If God Was A Banker (10 page)

Monica returned within a minute with a cigarette lighter. When she came close to Sundeep to light his cigarette, the smell of her perfume filled Sundeep's nostrils. As she bent down to light his cigarette, the neckline of her t-shirt dropped a bit, exposing what they were desperately trying to hide. Sundeep could not take his eyes off her. 'My god, is she hot!' he thought as the flame hit his cigarette.

The moment the cigarette was lit, the lighter dropped from her hand and fell on Sundeep's lap. 'Oh, I am so sorry,' she said as she slowly picked up the lighter, lightly brushing her hand against his swollen crotch. 'Will that be fine, sir?' she said, bordering on an innuendo.

The moment she left the room, Naresh looked at him. 'Which cigarette were you getting her to light?' And both of them began to laugh.

'Isn't she hot?' asked Naresh.

'Wow. Eminently humpable.'

The conversation eventually turned to the financials of the DSA proposal. Sundeep agreed to a deal heavily tilted in favour of Naresh. Well, after Monica's performance, it couldn't be otherwise.

They shook hands and parted ways. 'Sundeep, it was great meeting you. My driver will drop you at your hotel.'

'Thanks, Ram.'

The moment Sundeep had left, Naresh called out for Monica.

Sundeep reached his hotel quite late. He had a shower and changed into casual clothes. The clock on the wall told him that it was 9 p.m. He had just picked up the phone to call Natasha when the doorbell rang. He was in for a surprise when he opened the door.

'Hey, Monica. What a surprise? What brings you here?'

'Naresh sir asked me to see you. He said there was some work to finish,' she said seductively.

Sundeep didn't understand. 'I think there has been some miscommunication. We had completed everything before I left his office. I am so sorry you had to come all the way.' She smelled good. He had liked the smell back at Naresh's office too.

Monica had already made her way into the room and was standing at the edge of his bed. 'No sir, he asked me to finish the work I had left incomplete in the afternoon.'

Sundeep was clueless. What was she talking about?

'Sir, when I dropped the lighter on you this afternoon, I figured out that you were on fire down there, despite the lighter being off. I thought maybe I could help you put out that fire,' she said and took off her sandals.

Sundeep was getting turned on.

'When I was leaving the room, the two of you were admiring my ass, why not feel them now!' She unzipped her skirt and it fell on the carpet.

The thought of Natasha back in Mumbai flashed through Sundeep's mind. But just for a moment. 'She won't get to know about this,' he told himself. Then Monica started unbuckling Sundeep's belt and he completely lost it. He quickly got rid of his clothes and ripped off her t-shirt. Soon they were on the bed, hungrily devouring each other. Monica gave Sundeep one of the best fucks of his life.

When Sundeep woke up the next day, Monica had already left. On the bed was a small note. 'Hope you had a good time. I loved it. Anytime for you, sir.'

It slowly dawned on Sundeep that it meant, anytime for Naresh sir. By sending Monica to him, Naresh had bought him for life. He had got a good deal from New York International Bank. And now he had ensured that the deal was his forever. The phone rang. Sundeep picked it up.

'Kee had hai?
How are you, young man?
Kudi ne ratti sohn ditta ki nahi?
Did Monica let you sleep last night?' It was Naresh on the line. Sundeep saw through the set-up. He wanted to curse Naresh. But the fact was that he had himself to blame for all this.

Naresh had his contacts in the bank, right up to Joseph Fernandes. No point screwing around with him. He could finish his career at NYB. When everyone in the bank played ball, why should he be any different.

'Yes, Ram. She was fabulous.' He was in it now. And once you are sucked in, there is no getting out. Sundeep did not realise the dangerous game he had got into. His long friendship with Naresh had begun.

I
n Mumbai the previous evening, Suneel Dutt asked Natasha to stay back late. He gave her a few dictations; a few mails to respond to; a few presentation slides to update; and a few calls to put through. Natasha did everything diligently, but when she found out that the calls were actually made to friends in New York, she started getting worried. Was Suneel planning something sinister? All the work that he gave her could have waited till the next day. But he was the boss and she couldn't have questioned him.

After finishing work at around eleven at night, he asked her out for a drink. Natasha refused. She said that she had to get back home.

'Oh, come on. I know Sundeep has gone to Calcutta. There's no one at home. What will you do there? In any case, tomorrow is a Saturday. Let's go out, have some fun, and I'll drop you back. Or if you want to come back home with me, I am game.'

'What the fuck,' she thought. Suneel was directly asking her to sleep with him. 'How dare he?' She felt outraged. She wanted to give him one tight slap, but held herself back. 'Let Sundeep come back. I will ensure you are history,' she told herself. But deep inside she knew what Sundeep's reaction would be. He would again say she overreacted.

When there was no reaction from Natasha for a while, Suneel looked at her and said, 'My bed is better than the loo. I can promise you that,' he said with an emphasis on the word
loo.
When Natasha still didn't react, he picked up his bag and left.

Natasha was shattered when he said this. She was extremely upset and shivered with fury. She collapsed on the sofa next to her workstation and tears rolled down her cheeks.

Natasha didn't know what to do. She first thought about calling Sundeep, but decided against it. Had she tried to, she wouldn't have got through. Sundeep had activated the
Do not disturb
sign on his telephone, before jumping into bed with Monica. All calls to his room would be held back.

Natasha didn't move for the next five minutes. She didn't know whom to call. Who to talk to. Finally she got up, picked up a phone, and dialled a number.

'Hello.' It was Kalpana at the other end. Natasha couldn't say a word. She started sobbing.

'Hello. Who is it? Hello... Hello... Natasha, is that you?' Kalpana was beginning to panic.

'Yes... it's me,' and the sobbing intensified.

'Oh dear. What's wrong? Where are you?'

'I am in office.'

'What are you doing there so late, Natasha?' asked Kalpana.

Swami was next to Kalpana, hearing her side of the conversation.

'If she is still in office, I think I know what the problem is. Ask her to wait there. I will be there in twenty minutes,' said Swami.

'Natasha, stay there, we're coming to get you,' said Kalpana and hung up. Swami was already up and changing into his trousers.

Natasha kept the phone down, and once again contemplated calling Sundeep. She brushed away the idea.

The feeling of getting violated by Suneel Dutt's proposition was not the only thing that hurt her. She had dealt with lecherous people in the past. What grieved her even more was what Suneel said: 'My bed is better than the loo.' Suneel knew all about her romp with Sundeep in the loo. How the hell did he know that?

Besides the two of them, Aditya was the only one who knew. Even Swami and Kalpana didn't know about it. Had Aditya told Suneel about it? She had thought of Aditya as God, as family, friend and guide. And he had made a mockery of her devotion. She was pissed with him. Suneel made her angry, but it was Aditya who made her cry.

Swami and Kalpana parked the car on the street and ran into the building.
'Suneel saab kidhar hain?'
Swami asked the guard about Suneel Dutt's whereabouts.

'A
bhi bees minute hua nikalke.'
Suneel had left twenty minutes ago, around the same time that Natasha called them. The guard's answer confirmed Swami's fear. 'Bastard,' thought Swami as both of them ran up the stairs to the second floor office.

Natasha saw them and burst into tears once again. Kalpana hugged her and patted her on the back. 'Don't say anything, sweetheart. Let's get out of here.' She turned towards Swami, 'Look at her, she is shivering. Let's take her to a doctor.'

No one spoke in the car. Natasha didn't want to visit the doc, so the plan was dropped. By the time they got home, she was feeling better. Kalpana brewed her a cup of coffee, which made her feel even better. She cleared up the guest room and tucked Natasha into a warm bed. They switched off the light and came out. Both of them were feeling miserable about it.

All this while, the one who should actually be feeling the most miserable about the whole episode was enjoying his romp in bed with Monica in faraway Kolkata.

Swami was a little shaken by the way Natasha was being treated. Is this becoming a culture in the bank? Are women meant to be walked over? Is this the way all foreign banks worked? The bank may be foreign, he thought, but the people working here are all Indian. Why should a few slime balls like Suneel be allowed to bring disrepute to a bank? He didn't have the answers. Swami tossed and turned in bed that whole night, and was up the next morning before both Kalpana and Natasha. He desperately wanted to do something about Suneel's behaviour, but felt extremely helpless. He wanted to call Sundeep, but knowing his reaction to the dance floor incident, he decided against it.

Kalpana and Swami were having coffee when Natasha came out of the room. Her eyes were red and swollen. She hadn't slept well. Swami thrust a cup of coffee into her hand and said, 'Don't worry, Natasha, it will all be fine.'

No one spoke about the previous night. Natasha had lunch with both of them before they dropped her home. Since it was a Saturday, they didn't have to go to work.

Natasha found it difficult, actually impossible, to believe that Aditya had told Suneel about the most personal and embarrassing event in her life. She couldn't resist calling Aditya. She dialled his number. When Aditya picked up the phone, she hung up. What would she ask him? How embarrassing would it be to discuss this with Aditya! She finally decided not to ask him.

Sundeep got back on Sunday. Actually he was supposed to come back on Saturday night. Just as he was packing up to leave for the airport, Monica had arrived, this time in tight jeans and a tank top. Sundeep had immediately stopped packing his bag and started unpacking her. How could he have left? He called Natasha and told her, 'Not coming back tonight. Review with the sales team didn't get over.' He had then hurriedly disconnected the call, because Monica had already reached for his zippers. He did not want to give up even a minute of this heaven.

S
wami called up Aditya on Sunday. 'You must not lose heart, Swami. One person does not make a bank. Our bank is not Suneel Dutt. It is a nice place to work.' Aditya tried to convince him. 'Sundeep and Natasha should take a strong stand on this and take it up with someone senior in the organisation. People of low integrity are definitely not good for any bank.'

'Sundeep does not know this. And Natasha doesn't want to tell him,' said Swami. He then told him about what happened at Aditya's farewell party, which was also Suneel's welcome bash.

'She doesn't want to go back to work.'

Aditya was silent for a while. 'OK. I will then try and speak to Shelly Andrade. I know her very well.'

Shelly was a senior manager in NYB's Asia-Pacific Human Resources team and was based in Singapore. She was also the Head of the Diversity Committee for the bank in the Asia-Pacific region.

The diversity committee had been formed to ensure that the bank acted as an equal opportunity employer for people from all genders, caste and ethnic backgrounds. Most of their time and energy was taken up by their effort to make the work environment more conducive for women. They took up a number of issues on behalf of women employees. Aditya had this in mind when he decided to speak to Shelly. He called her the same night.

'Hi Aditya. Good to hear from you after a long time. I was planning to call you up myself.'

'That's nice. What can I do for you?'

'I am looking for a job. Was wondering if there is a good role in your new organisation.'

'Stop kidding, Shelly.' Aditya thought she was joking.

'I'm serious pal. I put in my papers last Monday and the bank relieved me the same evening. I do not have a job now.'

'What are you saying, Shelly? After twenty years...'

'It doesn't make a fucking difference, Aditya. I have given this bank twenty years of my life. All that counts for nothing.' She seemed very upset.

'But what happened, Shelly?'

'I don't know what the bank is coming to. A few days back, I had a run in with Patrick.' Aditya knew Patrick. Patrick was the Head of Human Resources for the Asia-Pacific region and was Shelly's boss. 'He made a pass at me and when I spurned him, he called me a milch cow,' continued Shelly.

'You should have lodged a complaint,' Aditya thundered.

'Of course, I did. You wouldn't believe what happened next. Instead of acting on my complaint and taking action against Patrick, the organisation decided to ask me to go. I was given a separation package and asked to leave. I made a lot of noise about it. Finally they told me to either take the package and leave, or run the risk of getting terminated on grounds of poor performance and lose out on all benefits. I opted for the former.'

This was so depressing. What could Aditya do? He had already left the organisation. Where was corporate life heading? Aditya then decided to stay away from the politics and sleaze of the corporate world and focus on his own business. It would be better if Natasha and Sundeep handle these issues themselves, rather than expecting him to play God.

M
onday mornings at NYB were set aside for operational review meetings. All the Business Heads of NYB met with Suneel for a review of the previous week and to give him an update of the state of their businesses. This meeting was very important for Suneel to keep his fingers on the pulse of the business. Normally this meeting would begin an hour earlier than the regular working hours of the bank. Suneel didn't want this to eat into everybody's regular working hours.