There is always a light

There is always a light
Don't be afraid if you are alone or surrounded by darkness. In some part of the world, the day has just begun. There is a always a light waiting for you to find your way to touch its radiance.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Sholay Revisited

By Anindita Baidya
Anand, Gujarat, India


Thakur Baldev Singh, the Head of Ramgarh Food Supplies Ltd. was more than eager to have a detailed study on the ‘Role clarity’ in his organization.  No, he did not trust Gabbar, his Senior Supervisor-Supplies department, to do that internally.  Gabbar did not particularly have very impressive ways of gathering supplies.  Thakur needed to outsource the study, for the benefit of an ‘outsider’s view’ on the role played by each of his team members.
So he hired Jay and Veeru, two brilliant C-grade B-school interns and entrusted them with the job.  They would spend a month at Ramgarh Food Supplies and draw an organogram with clear roles.
Jay and Veeru valiantly arrived at the organization, was received by the vivacious Ms Basanti, who later on went on to be Veeru’s life partner and business consultant; well, that is a different story. 
The under-grads spent days beating their head in getting to understand what the entire team was actually doing.  Gabbar was the most dreaded Supervisor, one could have ever imagined and made the life of his team, a hell.  In addition to being a veteran in supply procedures, he was an amateur self-proclaimed homeopath consultant.  So anyone who crossed his path was tortured to death by his, ‘Abb goli khaa’…his (homeopathy) goli was the most dreaded stuff in the office. 
Kalia, one of his trusted team members, the fat, curly, cute little thing was the worst hit.  He had been administered some homeopathy mineral, which Kalia termed, for pure fun, as ‘Namak’ but in spite of doses of the medicinal namak, Kalia’s trouble did not decrease. So Gabbar ruthlessly prescribed some Goli for him and in spite of poor Kalia’s vehement pleadings, ‘Sardar, maine aapka namak khaayaa hai..”, the affectionate but stern Gabbar suggested, ‘Abb goli khaa’.
Gabbar spent a considerable amount of time entertaining himself on the internet viewing some item numbers by ‘Mehbooba’ and hitting flies.  ‘Sardar makhkhi maartein hain’.
Samba was the most trusted one, of Gabbar.  For his boss, Samba played the role of a record and appointment keeper. Not one decision was taken by Gabbar without validating with Samba.  Samba supplied all info on appointments; “Holi kab hai? Kab hai Holi”’ and Samba was his stock keeper, ‘Kitne goli hain?’
Samba sat in the office, in an aloof place, most of the time browsing through websites, claiming that he was actually, sharpening his axe.
Here our Jay and Veeru were amidst a lot of confusion about the task each of the officers did.  Basanti was a perfect professional, no unnecessary chat, no friendship; she was clear, Ghora aur Ghaas dosti nahi kar sakte. There was the surma-smeared Bhopali who spent his time chatting about how he out-smarted these two interns, Jay and Veeru. 
And amidst all these, Thakur saab and Gabbar were at loggerheads with each other and Thakur saab secretly ordered the intern duo to suggest something in the report that could usher the oust of Gabbar.
So after a lot of consultation, observation, Jay and Veeru came up with a report.  It actually suggested that in the organization, all are actually doing the same job.  Gabbar, Samba, Kalia all are engaged in the same task, ‘sabhi khayini bana rahe hain’, as Veeru put forth. And this was because Thakur, the Head, ‘khaini bana nahi sakte’, Jay explained, ‘Kyunki unke haath hee nahi hai..”
With a new feeling of powerlessness (on realizing that he had lost his hands to his junior, Gabbar), the annoyed Thakur ordered the interns to stop their research mid-way; however impressed at their efficient ways, he offered them job and free accommodation at Ramgarh Food Supplies, but having only one vacancy, he left the decision to the interns, to decide who would stay back at Ramgarh Food Supplies..
The ever protective Jay suggested a toss and thus went the coin high in the air and Jay decided, ‘Heads I go, tails, I stay’.  And as it was a ‘head’. Jay left and Veeru was inducted into the organization, must to his delight that he could be around Basati now.
It is only later that Veeru discovered that Jay had actually decided to call it quits in the organization, not for the benefit of buddy Veeru but he was allured by a fat offer from an MNC and a prospect of settling abroad.
Only later did Veeru discover that the coin which Veeru often tossed, had Head on both the sides…….!!!!

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