Dhananjay

 

The afternoon was felt, with the sun turning up the heat at the full notch and even in the big air-conditioned conference hall, the heat was felt. A small droplet of sweat trickled down the back of Dhananjay making him uneasy, aware at the same time of the droplet trickling down his bare back and also the chairman introducing the agenda for today's meeting, it was going to be a long hot day. A reflective glance at other members present in the conference hall was needed just to confirm his affirmation that everybody is as uneasy and uncomfortable with the heat as him. He looked around, there he was a bespectacled balding fellow... with a little stub of skin and bones that performed the function of the nose. How ironically Dhananjay thought, this person was a quintessential meddler. Never found in his greying dusty cubicle but always hovering around accounts, marketing and purchase. Nosing into others' business with that small stub of a nose. A feeling of disdain flooded into his mind, and he immediately looked at the opposite seater. This septuagenarian lady was a mother who lost her only son in a freak car accident leaving behind his four-year-old daughter. The girl became an orphan in a matter of two hours, the moment her son's wife knew about the accident, she died of shock. Life is very hard when a small kid loses both parents yet this grandmother worked, day in and day out and held company accounts with such prudence that no rupee escaped her calculation. Yet she was generous and being a mother she nurtured each department with the same care a mother of three does. Not making any department her favorite and yet showering equal petty cash to each department as needed. Dhananjay's heart filled instantly with overwhelming love and respect for this saintly lady. He moved his gaze to the next person sitting to her. Akanksha, Dhananjay liked Akanksha. She bumped into him in the lobby of their office and like a small bird timid and flustered she was asking forgiveness for a fault that wasn't her at all. She looked like a little bird and in the raw corporate world with its hostile political environment, Dhananjay was afraid, she would be eaten raw in this cruel and grueling corporate world. He felt protective of her, a little glance at her smile assured him that she was doing fine. At the same time, she happened to glance around and came upon the gaze of Dhananjay at which Dhananjay put on his awkward smile and looked at the person sitting opposite to her. This was Dr. Dixit, a board member and tough love mentor who within a glance would judge a person's disposition, was a feared character in the office. People avoided him and made sure when they had some work with him, it was as short as possible. Yet to this tough love personality there was a soft corner. Aged 65 nearing his retirement, without an heir to his legacy, he gave away half his earning's to charity and to support and educate the underprivileged. 

Such people were gracing the conference hall with Ac being on for several minutes now. It was having a cooling effect and Dhananjay saw everybody relaxed in their chairs and the atmosphere in the hall turning jovial. At last, his eyes met the face of his mentor, who seemed to be asking him some questions...

"Dhananjay, Dhananjay where are lost, come to the meeting..!"

The sound which was first very faint gradually with seconds turned into the alarm sound which cannot be snoozed.

"Sorry, was just thinking something.!" 

"Pay attention Dhananjay we are going to organize a company trip are you interested in coming on this trip? You all worked so hard and deserve a vacation, so the company is organizing this trip with all expenses born by the company. So bring your family too."

A conflict arose in the mind of Dhananjay whereupon his hand instinctively reached for the right pocket of the trouser and there in that pocket was an envelope that cased a resignation letter.. and like Arjun, at the Kurukshetra, his mind was in a conundrum and heart split into two. He withdrew his hand and leaned forward to speak. He was flustered, he opened his mouth and words seemed to feel comfortable not to go out and be loud. To force words out, his hand did reach... his pocket again, yet the words didn't come out...! He tried to take out the envelope yet his very hands were not responding to the commands of his brain and ...aghast by the situation, and the hall was becoming warmer, he looked at air-conditioned which was blurring from his vision he managed to note the temperature, it was on 16 degrees the highest, yet the heat was overwhelming.. he looked at the faces that were expectedly looking at him, first, they were smiling and within no time these very faces were mocking at him, laughing at him. Jest him for the insolence of resigning from a position of no importance. The saintly lady now is not looking very saintly, a tough-love mentor looked like a jail warden, who knew that his prisoner now would be with him forever...and the nosy guy, mimicking him for the resignation.

Dhananjay soon started experiencing, short breaths, and the very air, mocked him for his resignation, and yet he could not breathe...

........

Awaking in the middle of the night gasping for the air, Dhananjay yelled in his bed, " I want to resign, I want to resign". Word did come out loud. Air was cool but he was perspiring with sweat. When after a while he relaxed realizing it was a dream. He wondered would it be right to present his resignation at today's meeting. he looked at this bed stand and there lay on it an envelope which contained his resignation.

***End***

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