Payback in full
They would talk about everything except what was important, WHY the upgrades did not happen at the workshop as per plan, the existing system capabilities with TransPro being equipped to handle the million parts tables
from every random manufacturer in Delhi. Ashwini approached the subject upon receiving a signal from II, Baldev was missing from the 11 O Clock meeting, so it was her and Ashwini with the Excelsior team
"We dont have any news updates on the new hardware upgrade" Ashwini began
"Oh ya, I think my son was considering various proposals when he was last part of the project" Ranjan said
"Ummm... since he handed it over hasnt it been looked at?" II asked flabbergasted
"Well... actually no, I have been busy with other things, he wanted to talk and we never got around to doing it"Ranjan laid it all out
The CIO looked like he was on something, "Sir aapko kuch maloom hai?"
"Sorry madam, R&B karte hain sab kuch unko jyaada jaankaari hai USA se padhkar aaye hain"
"He must be busy with his other job wont he?" II asked
"I think so but he is really good about getting back to us on our needs" Ranjan protected his negligent son
"Can he join us for a few minutes?" II demanded
Ranjan picked up he intercome receiver and paged him, called his desk whatever
"Looks like he is not at his desk" Ranjan supplied
"Cell phone par kar leejiye" she taught him
He called, on speaker, and heard the SHORTEST message on the planet "Hey this is R&B please leave a message"
She sent him a short note with the most recent HW upgrade email and they wrapped up other things on the agenda, about the
NOIDA showroom and Shahdara showroom and dispersed for the day at aroun 3...
She was hungry and angry... as she walked over to her desk she realized, something,
she went on her phone and checked her sent email, the last one she sent to him, scrolled down on it...
all the way, the week this issue had come up was the week she had kicked him off the project altogether
This was "his payback"
She slammed her laptop on her desk and opened her lunch hot pack, it was roti and cauliflower paneer..
she ate it cold, chewing on it hard as if she chewed his head, around 6 her head was hurting she went
to the Perk and grabbed a coffee and her phone pinged, "I am in" his email response said
She took her things and went up to his office
"Ya" he said brusquely, looking up from the couch, working away twirling his goddamn hair
He stood up from his chair, in all 6'3" glory, in black Lacoste tee and a white cargo, and North Face flip flops. He looked at her head to toe... they were back to where they started, him not taking office dress code seriously, she wearing Burberry, and both firing the most fieriest weapons in their arsenal to make the point
"I wont take too much of your time, Mr More wrote to you more than once, and you havent committed on the HW upgrades for the workshop
We began training under the condition that the upgrades would coincide with the training
"I dont think I am part of Transporo any more" she said NOT LOOKING UP FROM HIS LAPTOP
bas***d!!
"U dont have to be, I just need an answer on WHEN we are getting new HW for the workshop"
"I havent looked at the cost benefit fully" he said shortly
"Whattt?' This is not a new business idea this is just a system upgrade OVER DUE so we can do what we need to do and get out of there"
"I bet" he said
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked angrily
For every Rs.100 we are spending on getting new hardware we are spending Rs. 120 on the new software and maintenanance and training. does that make sense to you?" he asked calmly
"What?? That doesnt make any sense"she said baffled
"Exactly, there are so many patches on this thing, it could fail at the first crisis, no matter how fast and how efficient the server is."
"well because your workshop hasnt been doing a good enough job of reporting cash receipts to the Income Tax department, they CHOSE THIS TIME to upgrade that system as well, every dollar you are spending on server upgrade only 48 cents is because of Transpro"
"I give it to you, but with your patches and the ongoing maintenance and training and connectivity needed it works out to 82 cents in my books"
"You signed up for this long ago, your workshops are revenue generators like the showrooms, every part you sell M Co or local you have a fat margin it will more than cover the cost of the system upgrades"
"Thats just biz theory. This hasnt been functioning up to par, the best servers might be incapable of handling this kluge string of codes I suspect"
"If u only want to do showrooms, and NOT workshops, we have to go back to legal and rewrite every goddamn thing. We will continue to bill you because this delay has nothing to do with US"
"That would be unacceptable." he said bluntly
"Does Mr Ranjan know" she asked flatly
"I believe he does" he said coolly
"So he lied to me?" she asked
"I dont know"
"So basically we are where we started a month ago?" she asked
"I am not sure" he said going back to his couch
"Thanks for your time" she said slamming the door extra loudly
She was going to marry a man with whom she shared the MOST dysfunctional relationship professionally,
she took the stairs, slowly... pausing in every landing, looking out the window.
He played MEAN and HARD
He was as obsessed as she was in making and proving a point
AND the horoscopes MATCHED
"why did Mr Ranjan lie?" "R&B had TOLD him that he was not willing to approve infrststructure upgrades?"
She bumped into Bhavna around the 16th floor landing
"Is everything OK?" she asked
"Oh ya" she said resolute...
"U look upset, Ishita" she said
"Nahi, main theek hoon, long hard day, I guess, pata bhi nahi chala 7 baj gaye" she said expressionlessly
"Lets take the elevator?" Bhavna asked
"Hmm" sure" she said
"BTW, do u want to talk about your ring?" Bhavna asked curious
II was startled, "Um no, not at this time" she said
"Thats fine, none of us have seen a diamond this big" Bhavna said
"None of us have seen a arrogant bas***d the size of R&B" her mind cursed
"Oh" II said preoccupied
"U dont look OK" Bhavna said
"Nahi ghar jaaoongi abhi" she said
She took her things, packed up and left, stepped out to the busiest noisiest intersection in Gurgaon hailing a rickshaw to the Metro station the Porsche screeched to a halt by her, he slid the window down
"I am fine" she said
He got off opened the door and waited...
It was a two door car, she almost kicked the front backrest down and threw her things in the back seat and sat down, buckled up and looked out the window
HE? HE WAS BORN SPEECH IMPAIRED SO HE DIDNT EITHER
RAKSHASAN
"Home" she said...
He didnt respond, just turned up the volume on the Billboard or whatever shit he listened to on the radio...
He drove to D II 887, she got off, he didnt help her get her stuff, but got off the driver side and leaned on the car
She didnt thank him, he didnt escort her to the door...
He watched her walk up the stairs and gassed it LOUDDDLY as if he wanted her to know how pissed he was
appa sat in the living room with NO TV, and Akka sat with him too
Shravu was hanging upside down from a piece of dupatta tied breadth wise on two posts on her four poster bed... God knows doing what
Akka was delighted
Amma was somber
Appa was furious
"Welcome to my world Appa" she said in her mind
Edited by Nisha0604 - 9 years ago
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