Month end week is going to come. Team member’s allocation on night shifts are done by respective team leads and the team lead’s shift is mutually decided by AM and Team lead. As per Kunj, it is better if all the team leads are in night shift. They can very well manage the team as month end week will have a huge number of works.
Kunj calls Sanjay in his cabin and informs him that he need him in night shifts. Sanjay was okay with his decision. Next is Alisha’s turn.
Kunj: Alisha, I want you to be in night shift. We get a huge number of orders on month end week. There is a chance of escalations too. Moreover I want you to be with your team at these situations.
Alisha: Kunj, I understand what you are saying. But being a girl, I can’t do night shifts. For us it becomes a bit difficult.
Kunj: How can you say that? Your team consists of 5 girls. They also will be in night shift. You are allocating them on night shift and you ask me for a day shift.
Alisha: I never give them a night shift. All the 5 girls are in day. I generally keep boys for night shift.
Kunj: Frankly speaking, then you are being unfair to your team. You always give the month end pressure and night shifts only to boys. I don’t agree the way you are handling your team.
Alisha: It is not like I am forcing them to take a night shift. They, being gentle man take night shifts by their choice.
Kunj: As far as they don’t have issues, I am fine. But your team needs you on month end time the most. You can’t just leave them like that. What if an escalation comes?
Alisha: I already have a back up plan. Uday is very well trained to handle escaltions. He can handle all kinds of escalations in my absence. Anyways, I will be available on phone if at all needed.
Kunj: Okay. If you have made a back up plan also, go ahead. I will put you in day shift.
Alisha leaves.
Kunj thinks. “Ye ladkiyan bhi na.. Vaise toh hamesha equality ki or rights ki baat kerti rahegi. Per jab kuch ker dikhane ki baad aati hai toh women’s card dikhake har tough situations se bach nikalte hai.”
(Uff..These girls…They will argue for equality and for their rights all the time. But when it comes to show their real power, they will immediately play the women card and escape from all tough situations. I hate this double standardness.”)
Kunj to himself: Ab ek aur aayegi aur uska bhi back up plan ready hi hoga…
Kunj calls Twinkle.
Kunj: So tell me who is your back up?
Twinkle: Back up for what? I am not going on leave.
Kunj thinks in mind “I don’t want to hear that crap again from you or any other excuses to miss night shift. Better I tell it to you directly.”
Kunj: I know. But I can understand you being a girl can’t work on night shifts and will be in day shift. So for the night, we need a back up.
Twinkle: Why are you putting me in day shift? I should be in a shift where I can support my team to the fullest. Work load will be in night. So I want to be in night shift. What’s the point in me doing a day shift with 5 team members and not much work?
Kunj is surprised to hear that. He never expected Twinkle to give such a response.
Kunj: Are you sure?
Twinkle: Yes, I am. I want to be with my team at the time of month end. I am not doing any favor. It is my responsibility towards the team.
Kunj: I have given a day shift to Alisha as she has made Uday, a back up. So I don’t want you to come up later and say that I have done partiality to her as she is my friend. You have a fair chance as she had. If you are ready to get me a back up from your team, I am ready to give you a day shift. I do not want my women employees to be tortured as per them.
Twinkle (smiles): First of all women card doesn’t turn up for me. If I, Sanjay and Alisha are equally open for the next promotions, it is our duty to do the jobs we are expected to do. If Sanjay can do a night shift, so am I. Same way I have allocated both girls and boys from my team for night shift.
Kunj: Good.
Twinkle: Next is I won’t need a back up as I want myself to be with them and guide them on month ends. If I am making a back up, it will be an extra burden to that team member. He/she has to take care of his work plus mine which I do not want. I will take a night shift.
Kunj: Okay. Glad to know that you value your team members this much.
Twinkle leaves.
Kunj to himself : Kuch toh baat hain isme… Na jaane kya hai… Thode der tak toh issi ke bare me sochne pe majbur ker dete hai… (I don’t know what.. But something is different in her. )
Kunj goes on break.
Alisha has an emergency and she needs information from Kunj’s computer. She enters in his cabin and opens the system and finds out the information. At that time she finds the IM chat (Kunj asking Twinkle to have food and giving pain balm) from his chat history. She reads it all.
Lunch break
Twinkle and Sanjay are having lunch. For a change, Alisha insisted to join them and she is also having food. They are done with food.
Sanjay: Ice cream? Any one interested?
Alisha says okay. But Twinkle denies as she have cold.
Sanjay: Don’t be a spoil spot. I will bring for all of us.
Twinkle insists that she don’t need icecream.
Alisha: Sanjay, humare jaise logon ke insist kerne pe ye food nahi khati.. Isske liye toh AM jaise logon ko bhi IM pe plead kerna padta hai ki khalo khalo… (She won’t have ice cream. She even denies AM’s repeated pleads in IM. We are no one compared to him.)
Twinkle and Sanjay look at Alisha weirdly.
Alisha: Sach kaha na maine..IM pe koi tume itna plead kere to kha lena chahiye tume… Bechara Kunj..Itna toh koi boyfriend bi apne girl friend ko nahi manata… (What? If Kunj is trying so hard to convince you through IM, you should have eaten. Nowadays Boy friends don’t plead this much to their girl friends.)
Twinkle now is frustrated.
Twinkle: Ohh.. So now I understood why you insisted to come with us for lunch. Being a team lead, I think you should be aware that you cannot check some one’s system without his permission. So you should be embarrassed and not me.If I report this to anyone, you are gone. Regarding our IM chat, I don’t owe an explanation to you. Be in your limits…
Alisha is disturbed as she wanted to make Twinkle guilty. But she stood firmly.
Twinkle: And by the way, I am thinking of making him my boyfriend. Thank you for your suggestion. I never thought of it earlier.He can be a good boyfriend. He is damn handsome, so caring and an AM. Why not? Thank you again.
Twinkle leaves. Alisha seems very upset as she never expected Twinkle will give such a response.
Twinkle goes to Kunj’s cabin.
Kunj: Yes
Twinkle: I should not advise you. But keeping your system open and letting people peep into your sytem is non-compliance.
Kunj: I know that. I have never done that.
Twinkle: I don’t know how. But Alisha has seen our IM Chat and was giving me taunts at canteen.
Kunj: I can’t believe she unlocked my system. How dare she?
Twinkle: What about the password?
Kunj: We are best friends. I use a general password for all. She knows it. Let her come. I am gonna give her now.
Twinkle: Please be gentle. I already have given her.
Kunj: What did you do?
Twinkle: Ussne muje thoda sunaya. Me kisiki udhar nahi rekhti to interest ke saath vaapas ker diya hai.. (She tried to make me feel guilty. Since I don’t take anyone’s crap, I have returned it with interest.)
Kunj smiles: Usse mar diya ki jaan abhi bi baki hai… Meri do dhari talwaar..
Twinkle (with smile): Gala kaat diya hai…Bus jaan halak pe hain…
Hi All,
Thank you for all your sweet comments. It charges me up to write next episode. Special thanks to Angita, Jas and sid lover, Sidmin, Monica,Priya,Kruti, Joonakanksha, Shona, Shatakshi, Sayeeda, Fan, Baby, Shreya098, Ria, Rashi and Purnima for showering with your continued support through your comments.
Jisha 🙂