After a few months, both of them realized that the relationship between them went beyond a healthy relationship between an executive and his secretary and extended into their personal realms as well.
On one occasion, when Ashok had to visit another town on official work, Suganthy had to accompany him. Though they stayed in separate rooms in a hotel, they spent the nights together in either of their rooms.
After this incident, the intimacy between the two reached a new level. However, both of them took care to see that their intimacy was not revealed to others in the office.
When Ashok conveyed to his parents his intention to marry Suganthy, they stubbornly opposed the idea, since Suganthy belonged to a different caste. His mother went to the extent of threatening Ashok that she would commit suicide, if Ashok married Suganthy, against the wishes of his parents.
Ashok succumbed to his parents' pressure. He didn't have the courage to tell his parents that he had already established a physical relationship with Suganthy, anticipating that he was going to marry her.
When Ashok reluctantly told Suganthy about his parent's opposition to their marriage proposal, Suganthy asked him, calmly.
"What have you decided?"
"I am sorry, Suganthy. I can't go against my parents' wishes. If I do, my mother may carry out her threat of committing suicide. Please forgive me" said Ashok, in a feeble voice.
Suganthy looked at his face for a moment and then left that place.
After that, there was a drastic change in Suganthy's style of functioning. She did things mechanically, without any involvement or enthusiasm. She just did whatever Ashok asked her too, but didn't show any interest in the work.
The earlier version of Suganthy, which reverberated with ebullience and excitement, took initiatives and functioned proactively, seemed to have been replaced by a robotic version, which would execute his commands perfectly, but won't do any thinking or take any initiative, on its own.
After a few months, with the personal secretary of the General Manager having quit her job, the General Manager needed an experienced person to work as his secretary.
Ashok got Suganthy selected for the post, by recommending her candidacy to the Personnel Manager, speaking to him highly about Suganthy's talents, efficiency and dedication.
When Suganthy left her post as his secretary to take up the position as the Personal Secretary to the General Manager, she did not even take leave of Ashok. Ashok did not even know whether Suganthy was aware that he was the one who got her the post.
However, Ashok was relieved that Suganthy won't be working for him. He felt satisfied that he could do something good for her. He hoped that the bitterness Suganthy might be feeling, would go away, in course of time.
Several months later, Suganthy got married. She gave him her wedding invitation, the way she gave it to every one else in the office. He attended the marriage and posed for the group photo, along with his colleagues, who attended the marriage.
Eventually, Ashok's marriage was also fixed. Since his marriage took place in another town, only a few people from his office, people who were close to him, attended the marriage. Suganthy did not attend the marriage.
There were not many opportunities for Ashok to meet Suganthy in the office. She was confined to her seat outside the General Manager's cabin.
Since Ashok was only a junior officer, there was no need for him to meet the General Manager in his cabin. On those rare occasions, when Ashok and Suganthy came face to face in the office, Ashok would avert meeting her eyes..
A few years passed. Ashok felt that he had come out of the feeling of guilt of having wronged Suganthy.
A new person had taken over as the General Manager, with the previous one having retired. Suganthy continued to function as the Personal Secretary to the new General Manager.
Ashok was aware that Suganthy had earned a good name from the outgoing General Manager, by virtue of her sincere and efficient functioning. The outgoing General Manager would have, therefore, recommended her to his successor, thought Ashok.
Ashok felt happy that he had made amends for his wrong by getting her a good post in the company.
"It is shocking, Ashok? How is it that your name is not in the list of promotees? Every one in the office is asking the same question!" said Ramesh, his colleague and a good friend.
"What can we do? It is the Managing Director's decision. He was the one who finalized the list" said Ashok, concealing his disappointment.
"But he would have gone by the recommendation of the General Manager. Possibly, the General Manager didn't recommend you. He is new. He doesn't know much about people working here. He has probably recommended only those, who have been currying favour with him. A person like you, who has been doing a good job quietly, has been left out. It is a pity" said Ramesh, bitterly.
"Ours is a small organization. Our Managing Director knows each of us personally. Why should he blindly accept the General Manager's recommendation?"
"People who occupy a high office will give importance to the views of those who report to them directly."
Ramesh's words struck Ashok like a bolt.
'People will give importance to the views of those who report to them directly.'
'What does this mean?
'Is it possible that the new General Manager did not recommend me because Suganthy advised him not to recommend me? Did Suganthy say something adverse about me to the General Manager, avenging the wrong I did to her a few years back?'
He couldn't find an answer to the question that arose in his mind.
Condemnation of Faults
aRRam tharUm pagai.
Guard against faults, since your faults may become your deadly enemies.
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