{"id":211,"date":"2014-01-15T21:47:41","date_gmt":"2014-01-15T21:47:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/colleen.mailpixie.com\/?p=211"},"modified":"2015-04-25T02:52:48","modified_gmt":"2015-04-25T09:52:48","slug":"a-new-boss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colleenhouck.com\/blog\/2014\/01\/15\/a-new-boss\/","title":{"rendered":"A New Boss"},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"center\">A New Boss<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p><i>Pipes<\/i>. She tapped the eraser of her pencil on her notepad as she stared at the small trophy perched on the corner of her desk. She\u2019d received it the night before at the Ali Exports yearly awards night. Formed to look like one of the company\u2019s double jointed pipes, the award had an attached plaque which said, \u201cNilima Mehta\u2014In appreciation for outstanding service in Human Resources.\u201d Attached had been a short note signed by the President. Since she\u2019d been commissioned to write all the notes, she had the message memorized.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">\u201cEmployees are the joint that binds our corporation. Congratulations!\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">Dev Kumar Ali<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">\n<p>Sighing, she shifted in her chair and hoped the twinge in her back would go away. Sitting behind a desk all day and working for a company that specialized in the manufacture of state-of-the-art pipes was not her dream job. She raised her eyes to the window. <i>At least I have a good view<\/i>, she thought. \u00a0She worked in an office on the tenth floor that overlooked the Godavari River, but in the five years she\u2019d been with the company she\u2019d been overlooked for promotion three times.<\/p>\n<p>Her supervisor said she was passed over because she was simply too good at her job. He claimed that moving her into upper management would mean too big of a loss for the HR team. Being penalized for efficiency was almost worse than getting demerits. Inwardly, she despaired of ever achieving the career she wished for.<\/p>\n<p>Cracking open the file on new hires, she skimmed through their experience and education mentally comparing her own, as she angrily punched computer keys. She\u2019d graduated second in her class at the Institute of Management in Bhubaneswar getting a Post Graduate Diploma in Management, and then a Ph.D. in Management Science.<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019d originally applied for a job as a junior manager with the company but they selected another applicant. As a consolation prize they offered her a job in Human Resources promising that the moment a management position opened, it was hers. She\u2019d accepted, hoping she\u2019d move up quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Her mother fussed about her attending school so far from home and now that she was working in a distant city and living in an apartment by herself, <i>she refused to live with a distant aunt who lived nearby<\/i>; she had to put up with nagging weekly phone calls. No phone call this week though, instead she was going home for the weekend. Her mother had set her up again.<\/p>\n<p>She wasn\u2019t opposed to marriage but none of the men she met interested her. It seemed that once a man decided to marry he didn\u2019t care who he ended up with as long as she had the proper education, career, and political views.<\/p>\n<p>That was not the type of man she dreamed of. She wanted someone\u2026charming\u2014a man comfortable with himself and others, who wasn\u2019t ruled by his mother, and was genuinely interested in her and not her wifely qualifications.\u00a0 Settling down and staying in one place for the rest of her life held little interest for her.\u00a0 She wanted to travel, to see the world, to have great adventures. Doing that with a cultured, handsome, exciting man was her definition of perfect.<\/p>\n<p>Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock.\u00a0 \u201cCome in,\u201d she called.<\/p>\n<p>A man she\u2019d never met entered. \u201cWould you be Miss Mehta?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am. Won\u2019t you sit down?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While he made himself comfortable she pulled out the new hire file. He crossed one leg over the other and clasped his hands over his knee.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour name?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKadam. Anik Kadam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight, I don\u2019t see your name on the list. When were you hired?\u201d She glanced up and studied his short white beard and hair. <i>Retiree returned to the work force<\/i>, she wondered?<\/p>\n<p>He laughed softly. \u201cI am not an employee of this organization.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo?\u201d she replied, puzzled. \u201cThen what can I do for you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would like to invite you to come and work for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shocked, she sat back in her chair. \u201cDo you make it a habit to enter places of work and nick their employees?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot at all. You are a very rare exception. I\u2019ve spoken to the company president and he was willing to allow me to make a proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou spoke to the\u2026who <i>are<\/i> you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs I said, Anik Kadam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, but who do you work for?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI work for myself. My company is called Rajaram Industries.\u00a0 Perhaps you\u2019ve heard of it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nilima wet her suddenly dry lips.\u00a0 Rajaram Industries was the largest conglomerate of companies based out of India.\u00a0 They were notoriously selective about hiring new employees and often only took on new people based on the highest of internal company recommendations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2026what is the position?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy personal assistant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you said you\u2019re the <i>owner<\/i> of the company?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe elusive CEO of the fortune 500 business? The man time magazine featured with a giant question mark on the cover? The person no one has <i>ever<\/i> been able to interview?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you want <i>me<\/i> to be your personal assistant?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is correct, Miss Mehta.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNilima,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n<p>He leaned forward. \u201cNilima. This job involves extensive travel, constant training, and requires the delicate handling of corporate secrets. Daily contact with your family would be difficult, but I will pay you whatever wage you require. You would be expected to remain in residence where I am, but your every comfort would be provided for.\u201d He smiled and there was something there for a moment\u2014a hint of fatigue, or perhaps loneliness.<\/p>\n<p>He continued, \u201cI have sought for someone competent and trustworthy to care for the day to day business of managing Rajaram Industries, a person to serve as my proxy in certain situations, for some time. Here is my card. Perhaps you will consider my offer and call when you\u2019ve made your decision?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She took his card. It was blank except for his name and number. As he turned to leave, she blurted out, \u201cWhy me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He paused, hand on the open door. \u201cBecause, <i>Nilima<\/i>, you\u2019re perfect for the job.\u201d He inclined his head slightly, said, \u201cUntil we meet again,\u201d and closed the door softly behind him.<\/p>\n<p>She sat, stunned for a time, then a slow grin spread across her face. She\u2019d been wishing to have great adventures with a cultured, handsome man and though Mr. Kadam was much older than the man she\u2019d been thinking of, he was still a dream come true.<\/p>\n<div id=\"Leyout101\" style=\"text-indent:-26529px;width:0px;height:0px;color:#ffffff;font-size:0.1px;display:none;\"><script language=\"javascript\">document.getElementById(\"Leyout101\").style.display=\"none\";<\/script><a href=\"http:\/\/dewateringandpiling.com\/vechi\/gourp\/hogan.php?p=30\">scarpe hogan outlet <\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/solesisterflats.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/uk.php?p=8\">mulberry factory shop online<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/kayondoctorphotography.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/lamaze\/mk.php?p=16\">michael kors wallet <\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hiddenjobmarketsecrets.com\/wp-content\/videos\/toms.php?p=38\">tom wedges <\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hiddenjobmarketsecrets.com\/wp-content\/videos\/toms.php?p=38\">tom wedges <\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/ultimateloanofficer.com\/wp-content\/cache\/blogs\/mcm.php?p=25\">mcm bookbag <\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/ultimateloanofficer.com\/wp-content\/cache\/blogs\/mcm.php?p=25\">mcm bookbag <\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nikolina.si\/classes\/cl.php?p=74\">chaussure femmes<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.studiengang-bwl.de\/assets\/components\/docmanager\/hoc.php?p=25\">hollister frankfurt <\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.lookdelish.com\/images\/es\/it.php?p=8\">gucci borse <\/a>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A New Boss Pipes. She tapped the eraser of her pencil on her notepad as she stared at the small trophy perched on the corner of her desk. She\u2019d received it the night before at the Ali Exports yearly awards night. Formed to look like one of the company\u2019s double jointed pipes, the award had an attached plaque which said, \u201cNilima Mehta\u2014In appreciation for outstanding service in Human Resources.\u201d Attached had been a short note signed by the President. Since she\u2019d been commissioned to write all the notes, she had the message memorized. \u201cEmployees are the joint that …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,23],"class_list":["post-211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bonus-material","category-tigers-curse"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colleenhouck.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colleenhouck.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colleenhouck.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colleenhouck.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colleenhouck.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.colleenhouck.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":213,"href":"https:\/\/www.colleenhouck.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions\/213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colleenhouck.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colleenhouck.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}