My near miss #metoo time

The lady was upset after all she was the central minister, how dare an ED of a PSU not attend her phone call, let it be Sunday, “So What?”

She thundered to her PA to connect the concerned minister MJ in Delhi as she was camping in Bhopal. MJ got an earful from the lady Miss UB. MJ gave a ring to KGR, the  CMD of the PSU. All this was happening on a fateful Sunday in 2002 .

The concerned ED ,SNR was busy playing his Sunday tennis with Anil and his friends in the officers’ club of the organization in Bhopal. SNR could see a bunch of retired employees shouting slogans in front of his bungalow. They were demanding that company should sell the surplus quarters to them where they were allowed to stay after retirement by paying a nominal rent. It is the real camel and tent story. First put the tail in the tent and then gradually the whole body.

When SNR returned home from the club through the shouting crowd then he was told by his wife, “ Someone from Bhopal was giving ring in the mobile.’ By that time he was told that there had been a suicide of a staff’s wife and he ought to attend that funeral. After taking a hurried lunch he left without the mobile. Once again the same ring came on his mobile and his wife informed the caller that he had gone out to attend the funeral leaving the mobile in the quarter.

The reader may note that two events are occurring parallel to each other viz SNR rushing and the ring from the lady minister coming which went unattended by SNR. By the time he returned an irritated CMD’s ring came in the evening who said settle the issue with Miss UB otherwise on her return to Delhi she would chew him. SNR called his PR and HR heads to fix a meeting in the evening but she had by that time gone out to Sehore and would return next day afternoon. Also it emerged the call was on the behest of those retired employees who had roped in some politician to reach that fiery lady.

Next day SNR arrived at the circuit house with his team where leaders of retired employees were already there in Shamla Hills. They smirked at SNR and loudly said, “Now he will get from her a mouthful!””

SNR and his officers huddled together started strategizing the response.

There was commotion, it was past 4 pm , the lady limping with a stick entered. SNR’s close lieutenant RG got up and contacted a staff known to him.

Suddenly a staff came and asked ,”Who is SNR, ED?”

SNR got up, others from his office too got up. That staff said ,”No, she would like to have one to one talk with SNR!”

That was the #metoo moment, knowing the temper of the lady through news channels SNR apprehended a stormy one sided session where he would be given an earful by the minister lady.

He opened the door and found that she was not alone, there was a volunteer from the political party massaging her calf which was dipped in a bucket full of warm water. He walked towards her , she glared for a moment but then her facial expression changed after looking at the face of SNR, she said, “I  called you alone as I wanted to scold at you in privacy but when I looked at your face then I realized there is some miscommunication somewhere. I can read faces, I read your face and found that you don’t have any crooked line on your face, it’s a smiling face. Why did you avoid my phone call. I am a cabinet minister so I called you if I would have been an ordinary MP then I would have gone to you quarter.” She offered him a chair to sit.

SNR responded, “Madame I am sorry if you thought deliberately I did not attend your phone call. It so happened that I got caught in some other semi personal business.” Then he explained the reason in detail. To cut the story short, she was satisfied by the reply. Then SNR cautioned her about selling official quarters to those retired employees as it was the subjudice as a few months back court has put a hold on a similar demand in Bhilai Steel Plant. Then she called her PA and asked the leaders to come, the officers who came with SNR too entered. She took the demand letter from the retired employees and handed over those to SNR requesting to look into the issue sympathetically. After everything was over she offered her ministry help whenever SNR needed.

Well folks by this time you know who SNR is but the rest names you have to figure out. But I must admit that before entering the room I was having nightmare knowing her mercurial temper.

Also I was pretty surprised she carried on the conversation in good English and the offer of her ministry help was a nice gesture. By the way during the conversation she said that she considered me as her elder brother, the partly greying hair and my portly look helped.