Here, take this tie.”
I paled. It was one of those days when we had no meetings scheduled and I thought that the strangling neck gear in the heat could be done away with. But here was my boss handing me a tie.
“But…” I stammered.
He cut me off. “You have an appointment at 2.
I will speak about it later. Come back to my office in about 30 minutes. I have some important calls to make.”
That was Mr. Rajan, my immediate senior for you. Curt, to-the-point, no-nonsense. I, of course, knew him as a man with a heart of gold.
This was my first job and over the past three years I had come to, silently of course, regard him as my mentor. He had, in his own brusque, business-like manner, taught me everything I needed to know to ensure a smooth transition from college to career. A bit like ‘what they don’t teach you at Harvard’. I really appreciated that.
One promotion down the line and I thought I was settled. This was the job that I wanted all my life. I was doing well. Life was go...