COCKTAIL IN THE RAINBOW - Chapter - 2

Chapter – 2

In the morning hours all pharma sales people, including Ramani Talukdar and Chanakya Nag were out of the office. They were busy in pharma sales conference. Though there was an official holiday for the office, managers of other divisions and essential staff members like Binoy Bhar, Fatik Nandi, Jagabandhu Adhikari and Leda Joseph, telephone operator cum receptionist were requested by Chanakya Nag to remain in the office.

So I was there in my air-conditioned cozy cabin relaxing on the soft revolving chair in an inclined position with my eyes fixed on the slow moving fan.

“Sir, may I come in?” Nandi appeared before me. “Sorry to disturb you. Should I come after some time?”

“Oh! No! Please take your seat Mr. Nandi.” I said.

Nandi sat on the chair opposite to me across the table and said, “Thank you Sir!”

“Welcome, it’s my pleasure Mr. Nandi.” I said, “You didn’t finish the story of Kipling and Kingsley. I am interested to know more about the company. What happened to those two English gentlemen?”

I relaxed on my chair again and started smoking. I offered a cigarette to Nandi. He refused with thanks as in Rainbow no office staff used to smoke in the presence of senior managers.

“What should I tell you, Sir,” Nandi said and paused for a moment closing his eyes.  “Entire office of Kipling and Kingsley was a garden of flowers. Except very few male members office was full of beautiful Anglo-Indian, Armenian and Jewish ladies. Secretary of Mr. Kingsley was such a paragon of beauty, all the male staff members were eager to have her eye-glance. I saw her other day in the Esplanade-Park Circus tram-car. Middle age could not eclipse her beauty. Miss Martin caught hold my both hands and expressed her immense pleasure of meeting me after a long time. Passengers of the tram-car were looking at me with curiosity.

“And I am looking at you with jealousy,” I said with a smile. Instantly I told him, “Sorry I am just joking with you, please continue.”

Nandi said, “Sir, I remember very much my days in Kipling and Kingsley and often become nostalgic for that period of my life, I can never get back.”

Nandi paused for a while and then said, “Worst disaster came down to Kipling and Kingsley office with the sudden death of Mr. Kipling, who was a confirmed bachelor. I mean unmarried, having no legal issue. Mr. Kingsley’s health broke down shortly after the death of his loving friend. His wife came to India once, only for a short period as she was very much afraid of Indian malaria which had taken the life of    Mr. Kipling in its malignant form. She constantly persuaded Mr. Kingsley to leave India disposing of his company and the property. Ultimately, the company along with all assets and liabilities was purchased by Mr. Topilal Sarbatwala.”

“Was there any change in salary structure or benefit, the staff members used to enjoy before the change over of management?” I asked.

Nandi said, “No Sir. There was no change for anybody. Rather Mr. Sarbatwala assured us of five-percent increase in salary after six months. All male staff members were happy and thanked Mr. Sarbatwala for his generosity. The ladies kept standing with their pale white faces. They seemed to be very much unhappy. Of course, when asked by Mr. Sarbatwala, they smiled.”

“Why the ladies were not happy?” I asked. Nandi started laughing and said, “Sir, I feel shy to tell you. Ladies used to earn much more from Mr. Kipling and Mr. Kingsley besides their salary depending upon their capacities in pleasing them and their guests.”

Suddenly Binoy Bhusan Bhar entered my cabin with Ramchandra and carpenter Khodabox having screw-driver in one hand and measuring tape roll in another hand.

“Sorry to disturb you Sir. I have come just for a check-up of the cabin. Is there any defect with your furniture Sir?” Bhar asked me.

“No thanks! Everything is all right. Nothing is defective.” I said with a smile, though I did not like his entering my cabin in such fashion.

 Before leaving my cabin Bhar looked at Nandi with vexation, probably because he did not like his sitting before me. In Rainbow no office staff except personal secretaries used to sit inside GM’s and DM’s cabins. Though I did not like this system or norm, as I was new in the company I did not break that. Since it was a holiday and everybody was in festive mood, I requested Nandi to sit before me.

After departure of Bhar I told Nandi, “Be easy. You need not worry for Bhar. If he reports anything to Nag, I will take care of you.”

“Thank you, Sir!” Nandi said with an expression of gratitude.

On my first day in Rainbow, Chanakya Nag introduced me with all the Managers, officers and staff members of the office. When we went to Nandi’s table, he said, shaking hands with me, “Good morning Sir, welcome to Rainbow India. Always at your service, Sir.”

After half an hour Nandi entered my cabin and told me, “Sir! Please consider me as your own person as you are from Kipling and Kingsley, my old company. I will remain always at your service.”

Since that day I have enjoyed company of Fatik Nandi, who used to come to me somehow or other evading falcon looks of Binoy Bhar.

Getting himself very homely again, Nandi told me more about his days in Kipling and Kingsley.

“After the changeover, almost all the ladies left the company for the future. Even some of the sales and medical representatives joined the services of the other companies. I remained along with few more office staffs. Mr. Topilal Sarbatwala recruited some new persons, both in the office and the field. He finalized new agency agreements with some Indian companies.

One day I heard that Rainbow International would terminate their agency agreement with Kipling and Kingsley as they had already finalized their factory site in Bombay after getting a license from the government. I too heard that Mr. William Anderson, overseas manager for Southeast Asia of Rainbow International got the charge of setting up factory in India and he would become the first managing director of Rainbow India.”

Nandi paused for a second and said, “When gossips regarding Rainbow cooled down, one day I was very surprised to find Mr. William Anderson in our office. Mr. Sarbatwala came out from his chamber to receive Mr. Anderson. I was standing very much near to the door of Mr. Sarbatwala’s chamber. While going into the chamber Mr. Anderson saw me and said loudly, waving his right hand, “Hallow Fatik? How are you?”   

Not only Mr. Sarbatwala, everybody in the office got stunned.”

“Did you meet Mr. Anderson beforehand?” I asked.

“Not once, many times” Nandi said with gravity and told further, “Whenever Mr. Anderson used to come to Calcutta, Mr. Kipling and Mr. Kingsley entertained him at their Alipore Bunglow. Though there had been official room booked in Hotel Emperor Intercon, Mr. Anderson was a special guest in Alipore Bunglow. Only two trusted persons were engaged to look after William Anderson. For indoor comfort Helen Martin, personal secretary of Kingsley and for outdoor job, this poor man, Fatik Nandi.” Nandi said with confidence.

There was a phone call for me. It was from my residence. My sister informed me that a letter had come from American Agro-Chemicals. It was about my appointment letter and obviously I dropped the receiver with a smile.

“Sir any good news?” Nandi asked me.

“Nothing special, please continue your interesting episode of Kipling and Kingsley.” I said.

“Oh! Really interesting. That was the golden time of my life. Do you know what happened that day?” Nandi asked me.

“How can I know unless you tell me?” I said with a smile.

“After having meeting with Mr. Sarbatwala, when Mr. Anderson was going out, he dropped his visiting card on my table. On the back hotel room number was written. I was sure he desired me to see him in his hotel room.”

Nandi did not complete his story, suddenly he got up from the chair and with my permission left the cabin.

I sank in my soft revolving chair with high backrest and closing my eyes thought about my new assignment in American Agro-Chemical. Within a fortnight I would have to complete passport, visa, foreign exchange and other various documents, besides making some new arrangement for my family.

Within ten or fifteen minutes Nandi entered my cabin and said, “Sir, I am sorry to go out abruptly. My wife and daughter were to come here to attend the function. So I went out to see whether they had come.”

“Have they come?” I asked.

“Not yet, Sir. They will come by local train from Canning. My brother-in-law will pick them from my residence and leave at the office. That was the arrangement.” Nandi said.

I said, “Please do not worry about them. Canning is quite far from Calcutta. Sometimes local trains are irregular. They will come in no time. Please take your seat.”

Nandi sat on the chair and said, “Some interesting news! Binoy Bhar may come to you very shortly.”

“He is most welcome. Anything special?” I asked Nandi.

Nandi looked at the closed door of my cabin and said in low voice, “Car politics.”
I stared at him and said, “Sorry, can’t follow you.”

Before Nandi could say anything there was a gentle knock at the cabin door.

I said, “Yes, come in.”