Scoop of Life Part 11 --- Tripathis & Kapoors

January 8th 2011
Saturday
11:14 AM
Saket


New Delhi.


Sushil Tripathi sipped his tea slowly, slid the glass door on a huge curio shelf that contained various German silver, glass and brass artefacts. There must be atleast 100 on the shelf, in all, he thought. He knew there were boxes of it collecting dust at the Meerut warehouse.
He wondered if Rachit paid the warehouse dues.
His new job started Monday
 He picked up a few and turned them over to reveal TMG at the bottom, Tripathi Metal & Glass.


Gopi the maid, walked by with a breakfast tray, she set it down and waited
Sushil: Madam kahan hai?
Gopi: Unka paper tha college mein
He nods carelessly.
Sushil: Aap jao, main kha loonga


Gopi: Jee (lingers)
Sushil: Ritu uth gaya?
Gopi: Jee nahi Saab
Sushil: Radhoo?
Gopi: Woh subah kisi dost se milne chali gayi, unke 5 dost aaye lene


He smiles fondly. Radhika!! She was never home.....
If she was not at her NGO then she was out partying with friends.


His face loses the smile too quickly "My personal failure to become a successfl businessman has steered her completely away from a corporate career." No amount of convincing had brought her into the mainstream.
He smiled again " If she was home, there is no chance the house would be quiet"
She had told him about her trip to UP next week, his heart had skipped a beat, she was going to half a dozen villages between Dehat Kanpur and Jalaun to start the initial fact finding mission for her NGO.
She had rattled off statistics about droughts and existing irrigation infrastructure in UP


She is fiesty, spirited and talkative. She spoke firmly and spoke a LOT.
" Papa aapko pata hai While the Constitution does not recognize a fundamental right to water, court"

decisions deem such a right to be implied in Article 21"

In her focus and passion she many times repeated what ever she said before

Sushil Tripathi, Radhika's Dad was born affluent, to a metal and glass factory owner in Moradabad, UP. Born into wealth, raised in wealth, he obtained the best education possible, not too far from home at IIT Roorkee. Ambitious, driven man, always focussed on the results, was taught to think BIG and do bigger. The only son between two daughters his Dad had solid plans for him. .
Sushil had big expansion plans, plans to export, plans to supply to big name stores.....travel the world, buy a vacation home in Spain.
 The second factory came into being at Modi Nagar, together they employed over 500 people.
Father and son were very close consulting on almost all decisions on a daily basis.
Sushils' Dad could see the passion and drive in his son's eyes. He was confident his son would carry out his vision for the company.


Things dont always go the way we plan for them. Tragedies occur..... the course of life changes.


"Kabhi kisi ki naukri mat karna, you are immensely talented, the only place you will sign is on the paychecks, not on a job application" his father would declare emotionally.
He slid the glass door shut, noisily, just as a red line bus honked outside on the road


His eyes fell on his New Hire letter
---------------


Golf Links


Saturday


Jan 8th 2011


Brothers Krishan and Pavan are seated with Mridula, the senior Kapoors,  Pavan's daughter Anvita and Krsihan's daughters Rohini and Ruchira.  Their brither Raghav slouched in a comfy couch flipping channels. He wore a navy track pant and a offwhite tee, tattered on the edge


Krishan (in sign language pointing to his son) ISKO kya ho gaya?
Mridula: Nothing yet (smirks)
Dadi: Krishan quit picking on him
Pavan: Anuttam aur Ateendra aa rahe hain shaam ko, lets all celebrate, they will be carrying with them the first sheet of fabric from the Yavatmal plant
Mridula claps
Ruchira: Mom, can we go to Taj Man Singh
Rohini: Nahi Maurya
DadI: Dadaji will cook tonite
Anivita: Dadiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii nahiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, KARHI CHAWAL? Nahiiiii
Dadaji acts hurt
Pavan: Sorry Dad, You guys dont get to go.
Krishan: So how many are we at Yavatmal? Hiring?
Dadi: Pavan tumhe ek aur parantha?
Pavan waves a NO!
Mridula carries a plate for Raghav "Did you want eggs beta?"
Krishan: He can MAKE his own....
Pavan: Chhodiye bhayya usko. He will be fine.


There is no malice in either brother, both dont crave for success at the cost of pulling the other down.
Krishan: He is UNMOVED Pavan (loud)
Raghav checks his phone and goes back to staring at the TV
Dadaji: Give him WORK
Krsihan looks murderous" DAD! You think we are relegating him to the sidelines?"
Dadaji: I DID NOT say that beta


The voices become louder and shrill
Mridula: Bhayya aap chai lenge? (looking at Pavan)
Pavan: Jee Bhabhi thanks (apologetic)
Dadi: Tum usko kaam do, dekho kaise nahi karega
Krishan: MAA The last time he came into work was 4? 5? days ago? (looks at his bro Pavan)
Pavan: He does come every week
Krishan: Aakar kya bola maloom maa? UP Govt shut down 13 tanneries. All I need in the family is a person like him. I dont need rivals or critics (fumes, breathes hard)
Mridula: You need to relax


Krishan: With HIM?
Mridula: Let me speak, kahan bhejna hai usko?
Pavan: Bhabhi Bundelkhand Distt mein Jalaun hai na, uske paas Madhogargh
Mridula: Tannery ke liye?
Pavan: Jee!
Krishan is tearing his parantha in rage "EK GHANTA HO GAYA hum sabko yaha, ek shabd nahi nikla uske mooh se"
Throws his fork on the plate
Dadaji: Get him married


The girls jump up in joy! Squeal, clap, do a hip shake "Yayyyyyyyyyyy" "Bhabheeeeeeeeeee"
Mridula: REALLY Dad?
Dadaji: Ofcourse
Krishan: Which fool will agree to marry this bum?
The girls chorus "NAYANA!"


The parents and the grand parents' face pale, turn ashen, lose color......
Dadi: Nayana? Krishan ki secretary? (looks at the girls, stunned)
Rohini: Jee Dadi
Mridula tries to stop the trembling of her voice " Nayana? Beta who told you?"
Ruchira: Bhai was taking a nap I saw his text (giggles)  "I'll trade you a back rub for a foot massage"
Dadi tries her best not to act horrified
Krishan gets up followed by Pavan they walk to the couch
They glare at the 6'2" skinny but well toned man lounging...... "MY assistant?"
The girls giggle and gush, Mridula shuts here eys as she clears the table, two servants wait in attention. Dadaji is all smiles, Dadi is disapproving
They wait......
Raghav: Yes to Madhogarh on Monday if you like, but No on Nayana" (lazy, unaffected, arrogant, stretches his foot and drags a coffee table closer)