Chapter 21 Zebra can’t change its stripes

Rajeev Sinha crouched behind the pillar of Pristine Resort, so that none of 18 people from Epicure Exports who had gone for the retreat could spot him. Chances were dim that anyone would see him, because it was 2.30 at night, but then you could never be sure, he thought. May be anyone who had boozed more than his share of drinks, would be loitering out, just like him and could see him. He crouched inside the pillar once again and he had reasons to do so. With only a brief to cover his modesty, there was no way, he could let any colleague find him.

It happened that after a strenuous and tiresome session with the renowned leadership expert, Mohan Khera at the retreat where the senior management of Epicure had aggregated to sharpen their leadership skills as now on them had the task of taking the company to a new platform. The so called suave, sophisticated men, who preferred to be called as boys loosened themselves at the bar. Sinha had never seen angrezi whisky and he had more than he could stomach. Sometime in the night, he threw up on the pristine bed of the Pristine resort and went out to find a housekeeping staff only in his brief. Drink induced slumber was too much for him to rationalize, and the door got locked. Mercifully, one of the staffs saw him and got him in. But, Sinha being Sinha, managed to get himself locked out once again and spent the rest of the night chilling out, literally behind the shady palm tree, waiting for the first rays of the sun to appear on the firmament. His agony ended only when the same housekeeping staff rescued him once again this time at the fine of Rs 500. Sinha paid it albeit reluctantly and a part of his heart broke as the guy pocketed it with a crisp salute, asking him to keep the key with him, whenever he went out. Sinha would not forget his instructions now as long as he lived, after all it came at a price of Rs 500.

Murphy had expounded a law. What can go wrong will go wrong. The law proved itself during the course of retreat at Pristine Resort. T shirts came in the wrong sizes. A frail looking Vaibhav Gujral, who was head of the quality control, had been given the T shirt of the size of Hulk Hogan with his name written at the back, Jain’s T shirt was actually a tank top. Never mind, as he wears  his trousers right from his chest, so no one is going to notice the difference, said Ashmi to soothe the frantic nerves of Laily who had gone insane arranging for the retreat.

 Midas Raghav’s deeds at the Pristine resort were the icing on the cake.  He drank as if there is no tomorrow. He picked up fights with the staff and displayed his midas touch when he stole a bottle of liquor from the bar to his room to finish it with his wolfish subordinate, Abhay Gujarwal. Gujarwal had a permanent scowl fixed on his face and when he would laugh in fits, it would come across as a constipated laughter. It was a different matter that he had rationed humour in his life, as if he  had to pay for it. In the middle of night Chandini, manager at the resort called Laily and informed about misdeeds of Raghav. She earlier thought to contain the facts to herself. But, then decided against it, as it was pay back time for Raghav.  Why wait till tomorrow? She contemplated.

Her single status evoked several admirers. Laily didn’t like to discuss her past.  She was unmarried. Though in early thirties, she easily ate four to five years of her age. She had fallen in love madly once, but her beloved gave in to parental pressures and married someone else. Heartbroken Laily couldn’t settle on anyone else again. ‘I never got over him,’ she told Ashmi once.

 Raghav was certainly trying to win her affection. His married life had turned morose and it happens to the best of us after 20 years of marriage, he would say. Hence he was on the hunt. And he never missed an opportunity to  accidentally touch her, when she went to his cabin for work.

Next morning, after the resort, Jain, as usual was the first one to reach office. ‘How have you been Laily, these two days?’, he asked her as she went to his cabin to update him on his calendar. ‘Good,’ she answered in a feeble voice. ‘What, you don’t sound good?’ he said.

‘Something wrong,’ he asked now concerned that she doesn’t go on leave, when he was back. ‘Something terrible happened at the retreat, I think you must know it,’ she blurted without any preamble.

‘What?’ stammered Jain, ‘Tell me, I must know,’ he said. She spilled all.

Jain’s mobile beeped. There was a message from Raghav. ‘I will be late today.’

Around 3.30 Raghav came to work. He would always go to Laily’s desk before he went to his cabin. Any messages for me, he asked casually using his x-ray eyes at the same time.

‘Well, Jain wants to meet you,’ she said with a smile.

‘Was he looking for me?’ he asked curious by now.

‘No, but he told me that you should see him, the moment you are back,’ she said.

‘Is he there in his office?’ he asked her. 

‘Yes, he is and he doesn’t have an appointment for next half an hour,’ she said pretending to scan Jain’s calendar, as all his appointments for the next whole month were on her finger tips.

Raghav nodded his head and moved to Jain’s office to find what was on his mind wondering if Laily had wagged her tongue.

That she had, because Jain had sent him to Coimbatore. Epicure Exports was diversifying in retail and Raghav had to oversee the setting up of office in Coimbatore.

Now, he was out from the thick of action for quite a while. He came out quite crestfallen. Just when his fling had begun to blossom with the latest beauty, Santayani Ghosh, who had joined as designer, he was out of the scene for the next three months.

‘You look quite upset,’ Laily asked putting her concerned voice to the best use.

‘Work,’ he sighed.

‘What kind of?’ she spluttered almost biting her lips.

‘I am going to Coimbatore,’ he said.

‘Great. You might like the place,’ Laily said trying to pep him up knowing fully well that his blossoming romance is getting nixed now. Raghav knew that somewhere she and Pristine Resort had played a crucial role in his transfer.

‘Did you get the invoice from Pristine,’ he asked her.

‘The payment was made in advance,’ she told him with an innocent face.

‘I see,’ said Raghav as he decided to call it a day.