Escapades of a PSU Executive - The destructive power of success

Escapades of a PSU Executive – II

This is an imaginary series of the experiences of an idiotic PSU executive, working in a global fortune 500 company. Please note that any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental.

The destructive power of success.

Sometimes the idiotic executive goes into a philosophical mood. All around, he sees people pushing, pulling and working towards success. However, the so-called success sometimes makes their life hellish or worse. This is a small incident where success spoilt the family life of a couple.

A studious young girl in the small town of Jorhat was wooed by a young man. Let us call the girl Rita and the boy Akhil. Now Rita was a hardworking sincere girl while Akhil was not too good in his studies. However, Akhil was a worldly-wise guy who wanted to take up business as a profession. He was successful too. After a few months of wooing, Rita succumbed to his charms and they were engaged to be married with acceptance by their mutual families. 

Rita passed out with flying results and Akhil was successful with his various minor business ventures and they got married in style.

Just after marriage, an advertisement for a Retail Outlet caught Akhil’s attention. The location, most suitable for him, was near to their house. But there was a catch. The site was advertised under Open (Women) category. However, Rita happily signed all the papers while he arranged all the necessary documents and filled up the application form.

Rita became the LOI holder and shortly afterwards she became a Dealer of Teliya Oil Corporation. The complete investment for the retail outlet and efforts were put in by her husband. In due course, the Retail Outlet achieved a monthly sale of more than 100 KL.

Since Rita was educated Akhil asked her to attempt the state civil service examination. Being a studious girl she crossed it in her first attempt. After the allotment of the Retail Outlet dealership, this was the second major success of the couple.

She went to the Dy. Commissioner’s office to join as per the directive in her appointment letter. The Dy. Commissioner recognised her as the owner of the retail outlet and told her that as per service norms she cannot carry on any business as a Govt. Officer. She was not unduly perturbed and told the DC that she will bequeath the Retail Outlet to her husband and accordingly change the trade licence before joining in her new post. The DC gave her one week’s time to complete the formalities and join in her post.

After that, the bad days started. Teliya Oil gave her a polite reply that a Dealership is a bipartite agreement and not a property that can be bequeathed to a person of her choice. Moreover, change or modification of ownership vide reconstitution process was not possible because three years have not passed since commissioning of the retail outlet.

The couple started having an argument – Akhil wanted her to sacrifice her job while she wanted an identity of her own and was loath to give up such a good job offer. Since Akhil had invested all his money and time on the RO – he became harsh and demanding that she should maintain the status quo.

Maybe he was unable to convince her or maybe he was too harsh on her, due to which she gave a written letter to the DC to cancel her trade license and once done, joined as a government officer.

Very soon after that, the couple separated. After separation Rita retained her dignity and concentrating on her work, rose within the ranks. Akhil, on the other hand, went into a downward spiral of depression and negativity.

He started writing innumerable letters to all senior officials and politicians and got a polite and measured response in an official language. He paid money to a tout and met a senior politician and created a VIP Reference but the reply from Teliya Oil was same.

He started coming to the head office of Teliya Oil and met the state retail head and state head with his pleas loaded with pathos. One day he said that since the retail outlet is near his home every day when he sees it in it’s abandoned form he goes through agonies of pain and depression.

The retail outlet became his obsession. Although he had other business ventures, nothing was as successful as the retail outlet. Moreover, with his anguished state of mind, he was unable to concentrate in his other business. Although he did not face starvation his pecuniary condition became worse.

Every time there is a change of officials in Teliya Oil, he came and visited the new officials and showed them his complete file and told then his tale of woe. The new officers studied his file, expressed sympathy and politely conveyed to him that as per norms the RO cannot be given to him, just like that.

One day while he was waiting for a senior official the idiot officer met him. They started taking. By then Akhil was like a madman. The idiot officer after going through his file and listening to him told him, “Brother, please forget about the Retail Outlet. Go and make up with your wife. In this manner, you are losing not only the retail outlet but also your wife. Once you reconcile with your wife – start a new business venture and with your tenacity, dedication and hard work you can still make something of your life.”

The idiot officer also said, “What is an RO? Only a business venture but a wife is someone far more important. In case you patch up with your wife you will have someone near you to support you in your next endeavour. In life sometimes, it is better to quit than fight for things which are transitory. You have already lost the RO and with your fanatical obsession you have also lost your wife”.

Although the advice was delivered with sincerity by the idiot officer, Akhil flared up like a madman. He said, “Mr Idiot, do not try to be a marriage counsellor to me. What is your intention or benefit from this? Do you know how rotten and money minded my ex-wife is?” After which he started mouthing some really nasty things about his wife. 

Since the advice was not accepted the idiot officer had to beat a hasty retreat.

Akhil still kept coming and meeting all senior officials, because he still clutched to the hope of becoming a Retail Outlet owner.