I was the first WRSC associate to start from the office everyday evening. I usually walk out by 6:30PM, one and half hours after the normal business hours. I was looking forward to break the unwritten rule that all WRSC associates should rest their ass in the chair until it starts rotting. You're very lucky if Bakshi goes home a little earlier.
Bakshi and a couple of lead tails were always unhappy about it because, to them, working meant to sit in office for long hours. It didn't matter if you do not spend a quality time while you're in office. You may watch youtube or play poker. The more time you spend in office, the more you contribute to the company. If you sleep in office that might be considered as a behaviour above average. If you shit, take bath and brush your teeth in there, that might probably be marked as excellent.
Once I got a call on my cellphone from Bakshi while I was near West Ham. I was on the tube (London Underground). It was almost 8:00PM.
'Where are you?' Bakshi barked into the phone
'On the way home.' I replied.
'What the hell? Do you think all the guys who're sitting in office are donkeys?'
'I don't know about that. What's up?'
'Mark wants to have an update on the credit check module.'
Mark was a senior manager at our client company and Bakshi would pee in his pants if Mark gave a slight hint that he is upset about anything. If you get a chance to watch Bakshi talking to Mark you would be confused whether Bakshi was representing WRSC or if he is Mark's pet dog. To me Mark was a client and to Bakshi he was God.
'I had had a chat with Mark before I started from office. I will give him a call right away.' I replied.
'No no no... You need to come back to office.' Bakshi was adamant.
'Why?'
'Don't ask stupid questions. Get back in office right now.' He kept the phone.
I went all the way back to office to check with him. I found Bakshi at his desk and Arora crouching next to him.
'Hi Bakshi!! What's up? What went wrong?' I pretended to be surprised although I knew that it was simply a game. Nothing was so critical that could break to create havoc.
'You need to make your acts clear, Alex.' He shouted.
'Don't shout please.' I corrected him politely.
'You are a WRSC associate and you are not like any other contractor working on this floor.' Bakshi was angry at my blunt reply.
'Yes, I know that.'
'I know you have few good friends with the rival vendors but don't forget the fact that you are one among us. You should follow the WRSC work culture. We're one family.' Bakshi was bullshitting.
The 'WRSC work culture' was to make every associate stay back in office so that Bakshi could charge the client for the extra working hours and eat the free pizzas that come along with it. The only person who benefits out of that was he himself. Also, he never approves any overtime benefits for the associates who work late or on the weekends because that would carve a few pounds out of his quarterly targets. And that obviously made the associates look like donkeys.
'Did I do anything wrong?' I smiled at Bakshi's red face.
'When Mark called, you were not here.'
'I can call him and talk.'
'No you don't talk. Sit with Arora and find out what is wrong. And I don't want you to be missing from office when Mark calls next time. Mark is closely monitoring the progress of the project.'
'I can't live in the office waiting for Mark's call. If he wants he will call me on my cell.' I turned to Arora to check the details but I could sense Bakshi was fuming with anger. As directed by Bakshi, Arora pretended to be busy with something else and made me wait for about an hour.
Later that night he typed a decent, polite, professional email with all details copied and pasted from some documents to support his argument. He checked with me if all were correct. I nodded a yes before he pressed the 'send' button. Arora picked up his bag and left. He could've sent this bloody email without bringing me back to office, I thought. I stretched myself on the chair and looked across the tables. I was all alone. Bakshi and his pindams had left long time back.
In a few minutes, my phone started ringing; it was Mark.
'Alex, what's all this?' Mark read Arora's email from his Blackberry.
'Sorry, I don't know. I thought you had asked Bakshi for an update on the credit check module.'
'No no... That's not what I told him. Bloody Hell!!! I was joking that my credit-check failed while trying to buy an iPhone.'
In this country, you would need a clean credit history with your bank transactions and other details if you need to get into a contract (similar to post-paid connection in India). It doesn't matter if you have a lot of money in your account or a good salary being credited to your account. Sometimes your credit-check fails due to system error and Mark was joking the same with Bakshi. Stupid Bakshi thought he was asking for an update on the credit-check module.
'Wonderful!!! No worries... Please ignore that email. I will update Bakshi.' I told Mark.
'Cool. Thank you very much. Good night.'
'Good night. Mark.'
I looked at my watch, it was 10:30PM. I took a deep breath and stood up. In a minute, the security guard walked-in to do the regular checks.
'What are you doing in office?'
'Why?' His question surprised me.
'I saw you leave. I have never seen you sitting here so late.' He smiled.
'I came back to play hide and seek with you, Joe.'
'What?'
'Do you know how to play hide and seek?'
'I don't understand.'
'Alright! No worries. I'll catch you tomorrow. Goodnight!!!'
'Nnn... hiiide... Hmmm. Goodnight!'
I took my jacket and walked towards the door leaving Joe to continue with his work.
Bakshi and a couple of lead tails were always unhappy about it because, to them, working meant to sit in office for long hours. It didn't matter if you do not spend a quality time while you're in office. You may watch youtube or play poker. The more time you spend in office, the more you contribute to the company. If you sleep in office that might be considered as a behaviour above average. If you shit, take bath and brush your teeth in there, that might probably be marked as excellent.
Once I got a call on my cellphone from Bakshi while I was near West Ham. I was on the tube (London Underground). It was almost 8:00PM.
'Where are you?' Bakshi barked into the phone
'On the way home.' I replied.
'What the hell? Do you think all the guys who're sitting in office are donkeys?'
'I don't know about that. What's up?'
'Mark wants to have an update on the credit check module.'
Mark was a senior manager at our client company and Bakshi would pee in his pants if Mark gave a slight hint that he is upset about anything. If you get a chance to watch Bakshi talking to Mark you would be confused whether Bakshi was representing WRSC or if he is Mark's pet dog. To me Mark was a client and to Bakshi he was God.
'I had had a chat with Mark before I started from office. I will give him a call right away.' I replied.
'No no no... You need to come back to office.' Bakshi was adamant.
'Why?'
'Don't ask stupid questions. Get back in office right now.' He kept the phone.
I went all the way back to office to check with him. I found Bakshi at his desk and Arora crouching next to him.
'Hi Bakshi!! What's up? What went wrong?' I pretended to be surprised although I knew that it was simply a game. Nothing was so critical that could break to create havoc.
'You need to make your acts clear, Alex.' He shouted.
'Don't shout please.' I corrected him politely.
'You are a WRSC associate and you are not like any other contractor working on this floor.' Bakshi was angry at my blunt reply.
'Yes, I know that.'
'I know you have few good friends with the rival vendors but don't forget the fact that you are one among us. You should follow the WRSC work culture. We're one family.' Bakshi was bullshitting.
The 'WRSC work culture' was to make every associate stay back in office so that Bakshi could charge the client for the extra working hours and eat the free pizzas that come along with it. The only person who benefits out of that was he himself. Also, he never approves any overtime benefits for the associates who work late or on the weekends because that would carve a few pounds out of his quarterly targets. And that obviously made the associates look like donkeys.
'Did I do anything wrong?' I smiled at Bakshi's red face.
'When Mark called, you were not here.'
'I can call him and talk.'
'No you don't talk. Sit with Arora and find out what is wrong. And I don't want you to be missing from office when Mark calls next time. Mark is closely monitoring the progress of the project.'
'I can't live in the office waiting for Mark's call. If he wants he will call me on my cell.' I turned to Arora to check the details but I could sense Bakshi was fuming with anger. As directed by Bakshi, Arora pretended to be busy with something else and made me wait for about an hour.
Later that night he typed a decent, polite, professional email with all details copied and pasted from some documents to support his argument. He checked with me if all were correct. I nodded a yes before he pressed the 'send' button. Arora picked up his bag and left. He could've sent this bloody email without bringing me back to office, I thought. I stretched myself on the chair and looked across the tables. I was all alone. Bakshi and his pindams had left long time back.
In a few minutes, my phone started ringing; it was Mark.
'Alex, what's all this?' Mark read Arora's email from his Blackberry.
'Sorry, I don't know. I thought you had asked Bakshi for an update on the credit check module.'
'No no... That's not what I told him. Bloody Hell!!! I was joking that my credit-check failed while trying to buy an iPhone.'
In this country, you would need a clean credit history with your bank transactions and other details if you need to get into a contract (similar to post-paid connection in India). It doesn't matter if you have a lot of money in your account or a good salary being credited to your account. Sometimes your credit-check fails due to system error and Mark was joking the same with Bakshi. Stupid Bakshi thought he was asking for an update on the credit-check module.
'Wonderful!!! No worries... Please ignore that email. I will update Bakshi.' I told Mark.
'Cool. Thank you very much. Good night.'
'Good night. Mark.'
I looked at my watch, it was 10:30PM. I took a deep breath and stood up. In a minute, the security guard walked-in to do the regular checks.
'What are you doing in office?'
'Why?' His question surprised me.
'I saw you leave. I have never seen you sitting here so late.' He smiled.
'I came back to play hide and seek with you, Joe.'
'What?'
'Do you know how to play hide and seek?'
'I don't understand.'
'Alright! No worries. I'll catch you tomorrow. Goodnight!!!'
'Nnn... hiiide... Hmmm. Goodnight!'
I took my jacket and walked towards the door leaving Joe to continue with his work.
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