‘Raj, first thing, we don’t sell insurance.’
‘I know,’ Raj said, ‘We sell hope.’
‘That’s not what I meant,’ said Akhila, cringing, ‘To hell with your MBA bullshit. We don’t sell insurance. We are associated with TIB, the largest bank in the country. They sell insurance for us.’
‘Oh,’ was all Raj could say. ‘The territory assigned to you is six districts. Put together, there will be about five hundred branches.’
‘Okay, I expected three hundred odd branches. Five hundred is a good number.’
‘Yes! So, we need to make these five hundred branches sell insurance for us. We need to make the bank staff sell insurance for us.’ Raj nodded.
‘What, according to you, are the ways to do that? Since you are fresh, you might have new ideas. People like me are conditioned to the existing system already. Tell me.’
‘Well, motivate them’
‘How?’
‘Teach them the value of the products and how it is useful to the customers’
‘Rubbish!' said Akhila, disappointed, ‘Your text book ideas will not work here Raj.’
‘But,’ protested Raj, ‘they have to believe in our products to sell them’
‘Don’t be so naive Raj. We are dealing with a public sector bank. Those people expect incentives to even come to work on time.’
‘So incentives are the only way?’
‘I answered the question already. And incentives cannot be just monetary.’
‘Then? Do we bribe them?’
‘Not in the usual way. We gift them tour packages, gold coins, and so on.’
‘Wow!' exclaimed Raj, ‘perks of being a banker.’
‘Well, being a banker who sells insurance.’
Raj laughed. Akhila joined him. Gopi entered with two cups of coffee, placed them on the table and left closing the door behind him.
‘So, I have to push the staff in all 500 branches to sell insurance?' asked Raj after sipping from his cup. ‘No, you don’t have to do all that,’ said Akhila placing her cup on the table between them, ‘I told you these five hundred branches are spread across 6 districts. Each district has a District Manager. The managers of the bank branches report to these District Manager. The six District Managers report to the Module Head. You just have to work with the Module head.’
‘Oh really? That’s news to me.’
‘Well, you can also keep in touch with the six District Managers. The key is this, for the Module Head to win a foreign trip, a total of hundred and twenty crore insurance premium has to be collected from the branches in his purview.’
‘So that way, we keep the pressure on,’ said Raj with a smile.
‘We don’t,’ said Akhil and Raj became serious, ‘they keep the pressure on their subordinates. We just have to support them with data and new ways of scoring more points.’
‘That’s interesting,’ said Raj, finishing his coffee.
‘I know you will enjoy it.’
‘Akhila,’ said Raj and Akhila looked at him intently, ‘we’ll just shatter the targets.’
‘Oh man! What have I got here?' she said and tapped Raj on his cheek, ‘That’s the spirit Raj.’ Her touch momentarily surprised Raj.
‘This is the structure of the bank,’ said Akhila, ‘I’ll now tell you about the structure of our company.’
‘I think I know the structure of our company’
‘Tell me then.’
‘There is a Regional Head, who sits on the second floor of this office. He reports to the CEO. All branches of TITGIC in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka report to the RH. You, as manager of Chennai branch, report to him.
‘Go on,’ prodded Akhila. ‘There are three channels of sales that you handle. Agency channel, Vehicle dealers channel and Bancassurance. Since Bancassurance is very big I have been posted here to assist you with that channel alone. Am I right?’
‘Yes, you are right.’ Akhila was satisfied. After a few moments, she lead him out of the conference room.
When they reached her cubicle, they found Priyanka waiting. Raj introduced her to Akhila.
‘Can I borrow your boy for a moment?’ Priyanka asked Akhila. The latter laughed and said, ‘Only for a moment.’ It was Priyanka’s turn to laugh.
‘I am sorry ok?’ said Priyanka as soon as they stepped out of office.
‘I am sorry too,’ Raj said.
‘Look. I really want to help you. I just don’t know how.’
‘I’ll be honest. I want you to stop pitying me. It’s makes me feel bad’
‘I didn't know I was doing that.’
‘Okay now that you know, please stop it.’
‘You are making conversation difficult again.’
‘Priyanka, what were you going to tell me?’
‘What are we going to do about Geetha?’
‘Nothing’
‘What?' asked Priyanka in surprise.
‘She is doing nothing. Probably wants me to leave her alone. I have arranged for a phone with her neighbour so she can call whenever she gets a chance. The last time she got the chance, she refused to use the phone. My girlfriend is a good person but she is a coward. She will sit and cry but she won’t do anything’
‘You cannot give up on her’
‘Her cousins are in other countries. There have been inter-caste marriages in her extended family. She just needs to ask someone for help. She was furious with me when I suggested we ask her cousins for help. She says things will happen by themselves if it is God’s will. Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? What do you want me to do?’
‘Raj, she must be feeling weak without you by her side. Don’t change your mind’
‘I am not changing my mind Priyanka,’ said Raj firmly, ‘from the first day, I have had to give her assurance. Everyday she would have some doubt about the relationship and I would have to assure her that things will work.’
‘And now no-one is there to assure her’
‘Exactly! If someone has to be assured of love everyday, is it even love?’
‘Raj,’ said Priyanka softly.
‘You’re pitying her’
‘No!’
‘She’s a coward.’
***
‘What you’ve done is a horrible thing,’ said Vanita. Viki and Bala across her table in the staff room. They were prepared for the consequences.
‘But he deserved it,’ said Vanita and smiled. When the boys didn't react, she added, ‘Smile at least for the sake of courtesy.’ Viki was the first to let a grin appear on his face.
‘We really have to thank that madam for helping us,’ said Bala hiding his joy.
‘Why don't you talk to her?’ asked Vanita, ‘She hardly has anyone to talk to.’
‘We sure will,’ said Viki, ‘what’s her name?’
‘Geetha’
‘Geetha, music,’ said Bala and chuckled.
‘She’s a good person. She’s a university topper in Engineering. She’s here because of some other problems.’
‘Oh!’ was all Bala could say.
‘Here she comes,’ said Vanita looking at the door. Geetha walked in. On seeing the boys, she stopped and nervously wiped her eyes with the kerchief she clutched in her fingers. The boys were too quick to turn and she faked a smile and greeted them.
‘Thank you so much madam,’ said Viki as Geetha came around and took the seat next to Vanita. This time the smile on her face was genuine. ‘I was so shocked I screamed,’ she said, ‘but I must say you boys have guts.’ Viki and Bala looked at each other which made Vanita smile.
‘But how did you guys slap him at the same time?' asked Vanita, ‘Was it planned?’
‘Oh no!’ said Bala, ‘It just felt like the most obvious thing to do.’
Geetha laughed and said, ‘But don’t do this ever again. It could land you in serious trouble.’
‘Okay ma’am, but I must tell you, you
are brave,’ said Bala. Viki noticed the momentary flicker in Geetha’s eyes. She swallowed hard before saying, ‘You guys are brave. I wish some others in life were as brave as you guys.’
‘Geetha,’ said Vanita. Bala guessed it was a warning.
‘Only you have called us brave, rest are all telling us we are stupid,’ he said
‘Same here,’ said Geetha, ‘you’re the only ones to call me brave,’ and she laughed out loud.
Chapter 5
Lucy licked her bowl clean. Her master smiled and stretched to place the large pack of Canine Delight on the top shelf. Alison always bought the best for her Golden Retriever, from the food to the leash. She then hurried to her desk where the reports of Detective William’s cases lie. She was now working on a case of illegal waste dumping. She went through the notes she had made and cringed. I am stupid.
She sifted through the sheets in the file looking for something. With a defeated look on her face, she tried for the sixth time in vain. It’s not there. At the end of her notes, she wrote with a blue pen, ‘The laboratory dumped toxic waste illegally. An insider had informed the police anonymously. Investigation revealed that the illegal dumping happened. The Director of the laboratory pleaded guilty. A penalty was levied and a dumping site was allotted to the laboratory. Case closed.
She then picked a red sketch pen and wrote in block letter, ‘WHAT WAS THE TOXIC SUBSTANCE IN THE WASTE? WHY IS IT NOT IN THE REPORT?’
***
Raj stepped into the office. He heard muffled talks coming from Akhila’s cabin. He panicked and looked at him watch. He wasn’t late. He took his seat without making noise and powered on his laptop. Akhila and a man walked past him, oblivious of his presence. Raj saw Akhila offering her hand to the man. The man held it with both his hands and said something that Raj could no hear. He seemed to be pleading. Akhila patted the man on his cheek before sending him away. When she turned, she was momentarily taken aback seeing Raj, but quickly recovered and said, ‘Raj, we are going to meet the Module head of TIB today. I will introduce you to him.’ Raj froze seeing her full frame in the blue saree. He swallowed and said, ‘Good morning Akhila.’
‘Good morning Raj. I got the first appointment with him for you.’
‘He must be lucky,’ Raj said, still admiring her.
‘Why so?’ she asked walking past him to her cubicle.
‘He’s got the first appointment with me,’ Raj said. He’s got the first appointment with you.
‘I like your confidence. But keep a low profile when we meet him. They expect us to be sycophants. Let’s go!’
In the car, Akhila explained to Raj some protocols to be followed while dealing with public sector bankers. She was in the driving seat and Raj perused some papers she had give him.
‘They have a very strong hierarchy. A subordinate and his boss in a bank rarely talk like you and I are talking’
‘Do you want me to be like that with you?' asked Raj, ‘ Yes ma’am. No ma’am’
‘Oh no. I didn't say that.But I think you’ll have to be like that in front of the bankers.’
‘Okay I will try.’
‘Okay. So…’
‘So?’
‘Is she your girlfriend?' asked Akhila.
‘Who?’ snapped Raj. He thought about Geetha for a moment.
‘That girl…who borrowed you from me yesterday.’
‘Oh no. you can't insult me more.’ Akhila laughed.
‘She looks good.’
‘What exactly did you look?’ asked Raj, a naughty smile playing his lips.
‘Raj’ Akhila said and smiled, ‘You’re just so…’
‘So?’
‘Nothing! We’re almost here.’ They entered the zonal office of the bank. They were ushered into the office of the Module head by his secretary. The beefy man with grey hair nodded and they sat.
‘You have nine minutes,’ the man said, bluntly.
‘Sir, Very good morning to you sir,’ Akhila begun like a kid reciting a composition, ‘thank you for the opportunity to meet your esteemed self sir. Sir, this is Raj.’ Raj nodded. ‘He is newly taking over as Bancassurance Manager for our module sir. So I wanted to introduce him to you sir.’
The man eyed Raj for a moment and asked Akhila, ‘If this boy is going to take over Bancassurance channel, what are you going to do?’
Boy, Raj sighed. Akhila giggled artificially and said, ‘Sir, I take care of other channels also sir. Insurance sold by individual agents, insurance sold by car dealers, etc sir. Since the bank channel is the most important to our company, we have an exclusive manager for the channel.’
‘Oh I see.’ said the man turning to Raj, ‘So he will exclusively work for Banca.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Akhila said before Raj could answer.
‘Good luck boy. Introduce yourself to the six District Managers.’
‘Yes, sir, I will take him to them,’ Akhila said and stood up. She stooped forward and continued, ‘Thank you so much for your valuable time sir.’ The man nodded looking into his phone.
Back in the car, Akhila said, ‘He has huge expectations on you. You should give your best.’
‘Gandalf has expectations on me?’ Raj said, irritated.
‘Gosh Raj, what are you talking?’ Akhila asked, confused.
‘So you think Gandalf is an expletive right? He can’t even smile at someone at this time in the morning. And you say he has huge expectations on me.’
‘He couldn't be more polite,’ she said.
‘Are you serious?’ Raj asked incredulously.
‘Raj, that’s all you can expect from people of such high calibre. They have so much on their mind.’ The six district managers had their offices in the same premises. They hardly visited their districts.
‘I feel like we just spoke to a walls,’ Raj said when they reached the car parking after visiting the district managers.
‘You will have to learn to adjust Raj,’ said Akhila, ‘this MBA degree makes you guys forget manners.’ When she didn’t get a reply, Akhila changed the subject.
‘I guess you saw the guy who met me this morning.’
‘Yes, I saw him.’
‘He was working in my team earlier. He created a bad reputation for himself by being cocky and the Regional Head did not take it well. Ali got transferred to some remote branch in Karnataka.’
Raj remained silent. Akhila glanced at him and said, ‘I didn’t say this to warn you or something.’
‘Okay.’
‘I feel responsible for Ali. He’s younger to you. I recruited him when he was just twenty and he was in my team for three years.’ She glanced again and saw Raj’s face soften. ‘My boss didn’t like him. What could I do? Ali often comes here asking me for help. And I make some fake promises and send him back every single time.’
After a long pause, Akhila asked, ‘Is there something you want to tell me?’ Raj remained passive. She placed a hand on his and said with a smile, ‘I dare you to tell me’
Raj sighed ‘I said the Module Head is lucky.’
‘Yes,’ said Akhila, ‘because he got an appointment with you?’
‘No, he got to see you in the morning. He will have a beautiful day.’
‘God who have I got here,’ exclaimed Akhila, ‘a lady charmer.’
***
Viki and Bala became well acquainted with Geetha over time. On a Saturday evening, when a movie was being screened at the auditorium as per routine, Bala noticed Geetha seated at the back. He motioned Viki to follow him and the two sat beside Geetha, one on each side. Geetha could not hold back her excitement. ‘Is it not a problem for you guys to sit here with me?’
‘What’s the problem?’ asked Viki genuinely. They could hear each other clearly inspite of the movie going on. ‘Won’t your teachers say anything?’
‘They won’t say anything to us.’
‘Aries and Sagittarius. You’re both brave. I am not like you.’
‘How do you know?’
‘I know. Bala,April-five,Aries. Vikram,December-eighteen,Sagittarius.’
‘Wrong!’ said Bala.
‘This is what your school register says,’ Geetha defended.
‘My birthday is on April 4. Some stupid nurse who made the entry in the register didn’t know the date. I have to live with her blunder.’ Geetha suppressed laughter.
‘You’re still Aries,’ said Geetha. Bala laughed out loud.
‘Shh! Quiet.’
‘What? Do you have a problem?’ asked Viki.
‘Not at all. I am only not supposed to use phones. Nobody told me I shouldn't talk to you guys.’
‘You shouldn't use a phone?’ asked Bala incredulously. ‘No’ said Geetha turning to her right, facing Bala. ‘Then whose phone was that you used to record what the invigilator did?’ asked Bala. Viki watched Geetha intently.
‘Oh that,’ said Geetha, ‘that was Vanita ma’am’s phone.’
‘Okay,’ said Bala.
‘And I didn't record anything,’ squealed Geetha, sticking her palms together in front of her.
‘What?’ Bala and Viki asked in unison.
Geetha grinned and said, ‘I thought you knew. Vanita left the phone on the table when she left the room during the examination. I used that phone to scare that man.’
The wonder on Bala’s face was evident to Geetha, even in the dim light of the auditorium. She then turned to see Viki wearing a similar expression.
‘I really thought you guys knew,’ said Geetha, suppressing her grin.
‘You are really brave,’ said Bala. ‘And smart,’ added Viki. Geetha was all teeth.
After a few minutes, Viki asked, ‘Why are you not supposed to have a phone?’
‘That’s a long story,’ said Geetha, ‘and a boring one.’
‘Will you tell us?’ asked Bala.
‘You guys are very young,’ said Geetha, ‘I shouldn't corrupt you with my stories.’
‘Is it about sex?’ asked Viki and Geetha was taken aback. Bala came close to her right ear and said, ‘If you trust us, tell us.’
Accidental Inquisitors Page 3