Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Reality Cheque!

"Anjali" said the boss with a pained expression. "Why are you so...so..." he faltered as he searched for a suitable word, “...so cheap!" he finished with a look of shame and grief.

"I am cheap I know," I said defensively "but I have my reasons." I finished my voice quavering. My face burnt with shame.

“What could be a possible reason for this!!!” exclaimed the boss in a pained voice!

“There are somethings you won’t understand” I said resignedly.

“Try me.” said the boss kindly.

“I cannot manage with the money I get. So I have to do this to make ends meet" I explained my eyes welling up with tears.

“But there are more honorable ways to make ends meet you know!" exclaimed the Boss.

“This is my business!" I said firmly. I didn’t want to be judged by people who did not know what my circumstances were. That was none of their business. I do my work to the best of my abilities and people should confine themselves to that!

Boss sighed and looked away. He couldn’t look at me. It is sometimes hard to accept certain indigestible facet of a person you thought you knew well. I could not meet his eyes either. As I walked away I could feel his gaze boring into my back. I didn’t have to turn back. I knew there was anguish in his eyes.

On the other side of the cubicle the other marketing managers sniggered. Everyone had heard the exchange. Everyone knew. My ears burned. But I walked out off the floor my head held high.

Boss looked at my receding back for sometime and got back to work with a heavy heart. He took out the pens that I had ordered for the event and looked at the bill. Each pen cost Rs 5/-. He sighed. How could he give these low cost pens to the people who would attend the event he wondered? What would they think?

He opened the box of pens the other team had ordered. They were Rs 15/- a piece. Boss thanked his stars that the team was able to spare him some for his event. He took out the fifteen rupee pens gratefully and...almost passed out when he beheld them. It was the exact same type of pens that I had ordered!! But unlike his smart, astute, sharp, shrewd, canny, clever, streetwise, and very intelligent and sophisticated marketing communications manager, his peer's marketing managers had paid Rs 15/- a piece!!

He never called his Marcom manager cheap again…for some time (He has a short memory). She on the other hand bought Nike Tee Shirts for the entire team with the money she saved.

Conversation heard on the floor the next day.

Boss of other teams to their Marketing Managers: Look at that Silverine's team members. Always wearing Nike, Reebok or Adidas Tee Shirts. Why do we have to wear these saggy baggy Tirupur T shirts? Why are you all so cheap?????

43 comments:

--xh-- said...

ROTFL... athu kollamayirunnu... paavam manager...

Dhanush | ധനുഷ് said...

ha ha ha super...

somewhere else.. the way the corporate control on the expenditure is really so CHEAP, and the teams don't even get the Tiruppur T-Shirts.

Safari Al said...

Tirupr t-shirts are nice!!!

HmmmpH!!!!

mathew said...

"Addidas" Tee Shirts is what i would exxpect from Tirupur...Now tell the truth!!;-P

Anonymous said...

Saggy baggy Tirupur T shirts??? :0 You bloody Marcom lady, I'll wrap your thick skull in authentic tirupur shirts and suffocate you to death!!

mathew said...

@Tirupur Textile shop owner
LOL!!
Thalaivar Tom vaayugei!!;-D

Sriram said...

whoohohohoa look at all those Marcom adjectives :p

Amey said...

Why are you so cheap? Why can't you order Rs. 15 pens and buy Nike tees for your team members?

Pramod Abraham said...

I suggest that you try out for a Fund Manager opening at the earliest!! Such raw talent going unnoticed...

Vivek Menon said...

excellent money management skills..!!! [:P]

silverine said...

--xh--: Thanks buddy! :)

Dhanush: LOL!! Good one!! :))

Safari Al: Very true. They are good for pedestrians! :|

Mathew: lol! Naah! Only the best for me err my people! ;)

Tirupur Textile shop owner: LOL!!!
Ahem I mean, I know I have been on your hit list for some time. But you know what, lets cut a deal here. I wont tell the other morons err I mean marketing managers that with the money they pay you for one tee shirt they can buy two branded ones. Deal? :|

Sriram: Thank you!! I know I deserve more but modesty prevented me from using some more! O:-)
:p

Amey: And thats why you are not a Marcom person! ;)

Pramod: I am flattered! :) But my boss will wring my neck if I leave him! :(

Vivek: Thank you! :)

thomas said...

@tirupur textile shop owner: You better agree to that deal Mister. You don't have a dook of an idea who you're messing with. She's is eeebil silberine, the Macri manager, I mean Marcom manager!! Brace yourself!

skar said...

Did you check the 'made in' label on your Tirupur...er I mean Nike T-shirts? ;)

Rajesh Mohan said...

lol. too good again !
But the truth is you bought the T-shirts and got the pens for free na ? .. and .. ever tried distributing some free "Polo" for the event ? hehe..

Thoorika said...

Anjali you write really well.. I have been reading all your archives for past half hour and ended up reading your posts till april! Blogrolling yours! Hope you don't mind!! :)

Pratz said...

gr8 post...love reading ur blog.....

Philip said...

Those Nike T-shirts are made in Tirupur. How's that for irony? All the money u saved on 5 rupee pens were wasted on branded Tirupur shirts :))

Anonymous said...

Love hanging around your blog! Not just me but all of us here at my B School. I am Rohit's classmate :-)

Amey said...

I am one of those people who believe in eating a cake, not just displaying it ;)

And how many polo cartons did you have to threaten to, sorry distribute to get the pens and tees?

Anonymous said...

Hahaha you almost scared me there with what I thought might be a seriously sombre entry for once! Loved the last half!

Abhi said...

It was awesome but then as someone told above, nike tricked you into buying tirupur t shirts at the double charge:)

silverine said...

Thomman: Tell it to these old geezers!! Drive some sense into them! :p

Karthik, philip and Abhi: :p I guess you know that Tirupur T Shirts is the nick for cheap quality T shirts. :)

Rajesh: lol!! I wish! :) And don't mention Polo again at this blog, unless you want to be banned here! X(
:)

Thoorika: Thank you girl and thanks for blog rolling me! :)

Prats: Thanks buddy! Welcome to my blog! :)

Sushmita: So you guys hang around blogs instead of studying? :|
:)

Amey: Dont mention the word polo again brrr :-&

Cris: :) Thank you!!

ritu.. said...

That was toooo good :) way to go gal :)))

Iya said...

how cheap!!!! lol...

Unknown said...

Superb!!

You can write dramas for sure!!! "tear filled eyes", "..receding back", "sniggers.... "

b.t.w do you give nike t-shirts to people who comment on your blog too?... Just a G.K question...:D

S said...

:D LOL!! you tell them girl!! it aint a buy till you get the BEST bargain deal!! heeeeheeh

Safari Al said...

Poor pedestrians who get run-over by woman weilding big knife on black activa?

:)

Anonymous said...

saving on pens and spending on nike gud investment plan...gud post loved it,really got me thinking as to what you did to ur mangr this time...

Indian Home Maker said...

ROTFL as usual after reading your posts :)

Anonymous said...

hmmmm ... anticlimax! In the beginning, I thought, u filched company money to buy 'Vaakkathi' - to take care of road pests :)

like somebody said u can write drama too

Anonymous said...

Nike T shirts instead of pens???

Wow. You sure can make ends meet. Of course you may not be able to write as well, but maybe you can base all your communication through T shirt messages. Howzzat for an idea?

Anonymous said...

"smart, astute, sharp, shrewd, canny, clever, streetwise, and very intelligent and sophisticated".. quite a string of adjectives there, dear lady.. i fully agree..

but please, don't hate on tirupur t-shirts and the poor souls who can afford naught else.. njangalude dukham njangalkku ariyaam.. :-)

jackson

Smitha said...

Read your blog first time..it is really hilarious and good! Keep writing.. :)

meenakshi said...

and i thought you were asking for a pay rise :P

Alameen said...

Too good..
The intro was awesome..

aBack after a long time.. Missed your blogs..
I have 30 silverine unread blogs to finish..

Will take one by one..

Cya
Al

VIDYA said...

LOL! and i have a Tirupur tee with the pointed end of nike tick upside down :D though i wldnt dare wear it to the snob circle.
:) am blogroling you.

Unknown said...

lol man...it was fun

Anonymous said...

Freeze!

Stay right where you are. You have been tagged. I repeat. You have been tagged. You have the right to remain silent, but only for a day or two. After that, respond to my humble little tag... Hmm... Didn't quite seem so humble, eh?

Cynic in Wonderland said...

arre you also marcom manager? we specialize in cheapness as well. used to keep track on the bosses spending habits.

Hari said...

Tirupur Tees rock. Period. :P Nike and Reebok are too overpriced eve to match ol' tirupur ones. :P

Hey, one doubt. Did you actually accept Rs 15/pen from your boss or just the Rs 5/pen thingy? :P

Solitaire said...

Awww...

Is this how it is in the corporate world?

silverine said...

Ritu: High five gal! :)

Iya: :p

Abraham: Thank you! :) T shirts for comments? Aiyyo! I am splitting hairs and penny pinching as it is to get 12 Tshirts! :-S

S: You bet gal!!! :P

Safari Al: :p

Kumar: Thank you! :)

Indian Home maker: Thank you ma'am! :)

sandeep: Thank you! :) The beginning was a poor attempt at misleading and suspense :p

Hammy: LOL!!

Jackson: I don't hate you all actually! I need Tirupur T Shirts to give away at events with those five rupee pens! ;)

Smitha: Thank you! :)

Fundoome: That will be another post I promise you! :p

Al Ameen: Welcome back buddy! You were missed! :)

Vidya: Tirupur tee with the pointed end of nike tick upside down? What creativity! I would have worn it! :D

Sourish: Thanks buddy! :)

Cynic: Cheapness is the necessary job skill for us Marcom folks! ;)

Hari: Wait till you start working! You will be singing a different tune! :)

Solitaire: Yes it is!!! :)

confucius said...

ROFTL...Like they said in Akkarakazchakal...

" Enthu sadhanavum bulk aayittu medichaal laabham aanu...electron medikumbol bulk aayittu medicholu"