"And, thats how its done", Kesavan said as he clicked on the 'off' button of the telecon instrument.
Kesavan was a born-seller. However, it always gave him the kicks whenever he closed a deal. His face beamed when his colleagues surrounded him congratulating the deal he just clinched over the phone for a million dollar project with Matuka Electronics. The largest ever deal for his company, iBend Technologies. For iBend, which was planning layoffs due to lack of projects, it was a life-saving deal.
As Kesavan walked out of office, he walked into the auto-rickshaw stand in front of his office, and gave the location of his home, to one of the drivers.
"How much", Kesavan asked the auto-driver.
"150 Rupees"
"WHAT? did you take me for an idiot? 150 Rupees for 6 kilometers is atrocious!", screamed Kesavan.
"What sir? From there I wont get a passenger on the way back, plus that is a god-forsaken place. You will have to take a train and a bus and walk to your area...", reasoned the driver unreasonably. His sir sounded like 'saar', rather than sir.
"80 Rupees and not a penny over that", Kesavan - the born seller was stubborn.
"Okay, give me 140 rupees...", the driver was no less a seller, and rude.
"80 Rupees, and thats it!", Kesavan said, walking away from the auto - The usual trick of auto-going-bargainers.
As Kesavan walked, he could see that it was already 10PM and the road was sparse with automobiles. It would be difficult for him to find another auto at this time, let alone a bus to reach the train station.
"seri sir, give me 125 rupees", the auto-driver was now driving alongside Kesavan, prolonging the bargaining. The walk-away trick had worked.
"This is dacoity", Kesavan said in a loud voice, "80 Rupees and no more..."
After another 100 meters of walking and driving alongside, they settled for 90 rupees.
The auto sped through the city lights with two born sellers.
X---------------X----------------X
"Seriously, am wondering why auto-drivers demand so much more than what the ride is worth...", Kesavan was genuinely interested in knowing.
"Petrol costs are going up, sir. Its not easy to lead a life nowadays", started the driver, delving into the usual rant, and listing reasons for why they 'robbed' their customers.
"Let me ask you this... how much mileage does your auto give?"
"Not much, sir.."
"How much?"
"20 Km per litre sir"
"Even assuming you don't get any passengers on your way back, you can drop me and come back - 12 Kms, for a little more than half a litre, which is 25 rupees, even giving the same amount as profit, it costs only 50 Rupees. But auto-drivers usually charge 80 Rupees. Why is that? And why did you ask me 150 rupees? Isn't it atrocious?", Kesavan was intent on proving to this fellow that they were unreasonable.
"Sir... you promised 90 rupees...", the driver slowed the auto to the left, worrying if Kesavan was bargaining again.
"Okay, Okay, I will give you 90 rupees. I have promised that and I will give you that.", Kesavan was quick to reply. They were really traveling on a god-forsaken road.
The driver continued driving.
"But, I want to know. Tell me, wasn't my calculation right?", persisted Kesavan.
"uh... ys", said the driver, gulping the 'yes' down his throat, even feeling a bit guilty. But he was no less talkative, and went into a deep conversation.
"You don't look like a native sir, thats why I thought I could make some extra money"
"What? so you will cheat a guy who doesn't know the place?". This wasn't the first time Kesavan was taken for an out-of-towner. He definitely didn't look like a localite.
"uh... but whats wrong in giving it a try sir? I swear, if I had known that you were a localite, I wouldn't have asked you so much...", the driver sounded genuine by now.
But after 10 more minutes, Kesavan finally convinced him. They were getting more casual as they talked. The driver lowered his tone and was more respectful now.
"Next time on, I will ask only 90 rupees, sir", said the driver finally.
"What 90 rupees? 80 rupees next time... otherwise how do you think I will ever come back to you? Repeat customers are important, don't you think so?"
"..."
"I wont come again for 90 rupees. Say 80 rupees, and I will come to your auto everytime I want to come home"
"Okay, sir. 80 rupees. But you must come often sir, we depend on people like you for our living..."
"Definitely. Now we are talking", Kesavan's face was aglow again. "And, thats how its done", he told himself.
"My name is Vinny sir, next time you come to our stand, ask for me, sir", he said, as Kesavan paid 90 bucks, while getting down at his home.
X---------------X----------------X
Matuka wasn't an easy customer to please, and iBend had a tough time getting through the project. iBend was still barely scraping by. It was worry time again, but it didn't dawn on Kesavan, until he got a mail from John Alter, his US boss, who demanded to know why Kesavan wasn't able to bag even a single deal since Matuka.
"But, John, am a project manager. Its true that I helped close deals, but that wasn't my job. I'm supposed to be leading projects, not getting them", Kesavan said in a pleading tone over the telephone.
"...", we couldn't hear what John was saying on the other end.
"But, I have been involved in so many other tasks, that I hardly got to spend time with my team..."
"..."
"But, how many things can I handle at the same time?"
"..."
"But... don't you remember that I helped clinch the Matuka deal, that saved iBend? I have sweated my blood for the company..."
"..."
"No... But, now look at it this way...", Kesavan had hardly finished the sentence. There was a click and the line went blank on the other end.
X---------------X----------------X
Kesavan walked down to Vinny's auto and got in, brooding over the conversation with John.
"You are just the second business for today sir. Bad business. Its the month of Adi, and there aren't many marriages... But am glad you came sir. At least I can lighten up talking to you. I got to go home anyway after dropping you... my wife will be waiting for the money..."
Vinny was talkative, as usual. But he was quick to notice that Kesavan was not talking much.
"What sir, did I say something I shouldn't have said?"
"No, no... its just something at office"
"If you don't mind, you could tell me about it, sir. They say it lightens up your heart when you narrate your woes to a monkey", he paused and grinned at his metaphor. "You can call me a monkey, sir, I dont mind...", he said, winking at the rear-view mirror, looking at Kesavan.
Kesavan was taken aback. He had never thought about talking such stuff to anybody - not even his wife - leave alone an auto-driver.
Vinny stopped the auto at a tea shop and ordered tea and cigarettes for them. As they sat there in the bench of the tatched tea-shop, on the road-side, buzzing with activity, dragging on their cigarettes, Kesavan narrated his story at office in short, in a way that Vinny could understand. Then there was silence – but for the honks of the vehicles passing by. They sat contemplating, sipping at the tea, watching the busy road.
"hmmm, we outsiders think that a software engineer's job is easy, sir. That you get to spend all the time in an air-conditioned room and have it easy... But you have a lot of things to worry about too. At this level of pressure, your salary is well deserved, sir", said Vinny, breaking the silence.
"What...uh...", Kesavan was almost stammering. He had never seen anybody in other professions talk like that about software engineers.
"..."
"Sir, don't mistake my saying this... but what happened today is not important in your life, sir. Its just a test of your character, your self-confidence"
"uh..."
"Yes. Your life will not end if you lose your job."
"Its not just the job, Vinny... you do not understand. I have my home-loan payment to make. I have other expenses. Am responsible for the welfare of my wife and kids. Come the first of the month, I have bills to pay... With a sudden loss of job, I will be on the street."
"Look at the old man there, cleaning the plates. He must be 65. Why does he work at this age? He has bills to pay too... Everybody's bills are as big as their salaries. He does not have pension. He does not have the benefits that your job entitles you to. If he falls sick tomorrow, he won't be paid. But today he is healthy. He is working."
"..."
"The fear of tomorrow is real and looms in front of everybody. Everybody works for a better tomorrow. But when you expect your job to take care of you, things crumble with your job. You would stoop low to protect your job."
"..."
"Theres a point where your self-esteem should kick in, telling you that *you* are more important than your job"
"..."
"Sir, you are highly educated and skilled, that is why you are employed by that big company, while me and this old man are not. Theres no guarantee of job for him or me. We do not know if we will be able to earn tomorrow's wages. When we can lead life with our head held high, why do you have to be a slave to your job?"
"..."
"You should be more confident that you will be able to land a job or run a business of your own than we are. But here we are, you are worried if you will be able to meet the next month's bills, and we are not!"
It began to dawn on Kesavan. He had always thought of his job as paying his living rather than for his skills. He had this idea of his job paying his bills. He had equated his job to his liabilities.
"You are right Vinny. I had expected my job to take care of my bills, instead of myself. I trade my skills for money. My job doesn't pay my bills. I do. My skills do..."
"Yes sir, and if you can close a deal worth a million dollars for your company, why can't you do it yourself?"
"Yes, why do I have to depend on *this* company. I have to depend on my skills"
"You are worth every penny they pay you. Why should you be scared that they will throw you out..."
"I shouldn't be stooping low to save my job, its not like they are paying me for charity. They use my expertise for the money they pay..."
"Yes, if they can't pay for your expertise..."
"I will throw them out of my life, and seek a company that can pay for my level of expertise, or better still start a venture of my own...", high of energy of the sudden realization that dawned on him.
"...and thats how its done.", said Vinny startling Kesavan with his own words. The sale was made.
X---------------X----------------X
They kept talking till they reached Kesavan's house.
"It takes guts to take responsibility of your life on your own. But its all in here, sir", Vinny said pointing to his chest, where he believed his guts would be.
"Start a venture of your own, start a life of self-esteem, sir. If you make it big, you would leave behind a better life for your son, sir. If you don't, and barely make it, you still would leave behind a legacy of self-esteem and confidence to your son, sir. After all thats what every one of us wants to do... see our children and grand-children, in better shape than we are."
Kesavan sat thinking about the sudden change that Vinny had brought about in him.
"Sir, we are there...", Vinny interrupted his thoughts. Kesavan pulled out a 100 rupee bill from his pocket, and handed it to Vinny.
"Don't...", he said, stopping Vinny who was searching his pocket.
"But sir, I should return 20 rupees..."
"Don't...", Kesavan repeated again, staring at the dark, skinny face. Vinny wasn't used to this. Kesavan had always been demanding of the 20 rupees.
"Sir... sir... have I said something wrong?", he asked hesitantly.
"Don't... you are worth every penny of it", Kesavan said, still staring at Vinny.
