Anyway, during my employment days, say 37 years ago, I joined a renowned automobile ancillary industry, in Bombay as Marketing Executive. That time it was Bombay only. My boss was a Maharashtrian gentleman, who taught me marketing strategy. He was our Managing Director, a 100% good man to me and a gem in marketing. Though he is now dead, I still salute him.

One day he told me to enquire about the position of our payment with the “Pay and Accounts” department. I went there - enquired and made friends with a senior officer who was 100% honest and promised to look after our payment – I reported the same to my boss. My boss smiled at me and offered me a glass of water – he was in a hurry to attend a meeting somewhere else. He insisted that I join him – not for the meeting but just to accompany him. On the way he told me, “Look Mr. Biswas, please do not misunderstand me, but you had better try to find out a corrupt person and not an honest one.

I was puzzled to hear these words from a person I regarded highly as a gem! My boss went to the meeting and I was thinking and trying to find out the meaning of his advice sitting in the car and strolling on the lawn of the company where the meeting was.

After he returned from the meeting and we were on our way back, I asked him why I should find a dishonest person instead of an honest one. He then explained to me that an honest person is basically a very nice person {God bless them and their families), but he was obsolete in today’s business world. “You know Mr... “ I reminded him, “Biswas.”

He said “Yes – yes, you know Mr.Biswas, your honest official will look into the papers with a magnifying glass and even if a minor mistake is found, he will enlarge it and develop it in the dark room and send the paper back for compliance. He will never – ever release our payment and by the time we get our payment, it would be too late.”

Look at the dashing but corrupt person – you would find him always smiling – a very happy man, like “Laughing Buddha”. Though a corrupt person, he always thought positive. “The moment you transfer the envelope under his table (my boss said) – there will be an electrical vibration – current passing through his body – he gets re-charged. At once he will order for a glass of water for you. And before ordering, he will ask you whether you want normal water or cold water - then again he will ask if you will prefer tea or coffee.”

“Then he will call for the papers – as usual he will find some mistakes. He will look at you through his thick glasses and assure you, ‘Don’t worry Sir, sit comfortably’ – he would call his subordinates – instruct them to ignore the mistakes and correct the papers and prepare the cheque immediately. After handing over the cheque, you will say ‘Thanks’ to him and he will reply ‘My pleasure – please come again.’”

The first time my boss gave me an envelope packed with fresh notes inside and instructed me to give it to some person; I remember I straightway refused to do so. Then my boss gave me another big lecture like Bhagwan Shri Krishna gave to Arjun – I had no choice. I was a family man and just could not leave the job. So I had to surrender to him and picked up the packet and left to meet the corrupt official. I remember, after sending my visiting card, I was waiting. Soon, he called me; I entered his chamber and threw the envelope on his table. I thought, he would get annoyed by my misbehaviour and refuse to take the envelope, like Amitabh Bachchan did in “Deewaar” and say…”Main Aaj Bhi Phenke Hue Paise Nahin Uthata” (even today, I do not pick up money tossed at me).

But here, the climax was the reverse - he looked at me – gave me a smile by showing almost all his remaining (20 or so) betel-stained black teeth – then he looked furtively to his left and right and picked up the envelope within the blink of an eye. He again smiled at me – then grabbed my hand and shook it three times, 1- 2- 3 with a purring sound that jarred my ears – it was his expression of happiness.

Then he said “Thanks” to me. I felt as if I was honoured by the President of Amichands. I happily left his office with the cheque. I told him before I took his leave “Thanks” one more time. He looked at me, smiled, and said “My pleasure – please come soon”

On the way back to my office I bought a bouquet for my boss and handed it over to him telling him that he was a genius. I hope my boss understood what I meant. These Amichands made me ‘worldly wise and mature’ at quite an early age. They taught me a lot. In return, they have never charged me even a single penny as fee. Look at their generosity. Thanks to the system and thanks to the Amichands. But alas, I could not digest the system. One day, I resigned my job and started my own business venture.