CC & OD

As you enter the branch, on left side is loans deptt & there you will find S. Topo sitting amidst files, stock statements, audit reports & surrounded by customers. He is a young & efficient officer who joined the branch recently on transfer from Ranchi.

He looked more of a Bengali gentleman, well dressed, well educated & could speak Hindi well with a Bangla accent & he was fond of smoking. He was convent educated & had joined bank as MT. Despite pressure of work he could crack a joke or two any time. To the illiterate customers he always posed a question ‘baccho ko to school bhej diye?’.

Soon after joining the branch he was invited for dinner at my place. At first he declined the invitation but after repeated requests, reluctantly agreed. I could not gauge the reason of his hesitation at that time.

He & his wife came for dinner & we were in a bit of surprise that his wife was hardly literate & had only primary schooling. Compared to Topo, his wife was short, a bit darker having tribal look. She could not speak Hindi well. Their marriage was settled while he was still studying in college & ‘gauna’ was performed before he got the job. But then you agree that these relations are made in heaven. Don’t you?

On Monday I intended to visit unit of Jhumri Talieya Impex P Ltd along with director of that company. Instead of Mr Kailash, his wife Nikki came to the branch who was also director in the company. I asked Topo to bring Stock Statement. Meantime ZO called & summoned me. Over a cup of tea, Topo was introduced to Ms Nikki. Instantly Topo was awestruck & speech less for a few moments. He stared at fair complexioned, beautiful face of Ms Nikki. She was always fashionably dressed, with full make-up on & wearing classy perfume. Topo was floored when I asked him to go with her for stock verification.

In subsequent months I noticed that as & when anything relating to Jhumri Talieya P Ltd came up, Topo took extra care & interest. He rushed to attend to any of their requirements. Whispers started floating about friendship of Topo & Nikki. In one to one meeting with Topo, he admitted this as a fact & called Nikki as most desirable thing in this world. And what about his wife? He said she is OD & Nikki is CC!

Counselling, cajoling & threatening had little impact on the friendship. Our apprehension was rather on higher side. News percolated to his wife, from his wife to her parents, from her parents to his parents & to entire village. And Panchayat did it. Lathis, ballums, bows & arrows gave clear message to Topo – behave or else!

Meantime Mr Kailash, director of the company & Zonal Manager managed his transfer. Transfer is a remedy some times. You agree?