My Friend Gargi

My friend Gargi

It was a rain-washed afternoon of a late August day, when I visited my friend’s house in Gurgaon.  For the last fortnight Gurgaon had a few sharp showers from the monsoon sprinkling.  Gargi has a good sense of interior decoration and we made ourselves comfortable in her low-sitting arrangement. I opened the window and let the fresh air flowing through the house.  Gargi prepared tea and poured them in her beautiful wood-fired mugs.  She went to the kitchen to bring some biscuits when the door- bell rang.  “Who could this be?” she said softly and then went forward to open the door.  The courier man handed her an envelope. Gargi took the envelope and it seemed she knew what was inside.  Oh! She said, “This is the Health Insurance card send to Rajat from his ex office which we receive every year and will do so, till my husband completes 70”.

Gargi kepton turning the envelope and a wonderful memory brightened her face up. The crystal clear picture of yester years filled her mind with joy. Then she kept on saying when they were in Kolkata, erstwhile  Calcutta, that in late eighties, her husband decided to build a house in his ancestral land which was in the suburbs. He had completed the ground floor and as there was a lot of material left he got the first floor structure done, but could not complete the house.  Rajat was worried as the incessant rains would weaken the structure, but alas! He was helpless and did not know how to complete the building.

One day as usual he had his breakfast, took a share auto and went to the metro station. When he reached his office gate, the durwan told him that his boss’s secretary ,Margaret, wanted him to see her. Margaret was not far away, as she was waiting for Rajat. When she saw him, she said, “Mr. Chatterjee you are 10 minutes late, boss was enquiring about you, rush within 5 minutes”. Rajat collected his files and he was sure he had made a number of mistakes. Of late he could not concentrate in his work and was absent minded. This did not go unnoticed by  Utpal Sanyal. Rajat loosened his tie knot and wiped his face with his hand, he gently knocked the door and opened it, “Sir may I come in”   “Yes Rajat, please take your seat”

Utpal Sanyal was known as “Paul Sir”, a gentleman of a distinguished character, tall and a man of great personality. He was strong, very firm, disciplined and yet affectionate. All the employees working under him were on toes when Paul Sir was around.  “Rajat you seem troubled. I have  noticed that you are inattentive and forgetful when you are working. You can speak your heart out. Tell me friend what is troubling you?”  “Sir” Rajat fumbled, “Sir you know I got my house built” “Oh! Good, yes go ahead”. “Sir, the ground floor is completed but only the structure of the first floor has been done and---------------“Before Rajat could complete his sentence, his boss said, “How much money do you need to complete the first floor?” Rajat took a breathe and paused for a moment, “Sir another 60 thousand would be enough to complete the first floor.”  Mr. Sanyal looked at him, “Well, Rajat you must be aware of it that the company needs a few more flats for those who are transferred from the other metro cities, as they are allotted the office flats.  We can take your ground floor flat on rent and this way you could pay back the 60 thousand to the company. I will see to it that you get the amount soon which would be interest free”. 

Rajat did not want to use the word “Thanks” as he knew that his boss was above all thanks. He quickly left the place and went back to work. That evening he came back home early.  “Are you well Rajat?” Gargi kept on asking him. She was surprised as Rajat generally never came home before 8 pm and today it was 3 hours earlier.  Rajat was quiet, he said “Can you make a cup of tea for me?” and before Gargi  could say anything he climbed up the stairs. Gargi followed him with the cup of tea in hand. As he was looking at the structure he told Gargi everything about the pleasant conversation he had with his boss. Mr. Sanyal had seen to it that Rajat got the said amount and soon the first floor was completed. Rajat and his family shifted to the first floor and their ground floor was taken by the company for residential purpose.  Time flies and more than two years passed. Gargi said that she got busy with her children, their schools, and exams etc.

One  calm, quiet and a peaceful evening, Gargi and Rajat were taking a stroll in their neighbourhood when Rajat told her that their Paul Sir would be leaving as he wanted to settle down in his native town and start his own consultation.  Rajat  got up early that Monday  and reached office before time. He wanted to meet Paul Sir. It was a bright spring morning. The gardener was taking care of the beautiful season flowers. It was so pleasant walking past the garden to Mr. Sanyal’s room. There was only one pain, which everyone felt and that was, Mr. Sanyal leaving the office soon. Rajat had taken an appointment from his boss’s secretary, the day before, and now he was at the door of Mr. Sanyal’s room. He knocked at the door, and slightly opened it, “Sir, can I come in”  “Yes Rajat please come and take your seat.”  “Sir are you leaving us?”.  “Yes” he nodded his head.  “I am having some health problems and would like to go back to my native place”. Then Rajat told him, “Sir you were our pioneer, our inspiration and always stood up for justice for everyone. Sir, you had helped me a lot which I cannot forget”.   “Did I do something for you?”  His disciplined face turned into childlike.  “I do not remember” when Rajat was narrating this to me, I closed my eyes and  I felt I was walking on the clouds which led to a fairyland. I kept on wondering that how can someone say so?  This world is for give and take. If by mistake someone did something, he/she reminds you, “I have done this for you, for me, today you are doing this job, I helped you when you were short of money, and so many more I’s, Me and Myself”.  Even your own sometimes do not leave you and here was a gentleman, who had helped many and did not remember of any kind deed done to others.

Rajat couldn’t continue further and did not know what to say but when he was telling me about Paul Sir, he got emotional and I could hear his voice break up to silent sobs. All the while I was quiet and then I asked Gargi, “Did you meet the gentleman?”  “Yes”  said she, “Once or twice I had been to my husband’s office and I saw him, but did not get the opportunity to speak to him”  Gargi then kept on telling me more about Paul Sir as she had heard  from Rajat. Mr. Sanyal was then the factory Manager of a small unit, when he received orders from his high authorities, that the company has excess people and would like to lessen the number. All the factory managers had been asked to submit a list of few employees who would have to leave within a month. It was July and the rains had lashed the city, but despite all odds, people were engaged to glorify the office buildings. The lawns looked lush and green and the office was given a new face. All the factory managers were asked to be present at the head office in Calcutta.  Steve Donald was going through the list. He was pleased to see a number of employee names ,when he finally asked Utpal to hand him over his list. He did hand over a sheet to Steve and got back to his work. Donald who got busy with meetings did not care to see it. Later in the evening, he called Utpal and asked him about the list.  “Sir, I handed the paper to you in the morning” Donald looked hard, “Well here is a sheet but it has you’re your name, are you showing me gimmicks?” “Sir, all the employees working under me are efficient and if the company wants someone to go, then I can find only one name, and that is me.”  Donald was bowled over, and wondered what to do----------to honour, have reverence or to fire him. Finally he got his voice, “Utpal I have worked in a few companies and here I am for the last 27 years, I have met many people and visited many lands but I have never come across a person like you. You are a strict disciplinarian but when it comes to terms, “You Protect”.   “How safe your employees are. They stand strong and determined. For you taught them to swim hard, but never let them drown. Whatever the consequences, they know, you will face. Carry on Utpal, carry on, and I will speak to the higher authorities about you”. The next day Steve Donald carefully slipped the sheet which Utpal had handed to him in an envelope and left for Canada.  Our whole life is about understanding and asking questions----------------how many answers we get it is hard to say. Memories never die. Sweet memories come back more often and are clear and brilliant. They are like treasures kept safe in heart.

By Minakshi Chakravorty