SHUBHAM BASU

I saw my brother off at the railway station. He chose the ‘Garib Rath’ to Mumbai; his first visit. Incidentally he is working on the Maharana Pratap statue in the sea proposed to be built higher than Liberty, as his thesis project…and his phone certainly is more important than the statue that is yet to be built.

We enter the outlet again (with my girlfriend, she is more assertive than I am), looking for the Executive who swore on his promises five days back. The first person I saw was the steward who dropped coffee on my trousers on my last visit (is the universe conspiring against me in the guise of IDEA?). I was glad that he didn’t recognize me. I took my seat only after I made sure that he wasn’t holding any tray full of the miniature paper coffee cups.

‘Where is Mr. Rohit?’ (The names have been changed in this transcript so it doesn’t attack any individual).

‘He is about to reach here.’ A lady who might have been on this job for a few months answered… ladies with similar bearing are to be found at most of the car dealerships as well.

Five minutes later I ask again, ‘How long will Mr. Rohit take to get here?’

‘He is here, almost…’ She faked a smile.

I waited for a few minutes again. ‘Can you call him and tell him that a customer is waiting here?’

‘Let me check.’ She rose from her desk and disappeared behind a wooden door where two or three people were already huddling like moles. ‘Rohit Sir, somebody is here to see you.’

‘I thought he never arrived.’ I whispered into my girlfriend’s ears.

We waited again.

‘It’s been twenty minutes already, can you please ask him to get here?’

‘Hey kya kar rahe ho?’ This time she calls him sweetly on phone. ‘Are aao to sahi.’  (English translation: What are you doing…come down for a moment). ‘He is busy he can’t come down.’ She declares.

‘Ask him to come down or we are going up.’

‘Rohit Sir please come down.’

Finally Rohit Sir comes down. I was pleased to see a defensive Rohit who had not delivered on his promise and neither did he seem to have any intentions to. I recalled the video on listening from Steven Covey where the Boss runs into utter chaos of unmanageable deadlines just because he was too busy with himself.

‘Sir, do you intend to get this done?’ My girlfriend asks.

‘Madam we have been all up on this case and things are getting delayed because of twenty six.’

‘What twenty six?’

‘Twenty Sixth Jan. Republic day.’

‘What has that got to do with this? We requested on the 18^th. You should wait for the 26^th to present this excuse.’

‘Madam it shall be done today.’

‘We have been hearing this since the last four days.’

‘Madam give me an hour, It will be done.’

‘We will wait right here until it’s done.’

We sat there for another two hours waiting for it to be done. Luckily I didn’t have anything else at hand and I remember that the phone was more important for Dhruv then than the statue.

We saw numerous vein bulging scenes, angry customers. One case was pitiable. The poor guy came in with a bill in his hands.

‘Madam this bill.’ Go to the third table. Almost everybody who came in was being turned to the third table. The poor guy went there.

‘Madam this bill.’

‘Rs. XYZ cash or check?’

‘Madam, my number hasn’t been activated yet and how could I receive this bill?’

‘Oh! Not activated yet.’ She looks at him (sound of eyes popping out).

We couldn’t help smiling. I guess when a man is dying of thirst in a desert; all he can do is smile. And the lady smiled back as well. We guessed it wasn’t the first time that had happened.

‘Do you watch Office Office on TV?’ My girl friend asks her.

‘I have never watched it.’ She took a lot of interest on TV being mentioned and looked up to answer.

Then a big irate man walked in waving a bill. He started shouting at the first desk and continued till the third desk like a huge Truck screeching to rest. I recorded a video snippet (below) that can be played. His case: He had gotten a huge internet bill with his Idea internet modem. He was sure that he had hardly used it for some hours. He was short of swearing, but I could see him invoking dead kin of the executives in his eyes. He was some CEO and he threatened to sue IDEA and recalling all connections within the company. His jugular indeed bulged as he raised his finger and punched in air, his hair rising and falling with the force in his movements. Irate customer with an IDEA?

‘If I have to cancel my connection how long will it take and what’s the procedure.’ After my brother’s connection was activated I politely asked Rohit.

‘You just need to submit an application. It will be done in a day.’ Early morning stress, he already looked too tired at 11:30. Something is wrong in this office.

Vodafone execs are coming to my place later in the day. I shall switch in the next few days. Congratulate me next week, perhaps I will have my Blackberry internet then. Send me an email instead, I shall respond through my Blackberry.

The video now: Notice the small guy at the end of the video in a blue cardigan (looks like a peddler). He is the guy who got a bill while the activation is yet to happen.

 

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