If God Was A Banker (20 page)

When the meeting showed no signs of ending at 9.30 p.m., Sundeep's secretary walked into the room. 'Sundeep, do you want anything else? I am leaving.'

'Just hold on. I will be with you in a minute,' said Sundeep, turning back his attention onto the Mumbai sales team. 'I am just stepping out for the next five minutes as I have some work with Reena. When I come back, I want commitments from each of you on what we can do in the next two months. Else none of you needs to come back to work tomorrow.' He left the room in a huff, leaving the sales team shattered. That was the way he was. However, in this case it was different. It had more to do with Swami than Vivek. Sundeep was becoming meaner by the day. Success had gone to his head.

As Sundeep stepped out, the entire sales team started whining. 'Don't worry, I am here,' said Vivek, but nobody believed him. Jinesh Shah was close to tears. Sundeep had torn his reputation and self-confidence to shreds. The fact was that he had slogged his butt out for the bank and here he was, standing and listening to all the crap from Sundeep.

Sundeep had gone out of his cabin to speak to Reena regarding his tickets to Delhi the next day. Most of the office was empty. People had left as it was well past nine. Only the personal loans team was staying back.

'That's a nice bag. Louis Vuitton? Original, or from a Bangkok street?' A nice sweet voice filled the background. He looked up. When he couldn't see anyone, he walked around the partition to the other side of the hall, from where the voice had emanated.

'Of course, original. It's a genuine Louis Vuitton. Hubby got it from London.' Yes, he knew this voice. It was Sneha. He knew it because he heard it almost everyday. The girl sat opposite his office. But this was not the voice he was looking for. Who was the other woman with Sneha? He could now see two shadows and hear a few giggles.

When he went completely round the partition, he was thrilled.

'Hi Karuna. What are you doing here? What brings you to Mumbai?' He was reminded of the Chennai episode, in which he nearly, well nearly got into bed with her.

The Chennai incident flashed through her mind and she was embarrassed. She didn't know whether Sundeep was standing at her door intentionally or if he had wandered there unknowingly.

'Hello S... Sir,' she stammered. 'I am here on a training.'

'That's great. What training is this?'

'It's the Fundamentals of Banking Compliance programme. I am here for a week. Today was the first day.'

'Oh, that's great. Where are you guys put up?'

'Sundeep, my mom stays here in Worli. I will be going there for the night.'

'Karuna, if you are around for some more time, see me before you go.' Sundeep's scheming mind had already gone to work.

'Sure, sir.'

Sundeep went back to join the personal loans team back in his room.

'Vivek.' He called out as he entered the room. 'I have a idea. Can I ask the others to step out of the room while we talk?' Everyone walked out, wondering what was on Sundeep's mind. Jinesh Shah was particularly worried. He knew that Sundeep didn't like him. He had taken on Ram Naresh when he was in Calcutta as a sales manager, by refusing to sign some frivolous bills of his. Naresh had taken it upon himself to screw his career. As far as the bills were concerned, Naresh got Kailash to sign them off for him.

But Jinesh had stuck on. He was still an Assistant Vice President, whereas almost all his batch mates had moved on to become Vice Presidents, despite him clearly being the best in his batch.

'Why can't we move out Jinesh and bring in Nitin from Chennai?' Sundeep dropped a bombshell. He saw this as an opportunity not to get Nitin to Mumbai, but an opportunity to move Karuna within striking distance.

'That will not be fair to Jinesh, Sundeep.'

'But Jinesh hasn't delivered. He has failed to grow in a growing market.'

'And we don't even know if Nitin would be willing to move to Mumbai. His wife too works. That will bring in additional complexity. And Jinesh is genuinely a good guy.' Vivek made a passionate plea.

'Look Vivek. Don't get emotional about people. Listen to me and get Nitin here. His wife works for us only. If we do not have any opening for her, I will make her my chief of staff. She can work in my office as my executive assistant.'

Now Vivek understood Sundeep's game. Sundeep was playing this entire game to get not Nitin but his wife Karuna to Mumbai. 'What a son of a bitch!' thought Vivek.

'And you don't worry about Jinesh. If he is so good, I have a role in mind for him. Government of India has given foreign banks an option of bringing in a capital of one hundred million dollars and set up a private bank subsidiary in India which will be at par with the local private banks. Let Jinesh do the project paper for this subsidiarisation project. If he does this well, I will make him in-charge of the roll out. As a start-up, I want to set up seventy-five branches in rural India. Let's see how good he is.'

Vivek knew the moment he said this that it was a made up project and was not going to take off.

'And I will talk to Nitin. You don't mention it to him.'

The discussion between the two of them lasted a few more minutes during which Sundeep checked Nitin's career record, his experience and level in the organisation hierarchy.

As Vivek left, he saw Karuna walking towards Sundeep's room, and he knew his inference was right. 'I wish my wife was also beautiful, I would have been the CEO,' he said to himself in jest and walked away.

'H
ey sweetheart. You look stunning.' Sundeep was drooling as soon as Karuna entered his room. She was a indeed a bomb. She had an awesome figure and her clothes accentuated her contours. She looked gorgeous and stunning in an orange chiffon saree. 'Gravity defying sarees,' Sundeep thought. 'How do people manage to hold these five metres of cloth five inches below their navel,' he wondered.

'I am going to town for dinner. Do you want me to drop you?' asked Sundeep. His apartment was in Bandra, which was three miles from work. Peddar road was over ten miles in a different direction. The drive was his opportunity to have her all for himself.

By the time they went down the elevator, the car was in the driveway. A spanking new Mercedes E class sedan. Ashish Baruah was standing in the driveway along with a couple of others waiting for their cars when Sundeep and Karuna passed him.

Sundeep asked his driver to get off, gave him a hundred-bucks note, and asked him to find his way back home all by himself. He got into the driver's seat and Karuna into the seat beside it. This was the first time she had got into a Mercedes, and she was awestruck. One day I will also have such a car, she thought to herself.

'Today is Christmas. Santa Claus has just paid a visit to Sundeep's house.' Ashish Baruah looked at the guy standing next to him and grinned. Such was Sundeep's reputation. No one doubted his banking intellect, but it was this side of him that made people wonder how he got this far.

In the car, Sundeep looked at Karuna with lust in his eyes. She was too taken in by his stature and the car to really think about anything else.

'I am sorry about that night. I was just coming in to tell you that I was getting late and had to leave. The door was open and before I could turn back, you screamed. It was unintentional and I'm really sorry for the confusion.' Sundeep apologised for the Chennai incident.

'You are embarrassing me, sir. I should have ensured that the door was shut. As far as I am concerned it is a closed chapter.'

'Thanks for being so understanding,' said Sundeep as he lightly pressed her hand with his for a moment, before moving it back to the steering of his car.

'How do you like Chennai?' Sundeep asked her.

'It's a nice city, but not too good from a career perspective,' said Karuna. 'If you have to make a career in the banking industry, one has to be in Mumbai. This is where all the action is,' she said.

In one stroke she had made Sundeep's job easier. 'Is that why Nitin is still a manager and has not become an AVP?' he asked.

'The titles depend entirely on people like you, Sundeep.' Karuna was falling in his trap. And like a lion waiting in ambush for the poor deer, Sundeep was waiting.

'Oh, come on, Karuna. Nobody can hold back titles from deserving guys. Nitin is such a great guy. Why doesn't he move to Mumbai? I will give him his title. He can run my personal loans for Mumbai. What do you say?' His hand brushed against her thighs as he changed gears. Thank god! Automatic transmission cars were not popular in India.

'I will ask him. But if he does move, Sundeep, I will also have to look for a change.'

'You can be in my central team,' he said instantaneously, and almost immediately felt that he should not be moving so fast.

Karuna looked at him and smiled.

'What are you doing for dinner tonight?'

'You had a dinner to attend, Sundeep.' Karuna was wondering what made this man change his mind.

'I will cancel it, if a beautiful lady like you gives me company.' Karuna blushed at this compliment. Sundeep was waiting for her response. She picked up her phone and dialled a number. 'Ma, I will not be coming home for dinner. Don't wait for me,' she said and kept the phone down. 'So where do we go?'

Sundeep took her to Indigo, a happening pub in South Mumbai. They freaked out on the floor. Sundeep was an amazing dancer and so was she. Both of them danced till the wee hours of the morning. Sundeep's hands were all over her, feeling her up in the name of dancing. Once when he tried to kiss her, she stopped him. She thought he was drunk. But Sundeep was not. He had not had a single glass of alcohol. He was drinking apple juice and passing it off as whisky. He did not want to get drunk that night. Karuna didn't want to offend him. Someone had spoken to her about Nitin's promotion for the first time.

He didn't push his luck. He dropped her home at half past three in the morning.

W
hile Sundeep was dancing the night away with Karuna, it was a restless time for Swami and Kalpana. Neither could get a wink of sleep. Both of them were worried at the turn of events. This was not what they came back to India for.

Kailash was in London when Swami called him at 4.00 a.m. It was late night in London. Kailash heard out Swami.

'Swami, I understand what you are saying. Please understand, we need someone operationally strong like you to manage the integration of BOCA with our organisation. You are the best person in the entire bank for this job.'

All his reasoning fell on deaf years. Rather than listen to Swami's concern, Kailash was trying to convince him that this was indeed the best deal for him. Soon he realised that Sundeep had completely taped up Kailash and he was not going to get any help from him.

When he met with Aditya for breakfast, he had almost made up his mind on quitting the bank that very afternoon. Aditya too was visibly peeved with Sundeep. He told Swami about their conversation.

'Aditya, I will get to office and submit my resignation. I cannot take this humiliation any more. I would rather come and work with you.'

'Grow up, Swami. Don't be stupid. You are behaving like a sulking kid. Such decisions are not made emotionally.' He pulled out a paper napkin from a stand kept on the table and gave it to Swami. He also gave him his Mont Blanc.

'Now write,' he said. Swami was confused.

'Write down the number of your stock options that will mature in the next two years.'

Swami did some calculations and wrote down a figure.

'How many more years do you have to serve the bank to start getting pension for life?'

'Pension at NYB starts post fifteen years of work experience. I complete fifteen years of service next year. To answer your question, I have one year to go,' said Swami.

'Assuming you live till seventy, write down the approx value of pension you will get from now till you are seventy.'

He looked at Aditya, then took some time to do the maths, and eventually wrote down a number.

'Great. That was quick. You are four months away from getting your bonus for the year. Write down the bonus you expect to be paid this year.'

Swami wrote it down. He was now smiling. Aditya had his own way of making him understand.

'How much do all these add up to?'

'Over two million dollars.' Swami's face lit up.

'If you want to give up two million dollars because of some son of a bitch, please go ahead and do so. Come tomorrow morning and collect your appointment letter. And now Mr Swaminathan, I am getting late and hence I must leave.'

Swami got up too. He had got the message. He was going to have some fun.

Kalpana was leaving when he bumped into her in the lift of their apartment. 'All well?' she asked him and was surprised to see him smile. 'Call me when you get to office,' she screamed as the lift started moving.

It was 9.45 a.m. when Swami walked into office. He went straight to Sundeep's room. Sundeep was on the phone, talking to Natasha who had left with the kids on an early morning flight to Delhi. Sundeep had not got up by then. And they had left without saying bye to him. Sundeep was glad that Swami walked in. He could use that as an excuse to cut the phone call short.

'So Swami, how do you feel about your new assignment,' fingered Sundeep, expecting Swami to plead with him to revoke the announcement.

'Wonderful, Sundeep. It's a god sent opportunity. No doubt, a challenging assignment. Fair bit of learning for me. I have tremendous faith in your leadership and am confident that you will support me completely in making this venture a success.'

Stumped, Sundeep's could only say, 'Yes, of course, Swami. You are the best man for this job.'

Pleasantries over. They decided that Swami would move over to the new assignment from the first day of the next month. Since Sundeep was a very hands-on boss, Swami didn't need to give him an extensive handover.

And so Swami moved to his new role as MD of BOCA.

K
aruna moved to Mumbai into Sundeep's team. Nitin was not that fortunate. The Regional Head for North India quit around the same time that Nitin was supposed to move to Mumbai. Sundeep was quick to seize this opportunity. He moved him to Delhi, the Assistant Vice President title thrown in as a carrot. Karuna in Mumbai and Nitin in Delhi... Mission accomplished for Sundeep.