Dear Friends,

This is my first effort to describe in detail a somewhat offbeat story. I have picked up my plot from ‘office’, bereft of the ardour of life, where many of us tend to spend about two-third of our waking hours. I am not sure whether I am actually writing a story or a case study. It will consist of four-five chapters. Anyway, please do not forget to leave your critical comments in whichever chapter you wish.

Part I

Vijay won his battle versus hypocrisy. Finally. Thanks to his clairvoyance and convictions. And to the two principles he has decided to stick to in his life come what may. First, being true to himself and second, being explicit in all that matters.

He was stunned by the act of Mr. Basu, his boss the day after he returned from the trip to Jamhedpur with Arindam, another colleague of his. Initially, he was supposed to accompany Mr. Basu for the trip. But since Mr. Basu insisted to take Arindam also along, he saw no point why three persons should go and therefore excused himself from going as he had some other demanding work at station too. Vijay happened to be the senior most in his department in the office. Mr. Basu seemed to have taken his point in the right note and agreed. Before leaving he scheduled an important meeting on the day following his return from the trip where Vijay’s presence was required. Understandably, Vijay did his homework well for the meeting. He went to office a bit early on the day of the meeting as the meeting was scheduled in the first hour and waited for Mr. Basu to come so they could proceed for the meeting. In the mean time his colleague Arindam, who had accompanied Mr. Basu on the Jamhedpur trip, went out of office with his business folder in hand. Unlike other days he didn’t bother to share a word with him before leaving. This sudden change in his attitude surprised Vijay a little bit though he did not ponder much on it as he was anxiously looking forward to the scheduled meeting. 

After almost half an hour had elapsed since the scheduled time of meeting, “Boss is getting too late”, he said to himself. “Could he forget! Should I call him up? The other party must be waiting; better we inform or reschedule the meeting.”

But he did not call him up. A voice from within, he didn’t recognize fully, dictated him there was no need to call, instead it indicated him to wait and watch. 

He sensed something was wrong somewhere. 

After a confusing wait of another hour or so, Mr. Basu appeared in office, declaring the meeting was good as he approached Vijay. Standing behind him was Arindam, not looking straight at him! Vijay felt a sharp contraction of his muscles of facial ex-pression. He couldn’t smile at either of them. Nor make any comment. He lay still for a moment and completely at a loss. He could not believe Mr. Basu deceiting him this way. Or could he have simply forgotten he had asked him to be present in the meeting! Could it be possible in moments of stress? But he was senior to Arindam and Arindam had no business attending that meeting. He did not handle those stuffs. Something was terribly wrong.

Being explicit in his conversations, as always, Vijay took no time to speak to his boss immediately after he recovered from the initial shock, though greatly perturbed.

“I understood I was to join in the meeting Sir…”

Mr. Basu did not seem to be expecting to be confronted in that fashion. Least by Vijay, a subordinate. He seemed to have become uneasy at Vijay’s inquiring statement as he glanced at him for a moment and then took away his eyes. Unable to avoid the situation, he said softly without looking towards him,

“ Yes you were… but probably you had other works…as you said the day before… while choosing to stay back in station.”

“But I am always available when its an important meeting”, Vijay clarified. Mr. Basu remained silent as he pressed few keys on his laptop and seemed disinterested to answer Vijay at that moment.

“This can be no reason”, he said to himself as he took a deep breadth. He almost came to a conclusion that Mr. Basu had been beguiled by somebody. And that had to happen while he was on the Jamhedpur trip, for he did not observe any abnormality in his attitude towards his until the evening prior to that trip. 

He felt trapped in a net of hypocrisy.

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To be continued