It was 3.30 am. Sleep had abandoned him.
He sat on his 17 th floor balcony in Gurgaon, looking down at the DLF Golf Course road that looked so deserted. It was just a matter of another few hours before this road became the epitome of noise and chaos, punctuated by the occasional road rage.
The world around looked so calm and peaceful. Only Ashok was aware of the turmoil within him.
The fenesta doors slid open and his wife sat beside him on the swing. She rested her head on his shoulder — neither of them said anything for a long time.
An evening ruined
“You don’t look very good. Is everything ok?” his wife enquired as he walked in last evening. It was Sheila’s birthday and she was all dressed up. He had promised to take her to the club.
“Yes, all is well. Why do you ask?” he tried to smile.
But then, wives have this sixth sense. She stood in front of him, looked him in the eye and said, “Remember Ashok. We promised to be honest with each other.”
He sighed. “Let’s go to the balcony. It is a bit stuffy in here.” he said and walked out. She joined him a minute later, carrying a glass of water, waiting for him to begin. “I got fired today,” he whispered.
The news hit Sheila hard, but she knew she had to be strong — for Ashok’s sake. “How could they do that? You are the Country Head here,” she managed to say.
“What really hurts is the way it was done,” he said.
With a faraway look in his eyes, he continued: “You remember Nigel? My peer in the company who was promoted as President and CEO last week, after Harold resigned due to disagreements with the board?”
“Yes, I remember Nigel. Is he not based out of Palo Alto?” Sheila commented.
“He is still based there and is visiting India for two days. He called me into his office this evening and didn’t even have the courtesy to ask me to sit down. He came straight to the point. ‘Ashok, you know that I am now the President and CEO of the company.’
‘Of course Nigel.’
‘When Harold was around, you and I have had many disagreements. You may have forgotten them, but I have not’, Nigel continued. And before I could say anything, he said, ‘My immediate priority is to build a team that I can trust.
‘And I don’t trust you, Ashok. I want you to resign right now. Your accounts will be settled soon.’ And that was that. Just those four sentences, and I’m out of a job now!” Ashok said.
Life comes a full circle
Ashok never forgave Nigel for the humiliating treatment that was meted out to him — and for ruining Sheila’s birthday.
The next few months were very stressful. The job market, especially for senior level positions, was depressed. Ashok went into a shell and stopped meeting friends. He and Sheila decided to not tell their children, who were studying in the USA.
It was six months before Ashok joined another company as the COO. Three years later, one of the world’s largest private equity firms hired him to oversee some of their portfolio investments. It so happened, that one of these was a company he had worked earlier; and where Nigel was still the President and CEO.
A chance for revenge
Ashok flew in to Palo Alto and met Nigel in his office.
“Nigel, you know that this company is now a part of my portfolio,” Ashok began. Nigel nodded, waiting for Ashok to pay him back in the same coin.
Ashok continued, “You would recall the last time we met, it was not a very nice experience; especially for me.”
“Ashok, you know that was not personal. I was just doing my job,” Nigel said defensively.
“Yes, of course Nigel. And I too have to ‘just do my job’. My first priority is, of course, to decide on a team here that I can trust.” Ashok paused for a moment and Nigel knew what would follow.
“I have full trust in you, Nigel, and look forward to your support. Come. Let’s go and meet your team.” Nigel was stunned — even more so when Ashok stood up and shook his hand.
Ashok addressed the management team and laid out his vision for the company. He was happy to meet some of his ex-colleagues and promised to spend more time with them the next time he visited.
But Nigel was tormented. He continued to harbour this floating anxiety and tried his best to figure out Ashok’s real motive. How he wished Ashok had just fired him and ended the suspense. In any case, he had made up his mind to soon connect with an executive search firm.
A few days later, Nigel received an email from Ashok reiterating his trust in him and his team. What caught his eye was the quote at the end.
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison” — Nelson Mandela.
At that moment, Nigel understood. And his respect for Ashok grew manifold.