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“Andrew, there’s a call from one of the customers. He wants to talk to you. Respond him. I’m transferring the call to you,” Mandy’s voice was heard from his cabin.
“Yes, go on with it,” came the reply from Andrew.
Bank of Vancouver, Canda.Busy official hour was putting everyone in rush. They were racing against time since the flow of customers had increased and a lot of pending works were to be completed. Andrew got through the telephone call with the customer and fixed his eyes back on the computer screen. An enthusiastic natured man, he was in deep love with his job. If said in another way, he was married to his job. As he possessed an attachment for his career at that bank, he had made up his mind not to leave that job at any cost. He evergreen gleaming and delighted face was the reason that he was close to everyone’s heart. His bright smiley face ignited the fire of enthusiasm among his colleagues,too.How could he be so dedicated and ardent with his work? There was something that kept him in deep love with his job. When asked about it, he would simply say that it was because of his boss, Lucas Anderson. What was so special about his boss?Well,for Andrew everything was special about him but the most obvious reasons that he favored his boss so much were his frank behavior and talks. Though Lucas behaved with everyone in the same way at the bank, Anderew found it to be special.
As Andrew was busying himself in his work, he looked at the clock since it was the time for the arrival of his boss. He was keeping his eyes both on the computer screen and at the door. A while later, Lucas entered and Andrew shouted at the top of his voice from his cabin, “Good morning, boss.”Lucas responded by waving hands and the other employees too greeted him. He went straight to his cabin while Andrew retired back to his work. When the official time was over, he went to a grocery. He was purchasing food stuffs and green veggies when someone called him from back.
“Hey, Andrew.”
On turning back, he saw that it was Nathan Lewis, his college mate. They had met after a long time and were happy for that. They got to know about each other’s course of life after they started a conversation. Andrew told that he was working in a bank while Nathan was going to start a tech company.
“Andrew, haven’t you thought of doing something by yourself? I mean what’s your plan about being self-employed?”
“Till now I’ve no any such intension as I’m fully satisfied and making a good living with my job.”
“But how long will it go?”
“The day I think that it won’t go any further, I’ll ring you so that we can do something in collaboration.”
Nathan said that he was open all the time to make that collaboration and then they walked down their own ways. In fact, what Andrew had told was the voice of his inner heart. He had never given a single thought about doing something of his own, for his job was everything for him. A source of stable income, like minded co-workers and above all, a boss like Lucas. What more did he need in life? He knew that he was never going to be displeased from his job until one day….
As usual, he arrived to his office and went to his cabin. He managed everything that was left in mess the previous day and switched on the computer. His co-workers had also arrived by then. As he was going through the documents on the table, Mandy called him.
“Andrew, did you forward that document that I gave you yesterday?”
“Which one?”
“The one with the request for OD?”
Oh, shit! I haven’t yet.”
“That customer had called me the night before, too.He said that if he didn’t get that today, he would be in a great loss.”
“One final step is left. I need the sign of boss.Wait,let me call him.”
He dialed the number and Lucas received the call.
“Yes, Andrew.What’s the problem?”
“Boss, I need you to get a document signed for an OD request. Can you come here shortly?”
“Ok.I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
He hung up the phone and continued his work. He was anxiously waiting for his boss and was afraid if his boss would be late. He felt relaxed when he saw his boss making an entrance and he hurried up with that document.
“Boss, here is the document.”
“Andrew, is that the way you talk to me?” Lucas broke out suddenly.
“Sorry, boss.Did I say anything bad to you?”
“Shall I play the recorded call to make you realize what have you said?”Meanwhile two customers, who had taken an appointment with Lucas, enetered there and he continued shouting upon Andrew.
“Even the founders of this bank don’t dare to talk to me that way and who are you to do so? Keep that document here and go back to your cabin. I’ll send it there after signing it.”
Andrew did as directed and went out. But what was that? Was he dreaming or did his boss mistake him for someone else? He felt despondent. What he had faced just now was totally a shock for him. Harsh words from the most adorable person of his life. Was that a wakeup call? Tsunami of thoughts came to his mind.
“If he hasn’t been talked that way and he demanded respect from me, why did he talk in such a harsh way in front of the customers? He could have told about it privately or in a calm manner. Why did he need to publicize it in front of all? If his self-respect mattered to him, what about my self- respect? He said none of the founder members had talked to him like that and how I dared to do so? If it’s so, what does he think of me and other fellow workers? What’s our value in this office?”
He asked himself a series of unanswered questions which broke him totally from within. That day onwards he lost the passion in his job. The energy that he used to get thinking about his boss and job was now converted into a misery. He started having some sort of inferiority complex. He felt that he was living under the grace of his boss without any solid foundation of his own.However,he didn’t show any sign of negativity in the work place nor did he share about this incident to anyone. He continued his job with the same enthusiasm but his time it was a superficial one. It was a mask of enthusiasm. Then he made a call to Nathan and planned to meet him in a park on Monday evening. He had called Nathan to discuss something.
“Dear Nathan, I think that time has come to give a concrete form to our collaboration. I’m interested in partnering with you in tech-business.”
“Fantastic! Better late than never. But what about your job? Did you wash your hands off the job?”
“Absolutely not. It’s still there but I think that a backup plan is required.”
Nathan was happy to welcome Andrew in the team .Andrew was a man with good network of people. He was in the customer department at the bank because of which he had maintained a good relationship with many people. Also he knew he knew the ways to handle the customers as well as expand the market. Our network is our networth.Hence, Nathan decided to cash it out and Andrew was appointed as the CEO of that company.However, the company was yet to take a concrete form since the registration and the paper works were left. Till then he didn’t say anything about the start up to anyone. The registration and paper works were carried out by Nathan which took nearly a week. When everything was done, Andrew was told about it.
That was a moment of celebration and he decided to share it with his co-workers as well as his boss. He was congratulated by all and everyone was surprised by such a secret progress made by Andrew. He told them that everything happened at a lightning speed that he didn’t have time for informing anyone. His boss was the one who was surprised the most among all others.However, he didn’t say a word.Thereafter, Andrew quit his job and made his ends meet doing some freelance jobs until the company started in full fledges. When everything was settled, the time for its official launch was fixed. Andrew and Nathan decided to invite some high profile people at the launching ceremony. Andrew proposed Nathan to make his ex-boss, Lucas Anderson the Chief-Guest at the launching ceremony which he agreed. Invitation cards were sent to all. Andrew had planned something special for his boss. He designed an expensive card and got it framed in a golden frame with a formal invitation. The name of his boss, Lucas Anderson, was embossed with special calligraphy in golden letters. Taking those cards, he went to Bank of Vancouver, the place where he was formerly employed. He also met all of his colleagues and gave them individual cards. Then came the time to meet his ex-boss. Lucas was seated on his revolving chair and he gave that invitation card to Lucas. He kept on looking at that card being totally dumb-folded.
“Boss, your presence is highly appreciable. I know you won’t displease me.”
Andrew didn’t say anything more than that and came out. That grand invitation was kept on Lucas’s table. On the launching day, everything was well managed and all the invitees had started coming. Andrew was expecting for his boss since he was the Chief Guest. Andrew called him and knew that he was on the way. After a while, Lucas arrived and he was taken to the stage.Thereafter,the formality of taking seat was completed and then Andrew took over the microphone to give a speech.
“I’ve often heard that whatever we do, behind it lies the hand of that person who inspires us for taking such a great step. I also haven’t remained exception to this case. The person who inspired me to be self-dependent is none other than Lucas Anderson.”A big hand of applause was given on this announcement. Hearing this, Lucas got startled and he kept on smiling in front of the mass while Andrew continued his speech. “The way he inspired and motivated me has increased my confidence to make this start-up possible. Thank you so much boss. Hadn’t you nurtured my true value and inner capacity that day, I’d have ended up being none. Each and every word spoken by you has ignited my soul from within. Now I have respect for you more than ever.”
Lucas started feeling some sort of uncomforting and he eased the tie on his neck but stayed on the stage. “I’m damn sure you will keep on inspiring others, too, in the same way.”
There was a huge round of applause after the completion of speech. Andrew went near Lucas and hugged him while the sound of applause continued. A token of love was given to him while he kept on maintaining that smiling face in front of all. Unlike that day at office (the day he had exploded at Andrew), he remained totally speechless on that particular launching ceremony. He had shouted at Andrew that day because he felt that Andrew had insulted him. Each sound of applause was slapping on his face but this time he could shout at Andrew neither publicly nor in private. It’s because that wasn’t an insult. That was a prestigious insult.