COCKTAIL IN THE RAINBOW - Chapter - 5

Chapter 5

On the dais there were six chairs. As per earlier arrangement two middle chairs were meant for Kelvin and Rozario. Two chairs beside Rozario were to be occupied by Antony and Nag. Other two chairs beside Kelvin were meant for Phuchkanwala and Gupta.

Entering the auditorium, I found Mandakini sitting beside Rozario and Nag. Other two chairs beside Kelvin were occupied by Antony and Phuchkanwala. So Chanakya Nag directed Bhar to place one extra chair on the dais beside him for Gupta. However Gupta politely told Nag that he would feel quite comfortable to sit with other managers on first row facing the dais. But Nag did not comply with his request. He came down and escorted Gupta to the dais to occupy his seat beside him.

First row of seats for audience was filled up. There were Tarit Ganguly and his wife Swapna, Ramani Talukdar and his wife Keya, Subbarao Naidu, Pradip Mehta, William Fernandez, Mahendra Soni, sales tax consultant Dilip Sen and clearing and forwarding agent Panchu Saha. I took my seat on the second row between Atanu Samanta and Deb Pratim Dutta in spite of Gauri Sankar’s request for sitting on the first row. Gouri told me that he would send Panchu Saha to second row. I convinced Gouri that Panchu Saha was our guest and as such it would not be proper for us to ask him to leave his seat and go behind.

On the third row, just behind my seat Fatik Nandi was sitting. He whispered, “Sir, I am so lucky! You are sitting close to me!”

“I am also lucky.” I said. Atanu and Deb Pratim glanced behind and whispered, “Here is Fatikda, the great. We are lucky!”

Gauri Sankar went up to the dais and announced on microphone, “Ladies and gentlemen! Miss Iris Stephen will garland Mr. Kelvin and Mr. Rozario and after that Mr. Chanakya Nag would deliver his welcome speech. Since the function begins, please stop your mutual conversation. Thank you.”

Immediately after Gauri Sankar had finished his announcement, Iris Stephen started walking up to the dais vacillating her round hips and protrusive breasts carrying two garlands on two hands drawing everybody's attention, particularly of male members present in the auditorium. Her tight half sleeved red velvet banyan with open armpit and fitting blue trousers specially tailored for exposition of her heavy swaying buttocks made her so attractive, both Kelvin and Rozario seemed to be dumbfounded as if a fairy had come down from the blue to garland them.

Probably as a woman Mandakini could guess the mental disbalance of the menfolks sitting beside her, including her husband. She almost snatched the garlands from iris and put on the same herself around the necks of Kelvin and Rozario. With the clapping of Bhar and Gauri Sankar, whole auditorium almost burst into loud clapping. Iris also started clapping while coming down from the dais with pale face. Chanakya Nag clapped little late as probably he did not approve of sudden action of his wife beyond the schedule and minimum civility.

“Ladies and Gentlemen! I now request Mr. Chanakya Nag, GM, East to deliver his welcome speech.” Gouri announced and placed the microphone mouthpiece in front of Nag.

“Thank you Gouri. Mr. Kelvin, Mr. Rozario, Mr. Antony, Mr. Phuchkanwala, Mr. Gupta and all my colleagues of head office, Eastern Regional establishment, Ladies and Gentlemen!” Nag said, “I welcome everybody present here on the auspicious occasion of the foundation day of Rainbow Eastern Regional office. I thank Mr. Rozario, specially for bringing amongst us Mr. Kelvin, Overseas Director of Rainbow International, who looks after entire global business of our parent company. You will be surprised to learn, he is so busy, if on Monday he is in London, on Wednesday he will be in New York and on Friday he will be in Singapore.”

Both Kelvin and Rozario started laughing and others sitting on the dais followed them.

Nag paused for a moment and narrated in brief how he had sowed the seed of Rainbow in Eastern India and how did the seed germinate and finally take shape of a big tree having so many branches thickened with green leaves and colourful flowers like the ladies and gentlemen sitting in the auditorium.

Rozario clapped loudly and everybody followed. There were loud reverberations of clapping inside the auditorium. In his speech Chanakya Nag did not mention the name of Anderson, founder of Rainbow India and reason I had already known from Fatik Nandi. Rozario, who was elevated from the post of stenographer to Administrative Manager, then to General Manager of Rainbow India and within a short time to Director by Anderson, never liked after becoming Managing Director that anybody should refer the name of his benefactor as it would erase his personal identity. There was also strong hearsay that Anderson was marked with infamy in the board of the parent company i.e. at the headquarters of Rainbow for his princely life style and licentious activities in India. Such an infamous downfall of Anderson was caused by his once trusted and most favourite man, Leonidus Rozario, affectionately called by him as Leo who obviously became overambitious to sit in the cabin of Managing Director without much loss of time. Opportunity came to him when as Director he was sent to Rainbow headquarters in England by Anderson for attending a special meeting in his place. After coming back to Bombay, Rozario did not have to wait long. Anderson was called back and Rozario was made the first Indian Managing Director of Rainbow India.

Chanakya Nag now requested Rozario to deliver his inaugural speech. Rozario thanked him and requested Kelvin personally to speak something about his feelings as a chief guest of the function. Bhar immediately placed the microphone in front of Kelvin who got up from his chair and shrugged looking at the audience.

He said, “Ladies and Gentlemen! Namaskar! It’s my pleasure to be with you and I feel proud to see the development of Rainbow India under the leadership of Mr. Leonidus Rozario. I am also happy to find tremendous organizational capability of Mr. Chanakya Nag in arranging such a beautiful function on the foundation day of Rainbow office in Calcutta. I will be delighted to be with you every year in future. Thank you.”

Rozario, Chanakya Nag and all others on the dais started clapping loudly and audience in the auditorium followed them. Gouri Sankar came on the dais from the side door and announced, “Ladies and Gentlemen! Now our beloved Managing Director, Mr. Leonidus Rozario will deliver his long awaited inaugural speech. Please clap loudly and welcome Mr. Rozario.”

Rozario got up from his chair and said after the loud sound of clapping had sunk down, “Mr. Kelvin, Ladies and Gentlemen!” He glanced at Mandakini smilingly and continued, “I am very happy to be here with you in this pleasant evening. My heartiest thanks to Mr. Nag and his colleagues for such nice arrangement. I thank all the members of Rainbow family for taking so much trouble in assembling in this auditorium to make the function a wonderful success. Though our esteemed government has requested us for family planning, I feel there should not be any family planning in Rainbow. Let Rainbow family spread throughout our country and all over the world.” Chanakya Nag and Kelvin along with other head office dignitaries started clapping loudly and were followed by everybody in the auditorium.

“Thank you, Thank you,” said Rozario and continued, ”Only few years back Rainbow India started operation with few medicines under license of Rainbow International and with the cooperation of the government and the people, today Rainbow India is included in the list of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the country. Two more divisions of Rainbow, Home products and Agro-Chemicals are progressing rapidly. We are planning to put two new feathers on the cap of Rainbow India, I mean the bulk drugs and laboratory chemicals for which we have already got approval from our parent company and the local government.”

Everybody started clapping and in the meantime Rozario cleared his throat by making light cough and sipping gin with lime as given by Binoy Bhar.

Rozario said again, “Probably you have heard, some of our imprudent workers in head office and factory have taken recourse of indiscipline and are trying to disrupt normal work of the peace loving members of Rainbow family. This has caused great concern to us and to our headquarters in England.”

He paused for few seconds and said, “Do you know the reason? It is absolutely ridiculous and unreasonable. They claim that they should get same bonus as they used to get when Mr. Anderson was Managing Director. Not only so, they further claim that the difference in bonus for last two years should be paid at a time. Ladies and Gentlemen! Rainbow is your company. Why should you ask for your bonus? It will come automatically. We are now giving bonus exactly as per government rule i.e. 8.33% though we are not making any profit because of our reinvestment in new projects. I tell you once again, it is your company. You earn more for the company and take more to your home. Thank you! Namaskar!”

“Three cheers for Mr. Rozario.” Gouri Sankar said loudly.

Everybody on the dais started clapping. As usual, audience inside the auditorium also clapped loudly, probably without knowing the reason what for they made loud sound by beating their palms rhythmically.