORATIZATION' and 'GLOBALIZATION' of all trade and business.
Mostly, we were just content savouring the occasional Burger or Hot Dog—Mandeep hilariously referred to it as "garam kutte"—alongside some potato chips and a refreshing bottle of Thums Up (at Universal Bakery). Our favorite snacks included the delightful Samosa Chaat, Sev Puri, Pani Puri, or Dahi Papdi Chaat at Park Lane. On certain days, we would indulge in an Egg Puff or Osmania biscuits paired with a cup of Irani Chai at either Garden Restaurant or Paradise Cafe. Life was what it was: simple and truly beautiful.
(Unfortunately, those beloved friends have left, and the joy we once experienced moving around or passing through the city, especially during Dussehra or Deepavali, has diminished. The twin cities have changed; political and economic masters claim to have 'transformed' them, 'putting them on the global IT map.' Yes, but beyond recognition or feeling. If this is what transformation truly is, they made it difficult for those who relate to or remember their former charm and character. Coping with this sense of loss, for all the old things and old times, will always be there to bear. But will brook no love. And as time passes, the pain will never lessen, ever.)
Nevertheless, I noticed that Mandeep was increasingly choosing to purchase readymade clothing. He would fly to Delhi to kill two birds with one shot: he'd meet his relatives and get some shopping done from that place up north. A pair of Levi Strauss jeans was one of his numerous must-haves. Devi moved on to buying off-the-shelf, ready-to-wear shirts and trousers from a departmental store called Chermas, his watering hole for complete family shopping.
When GG, our boss who does not listen to anyone, puts it on him straight to escort a London beauty like Michelle, naturally, he becomes squarely nervous than he thought he would get if someone went with him. Devi found no mention, and neither did Mandeep. Shiv was… denied access. None of us talked about it much except Suresh, who had wanted me to accompany him.
GG—with the hard carapace of a Dung Beetle for an attitude—turned down Suresh's request to have me also on the task of showing Michelle around town. He wanted only Suresh to perform this official function, no questions asked. And to suggest what he thought he needed to do, he flared up into a volley of abuses and hollered at Suresh,
“Suresh! Tell me, what part of what I said didn’t you understand?”
Suresh looked at the floor and calmly said, “Yes, GG!”
GG spoke back: "Do as I say."
Primarily, it was Suresh's responsibility to ensure Michelle visited the places she wanted to see in Hyderabad. And GG wanted it that way, with no additions to the two-some party. Knowing that you and I do how GG is, you better do what he says, or things will be knocked off their stack at once, leaving you to handle an avalanche around you later, I reasoned with Suresh. Thankfully, Michelle was a sport. And like a companionable associate, Suresh showed Michelle around the city. On finding that she was unpretentious and not as level-headed as had been innocently presumed, Suresh revved up his enthusiasm so much that it looked like he was going on a date with her! Good on him, though.
While Suresh was out of the office with Michelle, Devi returned to his cubicle positioned inconveniently across GG's 'see-through' glass-walled cabin in the West Wing, focusing on organizing his all-important monthly financial settlements that would get dispatched to all the finance managers across the country. In the meantime, Mandeep and I grabbed a cup of coffee in the hallway, just a short distance from the roving eye of Ann Mary R's reception lobby area on the green-marbled 5th floor.
It was Friday. Returning to our workstations, we set out to make plans to order a Domino’s pizza delivery to the office on the upcoming Saturday shift. And that was tomorrow. While we were at it, Mandeep started composing daily operations emails to send to Susanna in Denmark, and meanwhile, I began putting together marketing reports, including updates on file processing status, which were to be delivered to our domestic partners at the EOD.
Dressed simply in dark trousers, a light-coloured matching cotton shirt, and black Bata shoes, Suresh went on the city trip with Michelle. Clad in denim blue jeans and a white flannel shirt, Michelle was killing it — as she gracefully walked down the 5th-floor hallway before grabbing a cup of coffee from the Nescafe dispenser and entering the West Wing conference room, which was close to Devi and Suresh's finance cubicles, with GG's glass-cabin facing them.
Michelle and Suresh likely visited the Birla Temple and the Salar Jung Museum and then went to the Charminar area to shop for the famous lacquer bangles. A difficult situation for Suresh came to a close, and despite the rollercoaster of a day, everything turned out to be just fine for him. Fortunately for Suresh, his day with Michelle went perfectly.
All of us at roaming division were sure of this: Wherever she went as she strolled through our humble metropolis, people must have stopped dead in their tracks ogling at her, forgetting to breathe or wink, in complete arrest of her extraordinary whitish beauty. Michelle's golden, milky-white complexion was dazzling to behold, and naturally, Suresh, as was everyone else in our company, was in the absolute trance of her astonishing heavenliness. She walked in beauty, absolutely slaying it. That was the first and the only time a sublime beauty like Michelle had ever walked on this part of the Satyam earth.
Devi spoke with a naughty grin, “Wow! She is just too good to be true!” “Absolutely. They don't make them like her anymore. Oye! I can't blink my eyes re!” Mandeep chimed in, who was in absolute awe of our stunning guest. We all shared a laugh, and when Suresh joined in later during the coffee break in the evening after dropping Michelle off at her hotel, it added to the joyous atmosphere in the cubicle.
We all couldn't agree more that Michelle was a masterpiece of extraordinary beauty—"breathtakingly beautiful," as Suresh said before he took her along for an official tour around the city—with the power to alter the course of history for all time to come. A beauty that captivates not just men but, most certainly, women as well.
(To be continued…)
By Arindam Moulick
Alternative titles considered for this blog were: “Beautiful Anxiety,” “Suresh's Rollercoaster Day,” “From Cubicle to City: Suresh's Unexpected Adventure,” and “Suresh's Dilemma: Navigating an Outing with Michelle.”
Since Suresh, possibly in his entire life, had never taken a lady out, he initially became nervous (but perhaps not lacking the desire) about taking a breath-taking beauty out in the town. Hence, his tensed face was a magnified example of how to show a woman around the city.
Saying no to GG would be tantamount to wishing for his extinction from the planet right at the very moment if he sounded negative by any chance — so Suresh, come what may, will accept the challenge because he never thought he would be so daringly brave as to disobey GG's commands! He did not. Luckily for him, he was in sublime company: Michelle's, so he had nothing to complain much about. In the company of someone as beautiful as her, who wouldn't want to bask in the joy of that experience? Suresh definitely would.
Suresh's Day Out with Michelle
Upon hearing about Suresh's unexpected escort assignment, I jokingly teased, "Wow, Suresh ke mann mein toh laddoo phoot rahe hain!" Looks like Suresh is on cloud nine! Bubbling over with joy!
Mandeep laughed pleasantly in response, even as Suresh felt deeply anxious about how to take a stunning woman out around town in a company-hired vehicle.
Devi flashed a grin at Suresh and encouraged him earnestly, saying in a light reprimanding tone, “Come on, Suresh, go re! You’ve got this! Go for it!" However, Suresh couldn't shake his concerns about the unexpected assignment GG had handed him. He wished someone could join him on the trip, but GG had turned down his request for any company.
+*+*+*+
Back at the office the next day, after our annual client meetings ended at STC, Suresh faced a perfect quandary: how to show Michelle about town. On GG's orders, our financial pro, that is Suresh fell into a romantic tizzy. It must have been a rollercoaster challenge, a thrilling experience no less for him to go from his cubicle to the city with a stunning companion like Michelle, balancing his anxieties on the one hand and avid admiration for her captivating beauty on the other for an outing he had never done before, let alone with a woman outside of his household maybe. Suresh's day out with Michelle was an adventure he never anticipated would come by. We thought that GG had handed him a lovely anxiety, a delightful task, to manage, and Suresh would do well to work it out nicely.
The problem wasn't just taking out a woman; the problem was taking out a stunningly beautiful woman! The difference between the two perspectives ate Suresh up from the inside. How could he be expected to take a stunning woman on a local city tour when he had never before taken anyone out? Suresh demurred by half. As a result of this highly official obligation, he started the day slightly anxious, getting restless even. He drank several cups of coffee while surveying the floor of his cubicle and looking askance this way and that, contemplating long and hard and asking us ad infinitum, "How do I get this over with, alone?" Because of that imagined tension eating our office’s Gilbert Grape, he became a little nervous and jittery about the impending expedition that GG had imposed on him. Fair and square, it was now Suresh’s responsibility to see it through. The proverbial ball is firmly in his court. We could hear GG implore: Good luck with that!
A "No," even if it were a tame-lame "No" from Suresh, would mean his continued employability in Satyam would be at stake, besides a horrible unleashing of GG's rage no man had ever witnessed. So Suresh — hair nicely prickling on the back of his neck and raising goosebumps of all different shapes and sizes upsetting all his facial lines in the process, tragicomic perils of the age we are living in, more of GG-instigated tragedy than of Mandeep-improvised comedy — could only react, very very cautiously by saying something two-worded: “Yes GG,” and got on with it.
Not that he did not want to sound a categorical "No" to GG's explicit directive, but still, showing Michelle around the city would be more comfortable if someone could tag along with him, for heaven's sake. Suresh wanted me to join him on the short excursion with Michelle. Eager to see some historic landmarks before returning to London, she made hotel reservations at the Grand Kakatiya and extended her stay by two more days. Our team's responsibility was to ensure she had a memorable experience that exemplified the best of our hospitality — from the warm greetings to the personalized touches. However, GG put the kibosh on our action plan and insisted that only Suresh accompany her. Period.
GG derived altruistic pleasure in reprimanding us every step of the way; saying 'No' to almost everything became known as his forte, his signature response to everything that his subordinates might score a brownie point or two over his wish and will. It was his way or the highway. Because of this, a certain sort of stubborn bone-headedness was writ large on his person all year round (in fact, for a little over two years at a stretch that we worked under him, we always found him to be in a hedonistic chauvinistic disposition); it was almost pathetically entertaining to observe as it spiralled around him day in and day out creating an atmosphere of tight-ass oppressive intensity much like being trapped in shackles and making others who reported to him see the trifling frivolity of it all. Good grief!
Now, Suresh was a cheerful, down-to-earth, temple-going, God-fearing finance professional who preferred his clothes nicely tailored. Readymade garments did not quite appeal to him much as he wanted the old-world, vintage charm of going to his same old, seasoned tailor shop every few months for stitching, particularly when Dussehra or Diwali festivities were approaching. “Proper fitting” and "comfortable fit" were always the common issues with the brouhaha about the new-age readymade garments such as Arrow, John Miller, White House, Newport, Pan America, Independence, Wear House, Peter England, et alia, which were beginning to be every IT professional's wardrobe in Hyderabad; part of this sentiment Suresh and I had absolutely abhorred while Mandeep swung between having his dresses sourced by readymade or by bespoke tailoring.
+*+*+*+
On a related note: Mandeep got his clothes tailored at Yeomen Tailors, his favourite tailor, while I got my clothing custom-tailored at Visa Tailors. Afterwards, I moved on to Superb Tailors, which I had quit going to many years ago, though I still love to get my clothes stitched at a professional tailor's. But soon, new businesses sprang up like mushrooms among the slowly forgotten old-fashioned, traditional shops to vend readymade garments — more the prettier and get to be called modern or developed mindset; less or nothing, then be dubbed under-developed or not so forward-looking and backward class. That is how the world works and sounds and aligns with those realities. Talk of being spiritual!
The prêt-à-porter quickly dominated and monopolized the stores and malls that surfaced everywhere almost overnight, old ways giving way to the new. And I could not say if I appreciated even an iota of that kind of new-age development. Anyway, hardly any bother for the world (read marketplace) out there who welcomed and fell for it immediately. (I suppose when times change like that, you realize it and accept it even if you do not fall into the trap of fancying it much.) Eschewing bespoke tailoring, the trend of buying readymade clothes had already caught on — confounding effects, I am sure, of rampant 'CORPORATIZATION' and 'GLOBALIZATION' of all trade and business.
Mostly, we were just content savouring the occasional Burger or Hot Dog—Mandeep hilariously referred to it as "garam kutte"—alongside some potato chips and a refreshing bottle of Thums Up (at Universal Bakery). Our favorite snacks included the delightful Samosa Chaat, Sev Puri, Pani Puri, or Dahi Papdi Chaat at Park Lane. On certain days, we would indulge in an Egg Puff or Osmania biscuits paired with a cup of Irani Chai at either Garden Restaurant or Paradise Cafe. Life was what it was: simple and truly beautiful.
(Unfortunately, those beloved friends have left, and the joy we once experienced moving around or passing through the city, especially during Dussehra or Deepavali, has diminished. The twin cities have changed; political and economic masters claim to have 'transformed' them, 'putting them on the global IT map.' Yes, but beyond recognition or feeling. If this is what transformation truly is, they made it difficult for those who relate to or remember their former charm and character. Coping with this sense of loss, for all the old things and old times, will always be there to bear. But will brook no love. And as time passes, the pain will never lessen, ever.)
Nevertheless, I noticed that Mandeep was increasingly choosing to purchase readymade clothing. He would fly to Delhi to kill two birds with one shot: he'd meet his relatives and get some shopping done from that place up north. A pair of Levi Strauss jeans was one of his numerous must-haves. Devi moved on to buying off-the-shelf, ready-to-wear shirts and trousers from a departmental store called Chermas, his watering hole for complete family shopping.
+*+*+*+
When GG, our boss who does not listen to anyone, puts it on him straight to escort a London beauty like Michelle, naturally, he becomes squarely nervous than he thought he would get if someone went with him. Devi found no mention, and neither did Mandeep. Shiv was… denied access. None of us talked about it much except Suresh, who had wanted me to accompany him.
GG—with the hard carapace of a Dung Beetle for an attitude—turned down Suresh's request to have me also on the task of showing Michelle around town. He wanted only Suresh to perform this official function, no questions asked. And to suggest what he thought he needed to do, he flared up into a volley of abuses and hollered at Suresh,
“Suresh! Tell me, what part of what I said didn’t you understand?”
Suresh looked at the floor and calmly said, “Yes, GG!”
GG spoke back: "Do as I say."
(But here is the thing. Nothing exists as an antidote (ha-ha) — in the challenging world of rude bosses who enjoy nagging their employees simply because they can: should you ask anyone, including those of us who worked with GG, our former crooked, bad-to-the-bone, techno-bull corporate manager — against the daily emotional lacerations we faced. It often felt like enduring vicious scorpion stings, Ram-packed with dreadful horns of fear and intimidation. (Check with Kavitha; she possesses an incredible grasp of the topic discussed in this paragraph! She was in copious tears: salty lacrimal secretions from the eyes that never softened GG's heart, not even a wee bit. After surviving for a year or so, she vamoosed to the U.S., which was far better a proposition than to face a boss who came from hell). If you have a death wish to risk an early premature termination of your life and career, then you can harbour the gumption to refuse his orders but proceed with caution. Likewise, you can let your bad manager know — you don't have to say anything drastic, but your actions should speak louder than words — that his authoritarian style (bordering on pathological narcissism) won't dishearten or dissuade you. Unless you haven't learned to assert yourself and say a friendly "no," you may feel compelled to comply with your manager's requests.)
Primarily, it was Suresh's responsibility to ensure Michelle visited the places she wanted to see in Hyderabad. And GG wanted it that way, with no additions to the two-some party. Knowing that you and I do how GG is, you better do what he says, or things will be knocked off their stack at once, leaving you to handle an avalanche around you later, I reasoned with Suresh. Thankfully, Michelle was a sport. And like a companionable associate, Suresh showed Michelle around the city. On finding that she was unpretentious and not as level-headed as had been innocently presumed, Suresh revved up his enthusiasm so much that it looked like he was going on a date with her! Good on him, though.
While Suresh was out of the office with Michelle, Devi returned to his cubicle positioned inconveniently across GG's 'see-through' glass-walled cabin in the West Wing, focusing on organizing his all-important monthly financial settlements that would get dispatched to all the finance managers across the country. In the meantime, Mandeep and I grabbed a cup of coffee in the hallway, just a short distance from the roving eye of Ann Mary R's reception lobby area on the green-marbled 5th floor.
It was Friday. Returning to our workstations, we set out to make plans to order a Domino’s pizza delivery to the office on the upcoming Saturday shift. And that was tomorrow. While we were at it, Mandeep started composing daily operations emails to send to Susanna in Denmark, and meanwhile, I began putting together marketing reports, including updates on file processing status, which were to be delivered to our domestic partners at the EOD.
+*+*+*+
Dressed simply in dark trousers, a light-coloured matching cotton shirt, and black Bata shoes, Suresh went on the city trip with Michelle. Clad in denim blue jeans and a white flannel shirt, Michelle was killing it — as she gracefully walked down the 5th-floor hallway before grabbing a cup of coffee from the Nescafe dispenser and entering the West Wing conference room, which was close to Devi and Suresh's finance cubicles, with GG's glass-cabin facing them.
Michelle and Suresh likely visited the Birla Temple and the Salar Jung Museum and then went to the Charminar area to shop for the famous lacquer bangles. A difficult situation for Suresh came to a close, and despite the rollercoaster of a day, everything turned out to be just fine for him. Fortunately for Suresh, his day with Michelle went perfectly.
All of us at roaming division were sure of this: Wherever she went as she strolled through our humble metropolis, people must have stopped dead in their tracks ogling at her, forgetting to breathe or wink, in complete arrest of her extraordinary whitish beauty. Michelle's golden, milky-white complexion was dazzling to behold, and naturally, Suresh, as was everyone else in our company, was in the absolute trance of her astonishing heavenliness. She walked in beauty, absolutely slaying it. That was the first and the only time a sublime beauty like Michelle had ever walked on this part of the Satyam earth.
Devi spoke with a naughty grin, “Wow! She is just too good to be true!” “Absolutely. They don't make them like her anymore. Oye! I can't blink my eyes re!” Mandeep chimed in, who was in absolute awe of our stunning guest. We all shared a laugh, and when Suresh joined in later during the coffee break in the evening after dropping Michelle off at her hotel, it added to the joyous atmosphere in the cubicle.
We all couldn't agree more that Michelle was a masterpiece of extraordinary beauty—"breathtakingly beautiful," as Suresh said before he took her along for an official tour around the city—with the power to alter the course of history for all time to come. A beauty that captivates not just men but, most certainly, women as well.
(To be continued…)
By Arindam Moulick
Alternative titles considered for this blog were: “Beautiful Anxiety,” “Suresh's Rollercoaster Day,” “From Cubicle to City: Suresh's Unexpected Adventure,” and “Suresh's Dilemma: Navigating an Outing with Michelle.”