"Hey, you… come here…" A man's abrupt voice startles us. "You're Nishant Dixit, isn't it?"
I
move my head toward the direction of the voice. A man with a true white skin
stands before me, but his face has already flushed crimson with rage. His physical
appearance is stunning, with a great haircut and a thick moustache that
contributes to his intimidating demeanour. Despite his ordinary build, he
exudes a resolve that reminds me of WWE wrestlers.
I
turn to face Kiran, Sachin, and Rocky, who are standing in front of me. Their
expressions are plainly one of surprise. "Who is this?" I ask softly,
my voice full of interest.
The
person, clearly agitated by my lack of response, increases his voice, and
shouts once more, anxious for my attention. "Hey, I'm talking to
you."
Breaking
the silence, Rocky speaks quietly, never breaking eye contact with the
intriguing man. "He is Prasad Sir," he says quietly.
Anger
wells up within me, like if I've accepted an unsaid challenge. "All right,
if he wants to mess with me, I'll give him a reality check," I mumble.
"Nish,
don't be foolish,” Sachin advises. “Let's approach this with a level head and
listen to what he has to say."
The
location of the incident plays a role in escalating the tension. The majority
of people, around eighty percent, are situated on the same side of the floor as
Prasad, Rocky, and the WPC team. Prasad's initial outburst has already
attracted the attention of numerous individuals.
"Barking…
cannot listen," I growl, my annoyance visible as I turned to confront
Prasad.
"Yes,
you, why are you hiding now?” he charges. “Come here."
He
has once again injured my manly ego. I have no motive to avoid him or hide. I
have done nothing wrong.
Prasad's
entire team begins to scrutinize me as if I am a rapist, their suspicious gazes
penetrating through me.
I
let out a roar of fury because I couldn't take the accusatory eyes any longer.
"Who said I was hiding? Don't pay attention to such jerks."
"Why
do you want to escalate the issue, Nish?" Kiran asks.
Prasad,
who appears unaffected by the tension, dares me further. "You first come
here," he says.
It
feels as if he is daring me to step into a WWE ring.
"Yes,
tell me?" I respond and quickly sprint towards his desk.
"What
did you do last night?" Prasad's voice escalates, reaching a level that
reminds me of a typical girlfriend or a wife when they suspect something.
"You
want to know what I did with my girlfriend last night? Seriously?" I joke.
He
wheezes in anger. "Look, don't be over-smart."
"Then
stop creating scenes and come straight to the point." I bang my arm on his
desk.
"You
instructed Prakash to log separate internet tickets for each new joiner. He
logged eighty-seven requests. He could have simply logged one grand ticket
rather."
"Who
the hell is this Prakash?" I ask irritated.
"Whoa.
This man doesn't know a penny about his co-workers. Seems Vikram and Shashi
have been hiring candidates without conducting interviews," he mocks,
looking at his audience. He is aware that I had gained the upper hand with my
initial move. However, to my surprise, Sandeep's gang seems to relish in this
brutality. They burst into laughter, which only serves to bolster Prasad's
confidence.
"So?"
I surprise them with my calm reaction. "Do you know who Diksha is?"
Rocky
bursts into laughter. “My God, this Nishant…”
Prasad's
expression changes from delighted to perplexed in an instant. He appears
surprised and befuddled by the event.
"What
do you want to say?" Prasad asks in an attempt to restore his calm. “Who
is this, Diksha?"
"Whoa.
This man doesn't know a penny about his co-workers." I turn to face my
friends and laugh.
"Fuck
this bastard,” Sachin mumbles. “Nishant is crazy."
Prasad
looks paralysed in that instant.
“Now,
if you're done amusing your people with low-grade PJs, let's get to the point,”
I say, clearly angry. "What’s your story around this Prakash?"
Amid
all the tension, my eyes notice a girl sitting beside Prasad. She begins to
laugh, mildly at first, at the situation. I manage to read her name - Sukhada.
“This
Nishant has guts,” Kiran comments.
“Yeah...
and now he’s flirting too,” Sachin spits, enraged by my actions. “Look at him.”
Prasad's
team member approaches, his focus fixed on their boss, who is now losing a
game. He breaks the stillness by saying, "Nishant, Prakash is an IT
engineer from the Nagothane site."
"Do
you know the total employee strength of 'Revenge'?" I ask with my hands on
my hips, amused and irritated at the same time.
My
question left Prasad’s teammate utterly bewildered. He couldn't make sense of
what had just happened. Feeling a mix of frustration and incredulity, he only
smiles weakly and slumps down onto his chair.
Directing
my gaze towards Prasad, I ask, "So, your version of the story is I instructed
this Prakash something, and you guys are barking at me without confirming if it
was really me?" Despite my aggressive approach in handling such matters, I
feel that I am making perfect sense. The lack of responses from others around
me just strengthens my conviction.
Prasad
remained mute, only nodding, and smiling.
“It’s
like we….”
“There
is a procedure for obtaining Internet access within 'Revenge,'" Prasad
begins his rant. “The requester, whether an individual or a site engineer on
behalf of multiple users, must complete a new internet access requisition form.
The form has to be duly filled out and signed by the requester and their HOD.
Once the requisition form is completed and signed, it has to be uploaded onto
the designated portal. Upon uploading the requisition form, an automatic ticket
would be generated in our system. In some cases, site engineers could send
internet access requests on behalf of multiple users. To streamline the
process, site engineers have the option to make a grand request.”
‘He
is more obnoxious when compared to Shyam,’ I’m thinking.
"And
you're giving these WPC engineers a temporary workaround," Prasad’s
teammate taunts. His words paint me as a criminal, as he adds, "Do you
know how much we suffer?"
‘Dude,
how do I know how much you fucked?’
I
laugh. "Look, you need a break. First, I don't know this Prakash or anyone
by that name. Second, I didn't give any WPC engineer a temporary
workaround."
"Wait,
I'll ask Mr. Sane," Prasad threatens me as he swiftly reaches for a
receiver and begins dialing a number.
The
mention of Mr. Sane leaves me puzzled. ‘Who the hell is this Sane now?’
"Prakash
reports to Sane," Sukhada says to me, attempting to clarify.
Her
remarks sound ominous... especially if I am involved in some sort of
transgression. I acknowledge her information with a little shake of my head and
a grin.
‘What
the fuck? What is he going to speak to Mr. Sane?...’
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