The Hungry Days...

Hi,

Life can be painful, boring, bad or a combination of all of these even if you are not doing anything wrong.

Below is a story of such a man (or boy), if you have time and patience do read till the end. Otherwise not an issue at all, but pls ensures you read it at least after you get free.

**************************The story**************************

He is tired. Its already 11.30 of a Friday night, still the big bosses are on with a review meeting. He thinks how long will the meeting last? When will he get a chance to and feed his hungry belly. If its too late how will he travel back home...

Same repeated stuffs in the meeting, he is exhausted, probably he is grilled because people want him to say "OK, i give up." but he is not the one who will end as a loser. He says something, thinks something else and finally comes out of the conference room at 11.55 PM. Searches for a smoke outside, gets one and with the smoke tries to forget what happened inside and thinks what next?

In between the search for an auto rickshaw becomes difficult even in a big city as it’s already midnight. But finally he gets one, comes back to room and finds no food and not even any snacks. The hungry belly feels the pain, but by crying no one's belly gets filled up. he drinks water and goes to sleep thinking probably when he was not earning a 30k+ package life probably was not this much painful. Anyways he could not even creep much about it as next morning plans are ready for a morning activity.

At 1.30 probably he watches the time for last time and then he sleeps with hunger, anger, fear and tears fully in control of his mind, body and soul.

With the sound of alarm the rest (or the lack of it) comes to an end. Its 5.00 AM. He calls each of his subordinates, wakes them up and says meeting at 6,30 in front of the branch for morning activity.

Morning activity let me tell you, is the biggest hoax in his company. people have to gather at places like park and say good morning to others, give them a gift, collect their numbers and then contact them to sell something and they will say "NO." the classic example of activity without productivity. But still he can not challenge management. He convinces the team to be there on time. Still carrying with the hunger he reaches there 15 mins late to find only one more guy. Then again he calls others. finally with half the team they start some activity, in between his boss kept on calling him, just to check (or crosscheck) if things are happening the way they were discussed.

9.00 AM, he goes back to branch and thinks lets go and have some food, in between his boss wants to see all the data collected (and send them to check if do not call numbers are there) and he needs to do a typing of the same as the team is left to take some rest and come back refreshed. He types fast; faster at his best speed coz he is hungry. Just when he is about to finish the task, he gets a call "how long will you take, don’t send me anything, DNC people do not work on Saturday." All effort though was not in vain but the sacrifice of hunger was really wasted.

"OK let me have food", he thinks and there came two boys for an interview. He interviews them, rejects them but loses 40 more minutes. In this course it’s already 11.00 and the new joinees have arrived. Boss’s order was to train them. He just starts some topic and gets a call from his boss, "where are you". He says, "I am in branch". Next question comes, "branch me kya anda de rahe ho," which means are you laying egg in the office. "Your team is new, don’t you think you should go out and source business on your own before the team becomes stable". "OK sir", he says and gives the team some books to read and get trained on their own and thinks what next.

He plans to finish some eating and then go out with older members of his team but there were few urgent appointments set by one of his new team member which are big clients, so he thinks lets go with him and close the cases ASAP.

So, both of them start, to a distance place, reach there in an hour. As the team member is new, this guy uses his own selling skills, to sell a lot of products to the same customer. In between a call comes from his boss just to check what’s happening. He says about getting so many businesses at this place, the boss instead of being happy says, “Its so late and only one meeting, pathetic...."

Immediately follows the second appointment with the same team member, closed again. "good job”, he thinks of himself and at 3.00 PM, thinks now food is a must otherwise head-ache will just get the hell out of him.

At that time only another of his subordinates wants him to accompany him for a call. Again a new chap, he can not say no. he has to rush coz appointment is at 3.30. He reaches there on time. Convinces the customer and sells one more account for his team member. Branches these days are doing 1-2 or max three forms per day, today he alone had closed four accounts (first appointment he got two accounts from the same family). "Boss will really be happy", he thinks as he heads for his fourth appointment. What a day, this guy should have been a sales man, not a manager, he thinks as he comes out of that appointment with the fifth account of the day. The hunger for food has turned into hunger for business, but headache was not in a mood to settle. He thought its enough. Let me go and have something.

But another hot lead postponed for the day. "Let me go there" he volunteers as the day is going great for business. It’s becoming filmy now. This customer also agrees to open an account and is about to give documents when our poor chap of the story gets a call from his boss again. "Have you got the leaflets for tomorrow’s news paper insert activity" was the question. "Boss I am outside on a call, don’t know if things have reached branch or not. Once I go, I will confirm", he says with a softened tone as usual. Boss is in no mood to listen. "What the hell, you ******, do you have any ownership of the business or not. You do not even know if things have reached your branch. What the ****", boss continues. The poor boy says, "I will check it and revert" as he puts the phone down. The customer could well sense what was the conversation all about but still he agrees and opens his account too.

This could well be the best day a sales guy can have, "so many" hard to believe. This guy verifies about the courier and calls his boss to inform about the courier status and the success story of the day. It’s a super sales man's effort. He thought his boss will be full of praise this time around. He calls now. Boss says, "OK brave effort so many closures how many your team people have done on their own." "Nothing sir" comes the reply but i had done it for them only na. Boss laughs, "you are just a highly paid laborer, who the hell selected you as the manager". Reply comes, “Sir my team is new, if I do not show hard work, then how will they learn...". Boss laughs, "stop giving excuses". He wonders, "excuse???"

In the mean time the day is all set to end its journey and is anxiously waiting to welcome the night. the hungry boy gets a call from a staff in the Branch "are you coming back or we will close the branch?" he asks for 30 minutes and reaches the branch, the empty branch, where the last branch staffs leaves saying good bye". The silence inside office makes him feel even worse. he finishes some urgent official mails, some documentations, staples his and his team's visiting card on leaflets (again a laborer’s job) and wonders if he can have some food... its 24 hours now!!!

He calls his boss "sir, I am finished with all the tasks. I have given the leaflets to the vendor, not feeling very well. Its already 9.30. I am going home." Boss says, "Do not trust the vendor, and ensure you are there at 4.45 in the morning, when they put leaflets inside news paper. Otherwise they will not do it properly." "OK sir" he says and fully knowing he can not get any transport from his flat to office so early in the morning he tries to contact people who stay near by the Branch just to ensure he can stay somewhere. Sadly, no positive response. He calls his boss to inform his misery and gets the greatest motivating reply " that's not my f***ing problem". This poor chap gives a smile. Fully knowing he can not close the branch and open again, he can not even go out with the bank opened. He can not complete his food. He can not...."

He can’t help his tears....

He cries, he cries his heart out. Goes to the bathroom of bank and cries loudly. So loudly that even the security guard comes inside and says "sahab aap bahot kaam karte ho na?"

He is shocked, even what a security guard can feel can never be understood by big names in the management. Anyways it happens.

He stays in office, half sleepy, half awake...

No email access, AC as usual is gifting hot air. He thinks to call his friends, family and cry his heart out, but he chooses to be silent. Finally its 4.30. He is still alive, time to close the bank. Time to reach news paper vendor, he was there on time too, things were completed smoothly. He sips some tea and feels great. Even roadside tea is tasty. He realizes. He gets an auto at 5.30 and come back to his flat.

Prepares rice, puts water in that to make water rice, which is called pakhal in his state. Prepares some potato fries (alu bhaja). Sadly his luck is still playing games with him and the potato fries become far more salty. He accepts them gracefully, with some onion pieces and chili giving him a get company on the food plate. He is relieved and thinks when he felt like this before...

this tired man goes for a sleep, but as expected his boss calls up him on a Sunday morning to ask how is the response from paper insert, is he and his team working on the holiday, why not and stuffs like that". He listened to it all, smiled and is still alive.

*********************end of the story************************

Great na. What an amazing day he lived. What was his fault? Needless to mention you all know who the so called poor chap in the story is?

Is being too good a crime in the world, is it not answering back to people who deserve it. If the life of a man is so painful, then why I was not born as a dog.

With this type of life being a regularity now (barring the food aspect, which I have at least 6 times a week) what do you think I should do to live my life.

I want to live a life, I want to be happy again, I want to be fit again, am not I paying too much a cost for the life that I am currently leaving?

The headache is not yet over, but I thought of sharing my feelings with some of those who are closest to me. Hence sharing my frustrations...

Thanks for reading with patience.