A Fine Evening!!

The phone tinkled. I muttered a hello without looking at the screen. "M, I'm in Hyderabad for some time. Do we have time for a drink early evening?" Shocked and surprised, I sat up ramrod straight in my chair, mumbled my respects, decided the time and place, hung the phone and sank back into the cushion. The caller was my ex-boss of earlier years, the only person I am in complete awe regardless of time and age. Still. I quickly re-scheduled my calendar, cancelled the evening calls drudgery and thought about him. I hadn't met him for nearly 4 years. My last year of working in the firm directly reporting to him exposed me to the finest arts of management which were probably equivalent to an executive MBA in INSEAD or Oxford. I was fortunate to be handpicked by him suddenly out of the blue amongst the 3000 odd employees. His perception of the people he met was uncanny and his attitude towards everyone was exemplary. I still remember the 45 year old company CEO referring to my 32 year old boss in a huge client meeting, “When I grow up, I want to learn to talk like him". He could think ten steps ahead of everyone else like a Grandmaster and I remembered him demolishing men with twice his experience across the board room without seeming to try to do so. I came out of my reverie, looked at the time, shut my laptop and hurried to the car park.

We met in one of the quiet upper class lounge of Hyderabad. I saw him engrossed on the phone waiting for me. In any place, he would have been an impressive figure. His back straight as a pine, eyes bright and humorous, modish clothes with immaculate linen, he carried himself with the air of a man accustomed to deference. On seeing me, he boomed out of character (which startled me) and shook both hands for a long time and swept me to the lounge. I was quite surprised by this change and display of affection which was quite uncharacteristic in the time I worked for him. Well, I am not working for him anymore. Over single malt, he revealed his company was doing well, unaffected by external environment etc. and probed on my well-being. I decided not to waste this opportunity and poured out my troubles, the boss, politics and the entire 9 yards. He stared at me for quite some time and to his credit gave me no tolerant elegies. He was coldly and eloquently angry,"M, you shock me! You don't understand and that's what makes me angry with you. You do not lack talent. You have vast experience. You have at least a rudimentary understanding of politics. So this children's mode of behaviour you adopt is an incredible and inexcusable folly. In the fervour of a crusade, in the heat of a new situation, you slip out of gear. You change from logician to opportunist. You chase the lights ahead and forget the fires burning behind you. You have every talent that your boss has and probably some he lacks as well but you cannot or you will not focus them. So, always until now, you have been a tool of other men's designs. From what you have told me, you have the lever that will topple your opponents but needs the fulcrum which you must gather. I'm sorry if I've offended you, but I have so much regard for you that I cannot bear what you do to yourself. Let me show you what I mean." And then he proceeded to explain with two examples and observations on my similar battles with others during the time I worked under him along with a cross analysis.

Merde!! I sat rapt at attention, the whisky forgotten and glued to his words. I asked, “Why didn't you tell me this before?" For a full minute he said absolutely nothing and seemed to be staring beyond into some immeasurable distance. When he spoke, his voice was a little frosty, remote, like the chill wind of winter."To teach you a lesson, M. Don't trust anyone and don't waste your energies on multiple things. Comes a moment when all you have left is sap for one good loving and courage for one good fight. Don't waste the loving on a whore or the fight on a paper tiger".

With that we clinked once more, dived into the mushrooms and kebabs with gusto and maneuvered the talk to much livelier topics. I walked him to his car after some time and thought over the lesson. The bastard was right. Focus! Focus! Focus! Let your mind rule at work and the heart at home. We mistrust our mothers when they give us the nipple. The only things we believe happily are unprovable propositions like strategy plans from our bosses, milking statues from our priests and infallible Sultans of my industry.

I drove home, saw Requiem for a Dream again and sat up trying to close the exit route of my head lest the lesson escape ever. I suddenly remembered that I had forgotten to ask him as to how did he know to reach me and why, but maybe the universe conspired to help when I needed it the most.

Current Music: Foo Fighters - Walking After You