Tring! Tring! The newspaper is coasted in. Gautam gently gazed at the main door and then resumed sipping his cup of tea. Quite absorbed in the rhythm and tune of the sarod. He has not mastered in music ever but he has a very sharp ear when it comes to ragas. The music stopped but then Gautam seemed deeply involved that the sudden silence made no ripples in his absorbed posture.
Finally, the silence broke with the sound of the telephone. No options but to get up and attend the call. He opened his eyes as if enlightened by a discourse, got up the chair and advanced to pick the call. Could have been a little fast, the phone stopped ringing, in vain probably. The day has begun hereon.
He moves on. Changes the music to something more ‘rocking’. Lifts the newspaper and scans through it. Then finally gets glued to the stock market details. Huh! He raises his brow and then the very next moment, takes the remote kept at the tea poy. A random browse through the channels and finally settled for NDTV. The Breaking News Flashed-Satyam Scam exposed! So that’s going to be the next string for news channels to harp on. This is indeed a slight relief from the indecisive melodrama between Indo-Pak, hammering upon each other in the terrorist tug-of-war.
Gautam scurried with the morning chores and left for his office. As usual he had managed to keep an apple to be munched when stuck in the traffic. Breakfast during breaks from driving! Persistent nagging over the phone did have some effect. From no time for breakfast, it was ‘breakfast in the car’. Gratitude completely goes to his mom of course.
After jostling in the traffic for an hour, he made it sharp on time. He waved a morning smile to all around and entered his cabin. He believes that a genuine smile would do good to onself and others. Perhaps the proportion varies. Well, he boasts of his charismatic smile wherever he goes. That’s his USP, they say. Ask him the secret, he would simply smile and say ‘smile naturally’.
Takes his seat, keeps the wallet, his i-Pod and his mobile on the desk. Starts his lappy and begins with a short prayer. Gautam opens his mailbox. Well, well, he is going to have a pretty hectic day. With two client meets and a presentation to wind up for the evening. Alongside he has to call up the clients and vendors for price negotiations and follow upon agreed quotations. Well, it is all a breeze!
Recession and layoffs had actually affected the business by and large. The Board of Directors had tightened the policies and as such layoff was not operational. Amidst all fiasco, Gautam seems unaffected or rather deliberately unaware. He spreads calm and positive strokes all the time. Above all is his quick-witted jovial nature. Not even the security man is spared. Despite the managerial post that he beholds, his flexibility is incredible. He can dine with the elite and also stroll along with a colleague for a cup of tea at a kirana store. He would speak unpretentiously and that made him popular and liked.
These clients were a bit late. Punctuality remains confined to a bold mention in the code of disciplines in business. But then, some clients have a freedom to outdo the norms. Specifically, those contributing a great deal in the company’s turnover and profit. Gautam would be given such clients because he truly had a thick skin to handle them. Had it be any other person, the business would have suffered huge losses without the backup from such clients.
His calm nature and intelligent business propositions would leave no room for the clients but to agree to the company’s pricing quotation, at times after a bit of negotiations. He did manage to spare some time to hog some heavy luncheon. Well, he does believe in healthy nourishment to the body and mind. Even though a little lazy about breakfast.
The scheduled presentation was postponed for the next day. Gautam was much more than grateful to have spared him for the day. There were chances for a heavy downpour so he thought leaving early would save him from getting sopped. He was lucky just half way. Had not the traffic been so horrendous that he could by no way beat the rain.
Opened the main door and then. As expected, the sneezing was well beyond a few counts. Even a slight drizzle would have wonderful and immediate effect upon him. He could not make it fast from his car-poach to his apartment. He dried his hair and changed to dry clothes. The sneeze subsided. The mobile rings. He was like, what a timing mom! He could never figure out the connection between his sneeze and his mother’s instant call. He would always ask her that how on earth would she know? He would get a sharp statement-coz am your mom son! That entertains no more doubts indeed.
As the night strolls in, Gautam had the other side to life. This one was different from his marketing guy persona. Not that all knew of this, except for a few. He had this separate room in his house which was not welcome to all. He was an artist in shadows. Nourishing the creative zeal in him was however a passion since some years. The thought of making this shadowed muse the mainstream would not bring in much revenue. So earn for a smart living and live the passion alongside. He has of course a stream of ardent readers who like his works – all under a pen name of course. Sounds very Bollywood script like though. Well, there’s no doubt from where these ‘original scripts’ emerge.Real life incidents turn reel life hits. Now that some directors are modest enough to accept that they are ‘inspired ’. Gautam feels blessed.
What is it that makes his articles, so very interesting? Simple, he writes features that would leave no option for readers but to smile. Yes, when he writes, he has just one goal in mind-‘Smile’. So when the goal is clear, he has just to find alternatives to reach it. Since, his innate nature is embellished in happiness so it just comes natural. The royalty that he earns of the sale goes to the charitable trust. So where marketing seems to be the mainstream to one’s earnings, there is always a secretive side of satiating the creativity and humanity with utmost humility. No stardom required.
