Of Leaders & Losers 4. Ms. Casabianca is Right

Padma could not make much sense of it.  No, she wasn’t trying to understand the ‘New Year’ mood of the people in the last three or four days of the year 2004.  Nor was she thinking about the cold water poured on such mood by the tragic Tsunami.  Two days later, while in office, she heard one of her colleagues announcing a tsunami warning in Visakhapatnam, and advising them to approach their boss for permission to leave office to care for their families.

Venkat immediately got up from his chair to wash his face, to free it from the sweat which was gathering.  Anita rushed towards the wash basin to clear her throat.  ‘Switch on the TV immediately and give me updates on the tsunami alert every five minutes till I reach home’, shouted Padmanabham at his wife.  After a while, he spoke up.  He said, ‘What Lingam told us is right.  It ain’t any rumour.  A tsunami warning has been issued for Vizag.  We need to go home and secure our family and some valuables.  Let’s talk to our officer’.

They all, minus Padma, rushed to their boss’ chamber.  The boss was making his peon, Simhachalam, to pack up his lunch box, water bottles, etc, which he had kept in position an hour ago.  It was obvious that he, too, became aware of the threat impending on Vizag.  ‘Quick, place all the things in the car, and make the driver ready immediately’, he ordered the peon.  He looked up to see the entire population of his office waiting to catch his attention.  The boss, Amrit Kumar, could not give them a friendly look.  ‘Why are all of you here?’ he asked, half-angrily and half-impatiently.  ‘Sir, it’s about the tsunami alert!’

‘So?’

‘With your permission, can we……”

‘Ok, ok.  You can go home.  Now, leave my chamber’, he said, quite in an unconcerned way.

The relieved staff left the room.

When they came out, they noticed that Padma was sitting at her chair, and fiddling with her mobile.  ‘Look here, the person with no team spirit’, someone from the group still found time to comment.  She heard it, but had no time to look up.  She was not concerned with these comments, just as their boss was unconcerned about their lives.

‘Listen, boss has……’, Venkat tried to inform Padma, before they could hear her speak.  ‘Hi Shruti, thank God for letting me hear your voice!  So, you and your family are safe and sound…….  I was trying to catch up with you ever since the tsunami struck ……. Couldn’t get the line…….  Hope you guys were not on the sea shore on that day…….  Anyway, let’s thank God once again for safeguarding you all…..  Bye’.  She disconnected the phone and looked up at Venkat and the rest, and said, ‘Shruti and her family are fine!’ 

One could see relief on the faces of the staff, and one could see guilt as well.  They realized they had forgotten that Shruti, the personal assistant of their officer, had taken leave during the year end to visit Chennai and Rameswaram.  As is the trend with the present generation, people only knew when she’s leave Vizag and when they’d be back, but not of the detailed programme.  When they could not get in touch with her they tried to obtain information through other sources.  But, when their own ‘existence’ was ‘under threat’, they totally forgot about Shruti.

‘Why are you so worried about the tsunami?  Did you not read in yesterday’s newspaper that the Dolphin’s Nose (a hillock) protected our city from that wave?  You guys are fearing for no reason’, said Padma.

‘Oh my dear mother, enough of your lecturing.  This alert has been issued by the Government and not spun from our minds.  Now let’s start for our representative homes’, replied Anil.

‘One second.  Let’s recollect where our homes are’.

‘Thatichetlapalem’.

‘Gazuwaka’.

‘Dwaraka Nagar’.

‘Seethammadhara’.

‘Lalitha Nagar’.

‘Simhachalam’.

‘New Colony’, ……

‘Dutch Layout’ ……..

As the list went on, Padma said, ‘Even if the tsunami were to strike, your homes are out of its reach – more than ten kilometers from the sea.  Except for people in the Dutch Layout, there’s no reason why others should fear in first place’.

‘What if an earthquake were to precede the tsunami?  When it comes unnoticed, we’d have to handle it.  Let the families face it together, when it is expected.  Ah, you are a young, single girl, the junior most in our office.  You are a free bird, and we are not.  Stay back if you want to, but we’re going home, Ms. Casabianca!’ quipped Padmanabham.

Even as Padmanabham said it, he and the rest, including Padma, noticed their officer crossing the corridor, towards the exit.

‘This girl is delaying us.  Let’s start’, they muttered amongst themselves as they began to leave.

Padma was unmoved.  Lingam, who broke the news, walked back to Padma and said, ‘As someone older than you and interested in your welfare, I suggest you leave for home.  Think of your parents.  Do you want them to suffer in their old age?’

‘Thank you, Lingam!  Geographically, my home is the closest to the sea, as it is in Lawson’s Bay Colony.  It is closer than the Dutch Layout.  If one has to die, one will; I see no sense in abandoning work just to go home!’

‘I have told you out of concern.  Do whatever you want.  In case there is an earthquake, don’t run out.  Get under a table and hold it as tight as you can.  Take care, and bye!’

‘Bye’, replied Padma and became thoughtful.  This was what she was trying to make sense of, in vain.

* * * * * * * * **

Padma decided to speak to her parents.  She called up home.  ‘Hello’, answered her father, Soma, in a very relaxed manner.

‘Nanna, have you heard of the tsunami alert in our city?’

‘Yes, I know’.

‘What do you intend to do?’

‘What is to be done?  I’ll go through the day as I planned.  I’ll leave for the University library in a short while’.

‘Then what about Amma?’

‘She’ll stay at home and read whatever she wants.  But why are you wasting office time talking to me?  Hang up and get back to work’.

‘No, Nanna, why don’t you go to our friend’s place in Seethammadhara?’

‘What business have we got there?’

‘To be on the safer side…….’

Soma cut her short, ‘Padma, don’t be silly.  Nothing will happen.  If we are doomed, we shall be, no matter what.  Now, stop worrying about us and get back to work’.

Padma did just that.  With nobody to distract and no phone call to disturb her, she realized that her productivity trebled.

* * * * * * * * * *

          ‘Amma, it’s almost 2 p.m.  Please have your lunch.  Your files will not run away’. 

Padma looked up to see Simhachalam talking to her.  ‘Why did you remain in office?’ she asked.

‘We live in Simhachalam, hence my name.  It is so far away from the sea that I need not fear the tsunami.  As regards the earthquake, after hearing you, I thought I should face the situation and not run away from it’.

Padma smiled as she put away her files and reached for her lunch box.

* * * * * * * * * *

'Did any calamity happen today? People just reacted in panic! And, the warning was withdrawn by 2 p.m.', said Soma.

'Yes, the warning was just enough to drive people home! Some conscientious employees returned at 4 p.m., though,' replied Padma.

                             * * * * * * * * * * *