A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

sizes of boats of their respective posts.
They are drowning one another. There
are big ships in this ocean . Compared
to them, the small boat of my post is
a dwarf. Now, what do I say? We are
trapped like rats in small air-conditioned
holes of multi-storeyed buildings according
to the entitlement of our posts and keep
on nibbling the papers of the files falling
in our hands. We have to pull important
files; otherwise, there would be nothing
to nibble. The garbage of responsibility
comes to our share; whereas, either seniors
devour the cream of importance, or the
junior misappropriates it in collusion with
the seniors.’
‘Why don’t you also become cunning
like them?’
‘It is difficult. Even if I try, the risk
of failing and becoming a laughing stock
is there. You know well that till now I
have been discharging my work in this,
manner only -like a satellite revolves with
a constant speed by getting set far from
the earth in its orbit so that it faces the
specified side and does its job. I have
worked by maintaining a similar distance
from the top management. Still, I have
to re-think now.’
‘You will become Director by next
year, and then it will be comfortable. Then
we will get the company’s car and driver,
and also a big bungalow.’
‘Khanna will retire next year. There
is a chance. Everybody says that I have
been called to Delhi in place of Saluja
so that I may replace Khanna Sahib when
the time comes; but nothing can be said.’
‘Why, has something gone wrong?’
‘I cannot understand the equation here.
There is a lot of liquidity in the official
atmosphere of Delhi. Its shape is never
fixed. The map changes daily. I am not
able to assess my position. Still, I have
all the hopes.’
‘God will take care of everything. You
have got work done throughout your life.
You have erected and run many plants.
One CMD has commended you. Khanna
Sahib himself likes you. Whenever he visited
the site, he used to come to us over
dinner ...’
‘That is fine. But let us see what happens.’
‘Now the water problem has started.
It appears that water does not reach the
overhead tank. Earlier, it was not so. Direct
supply of water is only for half an hour
these days. Now how much water can
we store?’
‘Why, what do residence association
people say? They must be doing something.’
‘They say that shanty towns have
increased in the nearby areas. Another
colony has also come up. The demand
for water has increased; therefore, they
have reduced the time. This year, the
summer is also acute ...’
January-March 2012 :: 101