Tomato soup with extra ginger - !

‘Rs 60? What for? Mister, I travel to this place everyday & the fare isn’t more than Rs 45. Now enough cheating. I am not giving more than Rs 45’, Radha argued with the rickshaw driver.

The rickshaw driver was getting on her nerves. It wasn’t great to feel so pissed off right in the morning. That too a Monday morning. Radha was standing right in front of her office building gate, arguing with the auto fellow over Rs. 15. Through a sideway glance, she could see the gate guards getting agitated over the auto standing right in front of the gate. The seniors would soon start coming in their cars & wouldn’t want to be obstructed upon with this 3 wheeler.

Radha heard a black Toyota Corolla honking behind the auto, wanting to turn into the gate. Few guards came running towards her.

‘Take this 50. I am NOT giving more than this, you get it?’ Radha glared at the auto fellow, resisting the urge to wring his neck. Not only was she upset over the auto fellow’s behaviour, she was also embarrassed because she was seen in such a state by so many other people travelling in their own vehicles. How must she look like standing there, beside an auto in the middle of the road? She anyway felt very awkward coming by an auto every day.

More so, because the black Toyota belonged to their COO, who had recently come in from Delhi & shifted his base here. Kunal Maheshwari. He was a young & a dynamic man. Not really handsome, but very attractive. There was something in his personality that fascinated all females.  No one knew anything about his personal life but he was the hottest topic of discussion in the ladies room.

She saw Sonia giving her clothes a disapproving glance. Nothing unusual about it. She was used to it by now. Definitely a plain white salwar kameez with puff sleeves paired with a cheetah print dupatta isn’t a great choice of clothes, isn’t it? But what could poor Radha do. Here taste of Indian clothes was pathetic. Radha hadn’t worn salwar kameez in the previous 25 years of her life.

‘Radha’ Sonia said lazily, stressing on the name. Radha cringed on hearing her own name. For the thousandth time she thought why her parents hadn’t chosen a better name for her. At least, Radhika would have been better.

‘Hope you remember the meeting we have with our COO today. You know, on OD initiatives? Was the weekend long enough for you to think of some good ideas to speak in the meeting?’ Sonia asked smugly.

Radha heard sniggers from some colleagues seated around them. As usual, Radha had nothing witty to answer back to her. The fact was, she had indeed thought a lot about the meeting. She did come up with some points but none of them sounded like big HR jargons. So she wasn’t confident about them.

‘Err, Sonia? I am sure you would have some great ideas, right?’ asked Anil. No one could miss the love-bug-bitten expression on this face. He simply worshipped the earth Sonia walked on.

‘Of course! I thought about the ideas on my way to work today morning. When I was driving, you see’ Sonia answered proudly. ‘We should get going, team. Its 10 minutes to 10.’

Sonia was merely 1 year senior to the team, but acted like she was a HR know-all. The worst was, everyone loved to follow her.

Radha listened to Kunal in awe. She was overpowered by his magnetic personality. He spoke with so much ease, with both his thumbs hooked in his jeans pockets.

‘Hi everyone. So, I finally get to meet our HR champions. Well, maybe I should have held this meeting long back. I've observed this work place since about 2 months now & I see a few gaps that need to be filled, some changes that need to be made. What we all call in our profession, OD. An interesting subject, right? We do face some issues of attrition, a very average productivity, late sitting, etc. Now, coming straight to point, can I hear from few of you on what do you suggest should be done?

‘Competency based processes. All our processes must be mapped through a consistent Competency model’ Sonia was the first to speak up.

‘A better trained workforce’ Shruti said

‘More motivational initiatives’

‘A KRA system of appraisal’

‘The young lady in white there. Do you have something to say too?’ Kunal suddenly asked Radha.

Giggles sounded from a corner.

‘Er. I think. I mean. This place needs some fun. We are too formal. So....... So...... something to .......... make it more lively.......’ Radha answered uncertainly.

She pretended to check her mobile phone, as if she had just received an alert. She couldn’t lift her face to see anyone. She was always made to feel the dumbest of the full 15 members HR team in group forums.

‘Well, some good points from all of you. Please help me & hand over your ideas to me. I’ll go through them & hold another meeting in 2 weeks time. Hhmm, Lady in white. Please collect all the papers & bring them to me. I will have one of you assisting me in all the forthcoming OD initiatives. Kapoor will inform you. Thanks.’ And he was out of the conference hall.

With an effort, Radha collected all the sheets. Fortunately for her, no one targeted her this time. They were all busy discussing who will get to assist Kunal.

‘Of course, it will be Sonia. She is so intelligent’ Anil sounded thrilled.

Radha rolled her eyes. Oh no! Not again.

Radha knocked at Kunal’s cabin door. Through the glass, she saw Kunal engrossed studying a few sheets.

‘Come in’ he answered without looking up.

Radha went in and stood in front of him awkwardly. Should I disturb him? He seems to be concentrating on something. What do I do?

Finally he looked up and started absently at Radha, not quite recognizing her. He looked at the bunch of papers in her hands.

‘Oh ya. Keep them here. Anywhere here’ he said hastily, waving his hand vaguely over his cluttered table & went back to studying the document.

Radha kept the papers and rushed out without a word. She felt stupid, stupid, stupid.

***



(To be continued)