Sinner's Game: Karma will chase! Read online

  When Tanuja was in high school, her mother caught her in a compromising position with her school friend, Karan .After a few days, she decided to bring the topic with Tanuja. She went to her room. Tanuja was busy reading a novel. Nikita said, ‘I hope I am not disturbing you.

  ‘Not at all mom. Come on, don’t be formal. Sit here next to me. I was doing time pass and reading a novel.’

  ‘There is no good way to bring up this topic. Look beta, I know this is your age to interact with boys but based on my experience your priority should be different. Right now you must focus on your studies.’

  Tanuja reacted, ‘Come on mom! Should I waste my life sitting at home like you? I want to explore and enjoy my life as it comes. I am studying really hard and I know my priorities quite well. If you are talking about Karan then you probably know nothing.’

  Nikita didn’t expect such a rude response from her daughter. With tears in her eyes she replied, ‘You should never become like me. I have not done anything worthwhile professionally. My degrees are gathering dust somewhere. I want you to be ambitious and independent. You must not become like me.’

  Tanuja was not prepared for such an emotional response from her mother. ‘Mom I didn’t mean that. You have done a lot for me and I can never forget this. I love you a lot. Trust me I will never disappoint you. At the same time, I know what I am doing and I have a plan for my future.’

  ‘Well I know that you are quite ambitious. Am I getting over protective about you?’

  ‘Mom I know about dad’s lifestyle and your relationship with him is not a secret in any case. I also know his phone’s password and his life. Don’t you feel like confronting him ever?’

  ‘These are compromises that I have made for your future. Moreover, I don’t have the courage to ask him anything. I am too scared of him. Once you settle down, my life will also change and finally I can be free of the burden of this hollow relationship.

  ‘Mom I don’t know what made you choose a life like this. I would have felt suffocated in your position. I want to be independent and I am ambitious. Don’t judge me based on what you saw the other day. I am not very strong in math and I am planning to pursue MBA from the best business school in India. Karan helps me a lot in clarifying my concepts and with time, we have become good friends. At the same time, I know my limits Mom and I will never disappoint you.’

  ‘I know you will make me proud. I will sleep better tonight. Goodnight.’ Nikita hugged Tanuja and kissed her forehead.

  After this conversation, Tanuja worked hard sincerely prepared for CAT. She was clear about her future goals and no one could come in the way of her ambitions. Karan continued to visit Tanuja and helped her a lot in her studies. Nikita could sense the situation but did not interfere in their friendship.

  When the results came out, Tanuja had made it to all top four IIMs! She told her mother excitedly.

  Nikita, who sensed her daughter’s happiness, immediately hugged her, ‘Wow beta! I am so proud of you! Which IIM are you going to pick? IIM Bangalore is quite good but you decide.’

  ‘I am quite happy mom! Let me think about the location. I need to discuss this with few friends of mine.’

  The discussion never happened and Tanuja picked IIM Ahmedabad over IIM Bangalore to stay independently in a new city and gain more confidence. She did not want to live in the shadow of her parents. In any case, IIM Ahmedabad was number one in the ranking. Karan came to congratulate her. He was truly happy for her.

  She informed Karan about her decision and they met to celebrate. During the conversation, he asked, ‘You could have easily picked IIMB. Why are you going so far?’

  ‘Karan! You know me. IIM Ahmedabad is number one. I love Bangalore and all friends and family are here. But I want to study in the best institute and I want hostel the exposure as well. It will make me independent and more confident’

  Karan wasn’t too happy about her decision.

  ‘Don’t worry, Karan. I will keep coming to Bangalore during my breaks so we can always catch up. I will miss you a lot.’ Tanuja tried to console Karan.

  Karan smiled and said, ‘I will miss you too! With time you will have a new life and new friends. Let’s see. Take care and all the best. I will miss you too.’

  ‘My roots are here Karan. How can I forget this city? Thanks for all your support.’

  She hugged Karan – and this was for the last time.

  Tanuja was quite popular in the IIM-A campus. Along with academics, Tanuja was famous for her no-nonsense style, good looks, sexy figure and her ability to flirt with anyone. Students had mixed views about her. Many people considered her as a ruthless and manipulative person especially after a vicious rumor about her was spread in the campus.

  There had been an unverified story about her relationship with a married college professor that was doing the rounds. Apparently, Tanuja was not happy with her grades in the 1st trimester and had approached the professor about them. A mutual understanding led to numerous trips outside the campus and all around the city for a joint ‘research project’. Shortly after this, the professor got divorced and resigned due to ‘personal reasons’. People on the campus conspired that this was because of a potential affair but this didn’t get too much attention for a long time as Tanuja became the center of many more such stories.

  During the first trimester after joining IIM-A she used to speak frequently with Karan. Then the calls became a monthly routine. After she made other friends at IIM, she started ignoring his calls and even blocked his number citing the excuse of hectic schedule and study related stress. Karan understood the real reason but tried to maintain a good relationship.

  Tanuja was ambitious and her dream was to work for a startup, gain experience and eventually launch her own venture in the healthcare space. Keeping this in mind, during the campus placements she targeted only companies in the healthcare space. With her impressive profile, getting a top job with Hailthy was not difficult.

  Normally companies sent their senior management for such sessions. As a founder, Akshay saw this as an opportunity to share his vision for Hailthy with the students directly. Akshay had gone to the campus for the pre-placement sessions. It was there he met Tanuja. Such sessions were used by companies to attract talent by sharing companies vision and business plan amongst other aspects like work culture and HR policies etc. In such sessions, the students had their chance to impress the presenter with intelligent questions and make their first mark.

  Tanuja had done her homework by not only visiting Hailthy’s website but also reading all news articles that covered Hailthy, its competitors and also Akshay. It was difficult to overlook Tanuja even in a gathering of hundred plus students that came for Hailthy’s pre placement session. Tanuja listened to the presentation carefully and made notes of some key points. Then she asked the right questions during the pre-placement talk.

  Tanuja even approached Akshay after the session to continue her discussion on company’s expansion plans. Akshay liked her personality and was thrilled with her knowledge about Hailthy. During the final placement, the selection process went quite smoothly for Tanuja. She dominated the group discussion on the health industry and reached the final round of Hailthy. The last step in the process was the final interview with Akshay, which she aced. Tanuja was more than ready for all questions posed to her and had suitably impressed Akshay. More importantly, Akshay was impressed with Tanuja’s knowledge about his company including its business strategy.

  ‘Why Hailthy?’ That was his last question.

  ‘Because of Hailthy’s dominant position in the healthcare sector and management quality, Hailthy has the opportunity to become a global leader. As per the report by BCG, the healthcare sector in India will grow at a CAGR of 60% for the next five years. Which means that the growth potential for me will be quite high and therefore I am confident of pursuing my career with Hailthy.’ Tanuja was well prepared for this.

  Akshay smiled and said, ‘If you have any question, I am happy
to answer,’

  Tanuja said, ‘No sir! If you remember, I had covered that part during the pre-placement session.’

  Akshay said, ‘All the best. Thanks for your time.’ The interview was over. And the result was accepted. It was easy to make a decision on whether or not Tanuja should join the firm. She had all the ingredients of a top performer. The offer letter was prepared within few days and dispatched to the placement office. Tanuja accepted and looked forward to her stint with Hailthy.

  Tanuja joined Hailthy in early June some years back, straight after her final exams. Unlike other students, she decided not to take any break after her MBA. Her joining Hailthy turned out to be quite eventful. When she reached the office, there was a welcome sign for her. As per Akshay’s instructions, Monika was there to welcome her along with the Surbhi.

  Monika said, ‘Welcome Tanuja to Hailthy! I am Monika.’

  Tanuja shook hands with both Monika and Surbhi and signed in the Visitor Management system. She entered her new office with Monika. She was quite amazed with Hailthy’s new office. There were big desks lined, divided by small partitions. Each desk had a telephone, computer and a Coffee mug. The cabins were big and beautifully designed.

  After her joining formalities, Tanuja met Akshay. Akshay had been ready to meet Tanuja and stood up to welcome her when she entered.

  Akshay said, ‘Thanks Surbhi! Welcome to Hailthy Tanuja! Take a seat.’

  Surbhi said, ‘Tanuja meet me at my desk after you meeting with Akshay. You need to complete few pending formalities related to Finance.’

  Tanuja nodded and picked a chair to sit.

  Akshay continued, ‘When did you land here? We want you to be well settled in Gurgaon. If you need any help, our admin department will be happy to help!’

  Tanuja said, ‘Thanks Akshay! I am fine; I have a friend from my school staying here in Gurgaon. I will manage with her for some time and then will pick a place for myself after a few months. I need to factor in many things before I start living independently.’

  ‘Good to know that you already have a friend here! Having a school friend is a blessing in new city. Where is she working? ‘

  ‘She is working with Accenture as Program Manager.’

  ‘Well, I will share our corporate presentation with you right now along with our business plan for the next 5 years. This will set the foundation for your induction. After my meeting you will meet all department heads for their overview.’

  ‘Sounds good! I like the office and I am excited to start soon!’

  Akshay then connected his laptop with the projector and started his presentation on Hailthy. In the process, he also covered his journey as an entrepreneur. Tanuja really liked the interaction and she made copious notes during the session. She asked some good questions that Akshay never expected from a new joiner. It turned out to be a good start for Tanuja as Akshay was quite impressed with her business knowledge and more so about the Healthcare sector.

  After finishing her induction session with Akshay, Tanuja met Surbhi for completing her pending joining formalities. Tanuja was impressed with the level of automation done for the internal processes of Hailthy. Everything about Hailthy was online, including the forms related to joining, Employee Portal and Induction Training material. Still it took her more than an hour to finish all the forms and upload required information. After finishing the joining formalities, Surbhi handed her ID card, Access card and visiting cards.

  ‘Wow that is really amazing! I have never seen this level of efficiency so far in my life. Your technology team must be really good!’

  Surbhi said, ‘Yes you will meet Veer shortly as part of your induction and you can share your feedback with him. All of this is driven by Akshay’s vision about the company. He is a strong believer in the role of technology for the competitive advantage.’

  Surbhi said ‘We will start your background verification now as part of our standard process. I hope you have provided two references for the same.’

  Tanuja was a little skeptical about reference check from IIMA because of the incident with the Professor. She asked, ‘I am new to all this; what all will you cover?’

  Surbhi said, ‘Since you are straight from campus by Akshay, verification will cover just your Identity check and address verification..’

  Tanuja felt relieved after hearing this. She said, ‘Thanks for sharing the details; who am I supposed to meet now?’

  ‘Well, let me take you around.’

  Surbhi then took her around for introductions with various teams and the Business Heads. All male employees were quite excited about her joining.

  Tanuja’s first day at Hailthy was rather eventful and impressive and Tanuja felt assured of her choice.

  She went back to her friend Reema’s place and opened the door with the spare key given to her by Reema, in the morning. She freshened up, unpacked her suitcases and waited for Reema to come back. Since that seemed to be taking a while, she called Reema.

  ‘Where are you? You can’t leave me alone at your home.’

  ‘Will be back soon. I am grabbing some snacks and there is some beer in the refrigerator. Do you want me to get something for you?’

  ‘No just come.’

  Reema came back after some time with few bags of ready-to-cook snacks. ‘Good you are back!’

  ‘How was your first day at office?’

  ‘Well, it was awesome!’

  ‘How is your boss? What is his name?’

  ‘I will be reporting directly to Akshay, CEO of Hailthy. The company is organized and process driven.’

  ‘Is Akshay good looking?’

  ‘Come on, Reema; let us drink something. There is so much to catch up with you.’

  Reema got two bottles of beer and quickly opened one for Tanuja.

  ‘By the way, what happened to Karan?’ asked Reema.

  ‘Nothing. We are just good friends.’

  ‘I know all your good friends stuff. You were very close to him during your CAT preparations and right after the exam you forgot about him.’

  Tanuja paused and said, ‘No not at all, life goes on man.’

  ‘Fine. If you have moved on then I will not bug you about Karan. Tell me some of your IIMA stories.’

  ‘I am not giving you any masala tonight. Let me relax a bit. Also I need your help. I need to find an apartment.’

  ‘You are not going anywhere. My father forced me to take such a big apartment. Even with you, I will still have a room to spare!’

  ‘Ha, but you will soon get sick of me and push me out. I have changed a lot in the last seven years. I am not the same old Tanuja from school days!’

  ‘We will see all that. Cheers to your new job!’

  ‘Cheers!’

  Tanuja really enjoyed Reema’s company. She opened up about her IIM experience without sharing too many details. Reema ordered food online. After finishing her dinner she told Reema about her next day’s schedule.

  The next morning, Tanuja wanted to leave early while Reema was busy preparing breakfast. ‘Come on Reema! I need to reach the office on time. I have induction session planned with CMO of the company.’

  ‘Wait; it will just take two more minutes. I will wrap your omelet in a foil and you can eat on your way to office.’

  ‘I think my cab is already here. Let me message the driver.’

  Tanuja somehow managed to get to work on time. Nitin, CMO of Hailthy, was waiting to meet Tanuja. He had heard a lot about her from Akshay.

  Tanuja got full support from all business managers during her induction. Most of them found her very attractive and were more than very keen on giving her extra time and attention, without her even trying. Within a week of her joining, she received many invites on LinkedIn – most of them from her male colleagues. Tanuja’s LinkedIn request went only to Akshay. She wanted to connect only with the senior management.

  After two weeks, she had a follow up session with Akshay.

  ‘Good morning Akshay!’

&
nbsp; Akshay, who was already there, got up and shook her hands, ‘Good morning Tanuja! I hope you have settled now and know more about the company – probably more than me’

  ‘I enjoyed it thoroughly. There is so much to learn and frankly, I am quite impressed with the level of automation. Everything is online in our company including booking office lunches!’

  Thank you, Tanuja. Good to know. I believe in automation as it can be cost effective and can make lives easier for all of us but the credit goes to Veer Singh.’

  ‘Now I need to assign few projects to you as this will take few things off from my shoulders.’

  ‘Happy to start!’

  ‘Let me show you our latest market research report, including information on our competitors.’

  ‘Sure Akshay. The market is quite dynamic and would love to see how our competition is doing.’

  ‘Alright. We outsource our research work to a consulting firm, HealthPro. This report is published quarterly by them and is used by our team for business planning.’

  The session lasted for two hours they had a long discussion on the competition where Tanuja could see the depth of Akshay’s knowledge about the market and Hailthy’s competitors.

  Monika knocked at the door and interrupted them for lunch. Akshay said, ‘Thanks, Monika. Let’s break for lunch now. I always get my lunch from home. Please go ahead with Monika to finish your lunch. I will send you this presentation along with the details of your projects. All the best!

  ‘Sure, Akshay, thanks for your time.’

  Tanuja left with Monika for lunch. Monika asked, ‘Akshay sir is quite demanding so you can expect some work pressure!’