You’re taken aback, hearing Shiva’s name.
I’m sure you don’t even know his surname is Sahasrabuddhe.
And clearly you don’t know that he is a BA graduate, unlike your belief that he’s just a matric pass.
Let me explain everything.
As a joke, S.Y. Sahasrabuddhe sent two applications to our office. One for the post of a clerk with the BA certificate attached, and the other for the post of a peon with just the matriculation certificate.
As luck would have it, he got selected as a peon. Shivanand Yashwant … He had put down only half his name. It was shortened to Shiva. Desperate to earn a livelihood, Shivanand Sahasrabuddhe decided to accept the job of a peon.
You have no idea about all this.
Shiva, who used to be a jolly, humorous and friendly person, who would make others laugh, and whose intelligence was a matter of surprise to most, had turned into a quiet, brooding and introverted character. The only thing you noticed was the change in him. Not one of you bothered to find out the reason for the sudden change.
Seeing your indifference irritates me. Your attitude hurts me.
Let me tell you the reason.
The reason for the change in Shiva is Vandana Samant.
The very mention of Vandana Samant makes you pay attention. It’s to be expected. She was such a girl. I mean, she still is. But she has changed beyond recognition. Now, she doesn’t move you in any way. She doesn’t touch your heart. But there was a time when…
Let it be. You know those days. You remember the day when all of you stared at her as she entered the office for the first time.
I saw her too. But if I’m found watching someone intently, I’m accused of wanting to use that person in my next story. So I reserved my comments. Her innocent beauty had bowled me over. She looked like someone who believed in the purity of this world, who put her trust in everyone, who never looked at anyone with suspicion. There were many who had come into the office before her – Nalini Sardesai, Varsha Mankar, Saroj Sharangpani, Shardula Joshi. Many came, and left after a while. They all managed to create their own space and impressions in the office. But from the very first day you all declared that there was no one to match Vandana Samant.
Then, you started your games.
She was a pure, innocent soul who trusted and spoke to everyone without doubting their intentions. She was a mere twenty years old. This was her first job. She had the freshness of a parijat flower, and was as delicate as one.
I compared her to a parijat flower when I saw her slim and petite frame. I feared that such a delicate flower would soon wilt in the heat, the gossip and the stifled atmosphere of our office.
Everyone vied for her attention. But Savardekar was the envy of everyone because he had the opportunity to speak to her.
She worked under him, so obviously they had to speak to each other about matters relating to work. But that didn’t stop you all from being jealous.
And to make matters worse, her ‘late arrival’ entry in the attendance registers was reversed.
Had Vandana been reporting to any of you, you would have done the same. But you got a chance to turn Savardekar into a criminal. Despite knowing that Savardekar had no authority to reverse the entry. Only the boss could do that.
It made me anxious when I realized that the boss had an eye on her. Shiva, who sat outside his cabin, was nervous too, as he had also noticed the boss’s roving eye. He knew everyone in the office. He wasn’t worried about you folks sitting there, despite knowing your thoughts.
But the boss…
He had no recourse there.
Vandana Samant, to show her gratitude at having been excused for a late arrival, went to the boss’s cabin to thank him.
‘Sir…’
‘Yes?’
‘Sir, I believe you got my late arrival reversed…’
‘Oh, so you are Vandana Samant.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘That’s all right. Don’t mention it. Try to come on time in the future.’
‘Sir, that day Mr Samant suddenly took ill and was running a high fever, that’s why…’
‘I can understand. I’m sure there was a good reason for someone like you to come late to office. You wouldn’t have done it unless there was a genuine personal reason. Only those who care will understand. Other bosses would use this as an opportunity to lord it over. Isn’t that true?’
Vandana didn’t reply. No one had bossed her around, in fact. There was no question of that, when everyone out there was trying to woo her.
‘Everyone in the office is quite nice to me, sir.’
She was telling the truth. It wasn’t a good sign that she found everyone so nice.
Ghanekar sir laughed out loud in response.
‘Why do you laugh, sir?’
‘At your innocence. What else can I do?’
‘I don’t get you.’
‘Don’t think that the world is such an innocent place.’
Vandana Samant came back to her seat and was surprised to find a note on her table. There was a single line written on it:
Don’t get fooled by external appearances.
She was taken aback. She looked around but everyone seemed busy in their work – at least, they acted as if they were. Who could have written this? She decided to find out. She had an idea and came to my desk.
I looked up to find her standing there.
‘You are the writer Kale, aren’t you?’ she asked.
‘Yes.’
‘I like your stories.’
‘Thanks.’
‘How do you write?’
‘What do you mean by that?’
‘I want to see your handwritten notes. Can you show me?’
I took a few sheets of paper out of the drawer.
‘May I read them?’
‘Sure.’
She took the sheets back to her table and, taking the note out, compared the handwriting surreptitiously. Obviously, she was disappointed.
Within a few days, she was summoned to Ghanekar sir’s office again. Vandana entered the cabin to find him having a cup of tea. She stood at the door, not knowing whether she should enter.
‘Come in, come in.
