A Corporate Commoner's Diary

Chapter 1

"Rupees three thousand seven hundred fifty, Sir."

I took the money from the customer standing in front of me and started to enter his premium details on my system. My eyes checked the time in computer clock and took a swift glance around the room. Another couple of customers waiting on the queue in front of my desk and three others were waiting in enquiry desk beside me, managed by Piyasha. Quickly I made a mental calculation; by any chance if I had to handle another two or three fresh walk-in's apart from these two, still I will be able to wrap my work by 6:15pm max. That means for a change I could visit Ayushman's office prior to our scheduled time of meeting and surprise him after a very long time. That very thought made my happy, my lips curved for a smile envisioning Ayush's astonished face. And the wretched office printer chooses exactly this time to remind me to get back to earth and my job.

Spoilsport! Hurriedly I collected the premium receipt from printer and handed it over to the customer and bid him goodbye with one of my very few genuine smiles of the day. Yeah, I'm happy and there's a reason to be.

I'm Annie, Anamika Chowdhury, a 26+ girl, pursuing MBA from SMU and working as an Assistant Manager on Dalhousie branch of Wellex India Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Kolkata. Well, I'm just like any other corporate girls you see every day on the roads, bus stops or metro stations waiting for the transport, wearing a Kurti-leggings or Shirt-trousers, oblivious to the world around, headphones plugged on ears or busy with mobile. My home town was in Siliguri but for my higher education and career I left my home town long ago. Now I stay in a Paying Guest accommodation at Lake Gardens, sharing with two other girls. In few months I will move to my own apartment, my dream home. And if everything goes as I planned then I will purchase another dream of mine probably in next year - a Car.

Now back to office again, though I was busy with the customers but one of my ears was assigned on the adda going on the other side of our department. I too will join them once I'm finished with this customer's. These adda's are the fuel of our big days.

At first I didn't noticed when Sunaina entered the office but when Piyasha said a cheerful "Good Evening" between her conversations with a customer, I twisted my head to check the reason for this sudden change in her attitude. Sunaina was coming towards the operations area.

Sunaina Paul, Deputy Manager of Customer Service and our boss Suresh's reporting manager. Technically our 'Big Boss' and we fondly called her so, for not only the designation she held but for her good plus size shape with an ever pregnant belly as well. Though she dislikes to be called fat.

As Sunaina enters the Ops Bay all of us stood up and greeted her smilingly though we were quite surprised to see her here at this time. She sits in the regional office with other big shots and visits this office once a week. I couldn't remember when I last saw Sunaina visited this office at late hours except the parties or big closings. She usually attends meetings or left office by this time in the evening as part of her maternal benefits this organisation offers. We all were curious what brought her here changing her daily schedule but we're all well aware of corporate etiquettes too. So we began some informal conversation instead of asking her the reason for visiting. But Sunaina is serious today unlike her usual chirpy nature. She kept her laptop bag on Suresh's table and asked Piyasha about Mr. Jha's complain, a customer who had escalated his grievance to the higher level of management.

I was surprised as I was handling that complaint beside Piyasha and I had mailed the last reply on that complaint only few hours ago. I came forward and informed Sunaina about the last update of that Complaint. Though she was marked in the cc field, Sunaina listened me without interruption then said calmly "Good Annie, but from now onwards Piyasha will take care of this complaint."

I'd faced this kind of situations before also where ones unfinished job was passed to another to complete, still I but felt bad. I was not supposed to express that but couldn't stop myself from asking "Have I done anything wrong, Su?"

"Not that, Annie. Actually there's no need to involve two man-powers for a single complaint. And Piyasha can handle it."

I nodded my head, silently acknowledging the unspoken word, 'better'. Piyasha was uncomfortable a little bit but she thanked Sunaina as she was expected to.