"Hey, what do you want?" he asked Aravindan, rudely.
"I want to meet the Director."
After a few minutes, Aravindan said, "Sir" again.
Aravindan showed him the letter he was holding in his hand.
Thirukkural
"You can't meet him."
Aravindan didn't know how to respond to this. He remained silent for a while.
"Go and meet the S.O" said the peon, as if he was giving him a concession.
"Thank you" said Aravind and went inside the office.
Aravindan saw an officer sitting behind a table that displayed a long but narrow rectangular wooden nameboard 'Section Officer.' The officer had an air of authority about him. A few people were standing on the other side of the table, and one person, apparently an office assistant, was standing beside the officer, holding a paper in his hand.
Observing the polite and concerned demeanour of the people standing near the table, Aravindan surmised that they were members of the public who had come to the office for getting some service.
Aravindan stood before the Section Officer. Even after a couple of minutes, the Section Officer did not appear to take notice of Aravindan. He was talking to the people standing before him in a stern voice.
Aravindan saw an officer sitting behind a table that displayed a long but narrow rectangular wooden nameboard 'Section Officer.' The officer had an air of authority about him. A few people were standing on the other side of the table, and one person, apparently an office assistant, was standing beside the officer, holding a paper in his hand.
Observing the polite and concerned demeanour of the people standing near the table, Aravindan surmised that they were members of the public who had come to the office for getting some service.
Aravindan stood before the Section Officer. Even after a couple of minutes, the Section Officer did not appear to take notice of Aravindan. He was talking to the people standing before him in a stern voice.
"Sir!" said Aravindan, trying to draw the attention of the Section Officer. The Section Officer raised his palm towards Aravindan, signaling him to wait and continued his tirade against the people standing before him. The employee of the office was enjoying the officer's harangue, with a broad smile on his face.
After a few minutes, Aravindan said, "Sir" again.
The Section Officer turned to Aravindan with an annoyed look and said in an angry tone, "Can't you see that I am talking to these people? You look like an educated person. Don't you have any sense?"
Aravindan showed him the letter he was holding in his hand.
The Section Officer did not bother to even look at that letter. He turned to the peon and yelled, "Dhandapani! Why do you send people like him to me? I have a lot of important things to attend to."
"Sir, he said that he wanted to meet the Director" said Dhandapani, in an apologetic tone.
"Sir, he said that he wanted to meet the Director" said Dhandapani, in an apologetic tone.
"Then, you should have sent him to the Director! Should I suffer the headaches meant for the Director also?"
Dhandapani showed a cabin at a secluded area of the office to Aravindan and told him, "That's the Director's cabin. You may go and meet him."
When Aravindan came out of the Director's cabin after a few minutes, he was accompanied by the Director. When they came near the Section Officer's seat, the Section Officer stood up, by way of showing his respect to the Director.
Dhandapani showed a cabin at a secluded area of the office to Aravindan and told him, "That's the Director's cabin. You may go and meet him."
When Aravindan came out of the Director's cabin after a few minutes, he was accompanied by the Director. When they came near the Section Officer's seat, the Section Officer stood up, by way of showing his respect to the Director.
"Mr. Shanmuganathan! This is Mr. Aravindan. He is joining our office as the Assistant Director. He has been selected by the UPSC* and posted to our office."
"Sorry, sir! Welcome, sir!" said Shanmuganatan, looking at Aravindan, with embarrassment.
Aravindan shook hands with him, smiling.
"Please come with me, sir. I will take you to your cabin" said Shanmuganathan.
The Director went back to his cabin. Shanmuganathan led Aravindan to his cabin.
After Aravindan sat on his seat in his cabin, Shanmuganathan apologized to Aravindan, saying, "Sorry, sir! You are my superior official. Without knowing who you are, I spoke to you in an appropriate way."
"Please take your seat" said Aravindan.
Aravindan got himself appraised of the nature of work and work procedures in that office, from Shanmuganathan.
When Shanmuganathan took leave of him after a few minutes, he apologized to Aravindan, once again.
Aravindan told him, "Sir! You are elder to me and you are more experienced than me. I can understand that you spoke to me without knowing who I am. That is not an issue. But, if you can speak cordially to the public, who visit this office for getting a service, this problem will never arise."
Shanmuganathan left his cabin, without saying anything. Aravindan wondered whether he had taken his comments in a positive spirit or treated them with contempt, thinking, 'This rookie is trying to advise me!'
After Shamuganathan left Aravindan's cabin, Dhandapani, the peon, entered the cabin, reluctantly.
After Shamuganathan left Aravindan's cabin, Dhandapani, the peon, entered the cabin, reluctantly.
"Come in, Mr. Dhandapani" greeted Aravindan.
"I am sorry, sir. I spoke to you disrespectfully, without knowing who you are" said Dhandapani.
"Forget about it. I want you to do me a favour. Ask our staff to come here one by one. I would like to meet them individually and get acquainted" said Aravindan.
"Ok, sir!" said Dhandapani and turned back to leave the room. Before opening the door to leave the room, he turned back and told Aravindan, "Sir, you are the only person in this office to address me with dignity. Others treat me with disrespect, considering that I am only a peon here."
"If you treat every one - people who work in this office as well as people who visit this office - with respect, and speak to them using pleasant and dignified words, every one will respect you and speak to you in a pleasing manner" said Aravindan.
"Forget about it. I want you to do me a favour. Ask our staff to come here one by one. I would like to meet them individually and get acquainted" said Aravindan.
"Ok, sir!" said Dhandapani and turned back to leave the room. Before opening the door to leave the room, he turned back and told Aravindan, "Sir, you are the only person in this office to address me with dignity. Others treat me with disrespect, considering that I am only a peon here."
"If you treat every one - people who work in this office as well as people who visit this office - with respect, and speak to them using pleasant and dignified words, every one will respect you and speak to you in a pleasing manner" said Aravindan.
*UPSC - Union Public Service Commission is the centralized organization for recruiting high level officials to various departments of the Government of India, for their offices at various places in India.
Thirukkural
Section 1
The Path of Virtue
The Path of Virtue
Chapter 10
Speaking Pleasantly
Speaking Pleasantly
Verse 97 (In Tamil)
nayan InRu nanRi pyakkum payan InRu
paNbin thalaip piriyAch chol.
paNbin thalaip piriyAch chol.
Meaning:
Words, spoken with dignity and in a way beneficial to others, will do good and yield benefits.
(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'aravindhanin anubhavam' by the same author)
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