Soumya tells us about dirty office politics and how the wily ones rule the roost or so it seems. An exclusive for Different Truths.

Ajay had been posted as incharge at the fully air-conditioned prestigious flagship branch in Kala Ghora in sobo as a reward for his excellent track record. He was the regional chief’s blue-eyed boy.

But regional chiefs change, and with them, the colours of the eye.

The workaholic South Indian chief went on to the corporate office to be replaced by a political appointee from the north.

His first job was to weed out the favourites of his predecessors and replace them with pliable loyalists

Ajay’s track record made it difficult to replace him

Then one day he instructed Ajay on telephone that a loan to a company had to be immediately sanctioned as the client was politically connected.

Ajay politely pointed out that the case as per documents submitted wasn’t tenable. He was told to advise the client as to what documents were needed and to replace the existing ones with the desired ones

Ajay requested a written confirmation. This made the boss furious, and Ajay was summoned to the Guest House on Sunday and the instructions were repeated.

Ajay suggested that he would keep a speaking note mentioning the circumstances and quoting time, place and persons present in whose presence the instructions were given.

The livid boss threatened to transfer him to Assam and Ajay said that would be great as he had not been to the northeast and believed it was really beautiful.

A few days later, a colleague came to Ajay’s branch and after the usual pleasantries Ajay asked how he could help. He was stunned to hear that this colleague had come to replace Ajay.

There were no orders or paperwork, just the verbal instructions of the boss.

Ajay was transferred not to Guwahati but to Dharavi, a notorious branch currently headless as the previous incumbent was suspended and under CBI custody.

Ajay called the boss and asked whether in handing over charge documents against order details he should write as verbally instructed by chief? Ajay knew that transfer of branch managers could be issued only by the corporate office.

Unfazed, the chief asked his deputy to issue a letter for temporary handing over subject to ratification, saying that because of Ajay’s exemplary track record, he was the best person to set right the troubled branch.

Ajay was stumped.

His juniors were terrified that the new boss would get the unviable loans through and get them all in trouble.

They gave Ajay a very sentimental farewell, missing their train back, which for Mumbaikars is the ultimate sacrifice.

Ajay was really touched.

While leaving, he whispered to his number two that he should tell the new boss that Ajay has kept photocopies of all sensitive files and keeps those at home.

This was an outright lie, as he never took work home, but it was enough to stump the regional chief and his chosen henchman from benefitting his cronies illegally, at a cost to the bank.

This would keep the employees safe from future enquiries and problems.

Thus, Ajay managed to salvage the situation

Later he managed to survive the notorious Dharavi branch too, and return to Lucknow on transfer, but that is another story.

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Soumya Mukherjee

Soumya Mukherjee is an alumnus of St Stephens College and Delhi School of Economics. He earns his daily bread by working for a PSU Insurance company, and lectures for peanuts. His other passions, family, friends, films, travel, food, trekking, wildlife, music, theater, and occasionally, writing. He has been published in many national newspapers of repute. He has published his first novel, Memories, a novella, hopefully, the first of his many books. He blogs as well.

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