Chapter 6
Rozario enjoyed very
much the laudatory clapping of the audience. Sitting on his chair he was
talking to Mandakini Nag and Kelvin occasionally ogling at Swapna Ganguly.
Swapna also responded to him by erecting upper portion of her body for proper
exposition of her protruding breast.
He was in steel grey
coat and trousers made of lustrous synthetic cloth which seemed to be
glittering under high powered neon light. His thick dyed curly hair with
partition line exactly in the middle above narrow forehead looked like much
popular picture of the advertisement of hair-dye inserted in different
newspapers or magazines. His sunken eyes on his black complexion below joined
wide eyebrows and above long pointed nose were piercing like that of falcon in
search of prey.
Fatik Nandi told me one
day in my cabin that a perfect English gentleman like Mr. Anderson,
founder of Rainbow India had
to fall down as a most unfortunate prey of his trusted personal assistant Leo
who caused his infamous departure from India . Nandi further added that a
steno-typist becoming the Managing Director of a multinational company Rainbow India was
probably a world record.
Following the
programme, Gauri Sankar invited Haladhar Jana, oldest peon of Calcutta office. I learned from Fatik Nandi
that like him Haladhar was also the appointee of William Anderson who picked
him up from Hotel Emperor Intercon. Haladhar was not a regular staff of the
hotel. But he used to work in the garden attached to the swimming pool
everyday. While relaxing beside swimming pool, one day Anderson watched the young man working very
attentively in trimming grasses and plants. He could know from a bar waiter
serving him beer that this man was on ‘no work no pay’ basis. Next day Chanakya
Nag met Anderson
beside the swimming pool. Haladhar was also trimming the grasses at that time. Anderson advised Nag to
ask Haladhar whether he was interested to get a permanent job. Haladhar agreed
and next day he was appointed as peon of Rainbow’s new office in Calcutta . So long William
Anderson was the Managing Director of Rainbow India ;
Haladhar Jana was very powerful man of Calcutta
office. He would always carry on ego of being the personal appointee of MD.
After departure of Anderson from Rainbow India ,
Ramchandra Mondol, personal peon of Chanakya Nag exercised more power and
almost eclipsed Haladhar with the change of situation. Ramchandra Mondol became
powerful man in the office, as he was previously a favourite household servant
of Mandakini Nag on whose recommendation Chanakya Nag appointed him as his
personal peon. His extra job was to serve tea or coffee to the Divisional
Managers. But in all household occasions like family get together or
entertainment of official guests at homely lunch or dinner Ramchandra would be
in Chanakya Nag’s flat to assist Mandakini and her cook. So Divisional
Managers, other executives and office staffs had to depend mostly on Haladhar
Jana and another peon Netai Chand.
Haladhar came on the
dais and saluted everybody bending upper portion of his body at hundred eighty
degree angle. He then looked at the audience and stood in standstill position.
Binoy Bhar prompted from the side door of dais. But Haladhar could not follow
him and forgot what he was to say. He again bowed at hundred eighty degree angle
and came down from the dais. Though the audience started laughing, Chanakya Nag
seemed to be irritated as could be seen on his facial expression. Rozario
murmured something looking at Nag. Probably he expressed his displeasure.
Gauri Sankar came on
the dais and dispersed the sultriness of the auditorium. He took the mouthpiece
of the microphone and said smilingly glancing at Rozario and Kelvin, “Ladies
and Gentlemen, first session of our function has come to an end. I will now
recite a poem specially composed by me for this occasion.”
He paused for few
seconds. Touching his well groomed French cut beard on the chin and tightening
up neck tie knot he said,
Rainbow in the sky,
emits seven colors
Rainbow on the earth,
it’s only ours.
Kelvin and Rozario clapped
loudly followed by all other on the dais and in the auditorium.
Second session would
start after ten minutes. Most of the ladies and gentlemen came out of the
auditorium along with children to ease themselves. In air-conditioned
auditorium smoking was not permitted. So the smokers lighted their cigarettes
outside without any loss of time. Smoking and easing were to be completed
within ten minutes. I was smoking standing beside a window of the big hall just
opposite to my cabin. Chanakya Nag had already escorted Kelvin and Rozario to
his cabin. Bhar also rushed in Nag’s cabin followed by Ramchandra carrying Gin
and Lime. Antony
was talking to Talukdar. Both of them were non-smokers. Ganguly lined up with
Phuchkanwala. Chandranath Gupta was joking with Chandan. Prodyot Sanyal was
having chats with other head office executives.
In such crowd of office
staffs and their family members it was difficult to identify the persons
excepting those I had met during these few day in Rainbow office. Such persons
were very few in numbers.
No young man can forget
Iris Stephen once seen. So it was not difficult for me to identify her when she
came out of Nag’s cabin where Kelvin and Rozario were resting on Gin and Lime.
Probably Chanakya Nag called her for getting some paper or file.
Gouri Sankar and Bhar
were standing in front of Nag’s cabin. Iris talked to them for a moment and
went to Leda Joseph, the telephone operator cum receptionist. Being holiday,
Leda was not sitting on her chair. She was talking to Accounts officer
Jagabandhu Adhikari and Fatik Nandi. She was well shaped beautiful tall
Anglo-Jewish girl in early twenties having reddish complexion and curled light
brown hair resembling a Greek beauty. She was soft-spoken having always a sober
smile on her charming face. She was attractive, but not seductive like Iris
Stephen.
Adhikari and Nandi got
dispersed in the crowd with the arrival of Iris before Leda. Iris was an
appointee of Rozario. Immediately on becoming Managing Director of Rainbow India , he visited Calcutta on special request of Chanakya Nag
and selected Iris. Leda Joseph was an appointee of Anderson as private
secretary-cum-steno-typist of Nag because of her serene beauty.
Nandi told me once that
Anderson was
always fond of serene beauty, sober habits and surroundings. He himself was
soft-spoken and liked soft-spoken people. Out of ten girls interviewed,
probably for that quality Leda was selected by Anderson . But things changed after his
departure. Leda was made receptionist-cum-telephone operator and Iris was
appointed as secretary of Chanakya Nag. Simple reason for this change was
Leda’s unwillingness to accompany Rozario for marketing some garments for his
wife in New Market and thereafter to his hotel in the evening for taking
dictation of some important letters. When proposed, Leda could understand the
ultimate desire of Rozario instantly and regretted her inability point-blank,
as she had to attend some household celebration.
Obviously Rozario
decided to do away with Leda tactfully, as he had never expected to get such
rebuff from an office girl who according to him was expected to follow the
order of her immediate boss. He expressed his displeasure to Nag and asked him
for taking necessary action tactfully. Chanakya Nag was an intelligent guy. He did
not want to displease any party, either Rozario or Anderson. So Nag also
expressed his artificial anger and displeasure for Leda’s imprudent attitude
and act of disobedience, though personally he liked her.
However he advertised
in the leading English daily of Calcutta for
attractive young female secretary and short-listed half a dozen girls for final
selection of one by Rozario during his next visit to Calcutta . Iris got place in this list and was
finally selected by Rozario during his first visit to Calcutta
as Managing Director of Rainbow India .
On the first day of her appointment as secretary to Chanakya Nag, she
cheerfully agreed to go to hotel in the evening to take dictation from Rozario
on some important management matters. Nag consoled Leda saying that because of
her pleasing personality her services were required on the reception desk,
which had so far been occupied by Rupa Banerjee who had been transferred to
pharma godown. Leda was not unhappy for this change; rather she emitted sigh of
relief.
It was time for second
session and everybody started entering the auditorium. I was about to follow
them. Fatik Nandi rushed towards me and said, “Sir, I have got a funny news for
you.”
I looked at him with
curiosity.
Looking at all sides by
moving his body and head Nandi said, “Mr. Majumdar has not yet turned up. Mr.
Chanakya Nag is very worried.”
I said, “Why?”
Nandi said, “Sir, it is
extremely confidential. After the prize distribution ceremony there will be a
small function which will be announced publicly by Mr. Nag. But I have
collected the secret information from Adhikari that arrangement has been made
for Farewell reception of Mr. Santanu Majumdar, ex-Divisional Manager, Home
Products. Mr. Rozario and Mr. Nag would congratulate Mr. Majumdar for his
yeoman’s services rendered to Rainbow in developing sales of Home Products in
Eastern Region for last five years. At the end of this function Gauri
Chatterjee will recite a poem composed by him in honour of Mr. Majumdar.”
I said, “But this
function could have been celebrated some other day! Why in such haste?”
Nandi inclined his head
towards me and said in low voice, “Mr. Rozario desired that farewell reception
of Mr. Majumdar should be held in presence of Mr. Kelvin. Accordingly he
informed Mr. Nag few days’ back and advised him to purchase one farewell gift
for Mr. Majumdar. Adhikari told me that he had already paid to Bhar for buying
a good watch for Mr. Majumdar as per advice of Mr. Nag. After all
Mr. Kelvin should go back with excellent impression regarding Indian
management of Rainbow.”
Fatik Nandi wanted to
tell me something more. But he slipped away towards the auditorium gate,
probably observing Nag coming out of his cabin.
I saw Chanakya Nag
coming with Kelvin and Rozario. Before their arrival I entered the
auditorium.
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