439. The Senior Officer

"Why are you putting another table in my cabin?" asked Sharma.

"The A.O. asked me to. A new officer has joined duty. I think it is for him" said Sabhapathy, the peon.

"Why should the new officer have to be accommodated in my cabin? I am a senior officer. Your A.O. doesn't know how to give the respect due to a senior officer" said Sharma, angrily, 

"Sir, I am just doing what the A.O. asked me to do. But, sir, I find that in all other cabins, two officers have been accommodated."

"What if that were the case? I am senior to your A.O. And your A.O. is having a separate cabin for him!"

"Sir! He is the Administrative Officer."

"I will blast him for what he has done!"

Sharma called the Administrative Officer over the office intercom and yelled at him in English.

Sabhapathay could not understand the conversation, since he didn't know English.

After speaking to the A.O. for a couple of minutes, Sharma handed over the receiver to Sabhapathy. 

The A.O's voice was weak, reflecting his defeat. He told Sabhapathy, "Keep the table outside the cabin somewhere on the hallway. I will tell you later, where to place it."

As Sabhapathy was taking away the table, with the help of another person, Sharma told him, with a triumphant smile, "Did you see my power? The A.O. was shattered by my shouting at him!" 

When Sharma came to the office the next day, there was an office memorandum on his table. The memorandum said that from that day, Sharma would work under the supervision of Mr. Govind, his senior officer.

It was not uncommon for such administrative orders to be issued in that office. Those orders were issued with the approval of the Director, the head of that office

Sharma called the A.O. over the intercom and asked him, "Why have you put me under this Govind? Who is he? I have not heard his name till now. Has he come to our office on transfer from some other place?"

"As you know, these changes are made as per the orders of the Director" said the A.O.

"Yes, I know. I also know that these changes are initiated by you, as the Administrative Officer. The Director generally approves whatever you propose. But tell me, who this Govind is."

"Mr. Govind is a young officer, who has joined this office. He has been selected to the senior position, through the U.P.S.C.* He joined duty only yesterday. As you know, there is a shortage of cabins in our office. I couldn't allot him a separate cabin immediately. I thought I could accommodate him in your cabin, since you are a senior officer. Since you raised a big objection and yelled at me, I have accommodated him in another officer's cabin. By the way, when you shouted at me yesterday, Govind was sitting in front of me" said the A.O, with a big laughter.

*U.P.S.C.- Union Public Service Commission is an apex body that recruits staff for the Government of India.

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 44
Condemnation of Faults

Verse 439 (in Tamil):

viyavaRka ejnjnAnRum thannai nayavaRka
nanRi payavA vinai.

Meaning:

Never give in to egotism; never indulge in vain acts that benefit none.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'mUththa adhikAri' by the same author.)

Verse 440
Verse 438