Chapter 4: Koli

The flight landed at 4:30 am in the morning. It was delayed by an hour and it had taken off on time. Rishabh kept checking his watch. He was quite sure he had calculated the time difference correctly. It would take him another hour to claim his bags and reach the hotel. He swore that he had never had such a restless flying experience. He was not able to sleep well and was sure that he would not be able to sleep in the hotel either. He was coming to India after 4 years and he was looking forward to it. Rishabh yawned as he sat in the air conditioned car. He wanted to drink in the surroundings to see how much it has changed.

Mumbai was relatively new to him as he had only stayed in Pune all his life…that is till he went to do his Masters in Science to the United States of America. Now, he had 2 years of work experience there and was being transferred to India. His parents were also quite keen on getting him married. For this reason alone, he was happy that he was posted in Mumbai and not Pune. He had a few friends in Mumbai whom he was in touch with through social networking sites. He chose to go to the hotel instead. In a month or two he would find a nice flat and charge his office for it. His work was in the field of marketing and he was waiting to try out his new tricks in India.


Ameya was quite happy with his life. He was thinking of all the things he could do in college. He had it all planned out. He would take a poll of all the staff and see what he could find out. He was not clear what problems he would unearth, but he was sure no one had done it before. This excited him. He did not know that he was in for a surprise.

He strode in to the staff room and announced, “Mr. Rajesh has asked me to make a report on the problems in the college and I am compiling it. I would like your support in identifying the problems that you face.”
There was a stunned silence. A senior faculty, Mr. Patil asked him, “Have you asked Madam Koli?”
Ameya was speechless. Did that mean that he would have to ask Koli for her permission to talk to them. Why was the barrier there? What was Ameya’s designation in their eyes? What had Koli told them? Casting these thoughts aside, Ameya cleared his throat uncomfortably.
“I don’t think we need to involve her in this.”

The faculty members looked at each other. He looked at all their faces. He expected fear of Koli and all he got was indifference. They were not afraid of speaking in front of her or about her: they were just plain disinterested. He realized that Koli’s interference for them was not a matter of hierarchy as much as it was a matter of postponement of the issue. Ameya stood there with all faces looking away from him and he realized that his was a thankless job. He always thought that he could give suggestions and see that they were implemented and that was the end of his job. But he was realizing that it was not.

He said something unintelligible and left the staff room. As he came out, he saw the lights switched on in Koli’s office. He went in and waited for her PA to allow him in. Koli called him in. She was signing some certificates. She did not look up.

“Madam, can I have a word with you?”
“Yes”
“I want to have a brainstorming session with the faculty members. I wanted to know if I could have your permission.”
“Brainstorming? What for?”
“Brainstorming…as in getting them all together and discussing issues.”, Ameya said, feeling in control.
“I know what Brainstorming is…but what issues?”
Ameya knew at one that he was in murky waters. Yet, his ego took over and he proclaimed that Raghuvanshi Jr. had asked him to compile a report on improvements in the college. Koli looked up. Her spectacles were balancing on her nose as precariously as Ameya’s report was on her reaction.

“They may have some problems…”, Ameya blurted out, unthinking. As soon as he uttered those words, Koli stood up. She looked furious. Ameya did not understand the full gravity of the situation till Koli yelled at him. “Problems?”
The words came so suddenly that Ameya took time to register them.
“What do you mean problems? Do you think I am not capable of solving their problems? If you want to spy on me, why do you need my permission?”

“Madam…I don’t mean to spy. We have to solve them together…”, Ameya said gulping.
“Together? Who are you? What do you think you are? I am tolerating you because of Director Sir. Mind your own business and don’t compare yourself to me…..”
Ameya stood gaping at the turn of events. He had never prepared for this. As he slowly turned on the spot to go to the door, she said in a cool and polished voice, “And if you want to tell him all this, go ahead! I don’t care.”

Ameya turned back shocked. Koli was back to her certificates. The spectacles stayed where they were.

Chapter 3: Solkadi

Ameya left for home. His mother was expected to reach Mumbai in an hour’s time and he wanted to be there to welcome her. She was already standing at the doorstep when he reached his small apartment at Andheri.

“Aai!”, he said and ran to hold her bags for her. “Why did you not call me?”

“I just reached. I was just about to search for the keys.”

She smiled and let her doting son open the door for her.

“Make Solkadi today!”, he said and shut the door.

“I am off to the market to get some things. Look how you have kept the kitchen. There is no soap to even wash the dishes. How is your servant managing?” And then she analysed every part of the apartment and explained to Ameya how it could be improved till he stopped it with a very familiar “Aaaargh!”

How much ever he loved that his parents could come and visit him since they lived in Pune and it was only three hours by road, he did not want advice on how to maintain his house. As far as he was concerned, this house was a place with a bed, a TV and a refrigerator.

When Ameya’s mother came back from the marketplace, he was still wearing his office clothes and watching the match. Soon he heard a great deal of vessels being moved around in the kitchen. Onions were being cut or maybe his neighbours were cutting onions. Either ways, the apartment was filled with the smell and his eyes were soon watering. “Wash your hands and come into the kitchen. Let me talk to you”, she ordered. He dragged himself off his sofa and plomped himself into a kitchen chair.

“How is work”, she asked in the gap that she got between frying garlic and throwing in some green chillies. She moved away from the stove and the kitchen filled with smoke and aroma. Ameya thanked the chaos that drowned his answer. But she would not give up. She stirred in the soup, let it simmer and sat down beside him.

“Do you like this place. Baba is not too happy you know. He feels you should work in a corporate environment like Nirav.”

“Aai, I am not Nirav. And I am going to make this place corporate enough.”

“You can never make an educational institute corporate.”

“It was like that in your time…now everything is being professionalized.”

“Like what? And what do you mean my time? I quit teaching only two years ago. Every worthy engineer in Pune still remembers me.”

“Yes ma. But that is Pune. This is Mumbai. See what changes I make. Actually I have to make a report for Mr. Raghuvanshi Junior tomorrow on what problems there are at the institute.”

“SSR Educational Institutes are way too big for you to come up with suggestions so soon.”

“I have been here for 6 months now”

“Ok”

“And besides, I am just starting on the college now.”

“Which one?”

“The Grant Road one.”

“Why don’t you ask to be transferred to the one in Borivali. It will be closer.”

“I am supposed to handle all the institutes. So one by one, I guess. All in good time, my sweet mother, all in good time.”

“So what suggestions have you thought of?”, she asked chopping tomatoes. Ameya was not too comfortable discussing work with her. She had been a prominent professor at College of Engineering, Pune for 25 years. She knew the who’s who of the education industry in Maharashtra and yet was removed from the limelight. She liked to be behind the scenes and everyone who knew her had tremendous respect for her. Yet, he did not think she would understand the management side of education and felt she would not really see the point of many of his arguments. But Madhavi Upadhyay was a keen observer. From her years of dealing with youngsters, she knew Ameya was hesitating.

“Don’t worry Amu. I will not disagree with you.”

Slightly relaxed that she was not giving her complete hawk like attention to the subject, Ameya told her about his project.

“Arre what to tell you Aai, the college is a mess. Forget systems being old and rusty, even the benches in all the classrooms are so dirty. It is filthy and no one is doing anything about it. People are paid and yet they do not do any work. Like the Gurkha: he is never found at the front entrance. So they have shut the main gate and opened a small one to the side so that no one has to mind them.”

Madhavi was listening patiently. The rhythmic sound of the knife hitting the cutting board was varying with the vegetable being cut.

“So what do you say?”, Ameya asked unable to believe that she had no comebacks.

“What else?”

“Well…the principal’s office is next to the management and the staff room is on the other side in a corner. I am sure Koli must have designed this…so that she can stay close to management and poison their ears. You know what she told me today?... ‘As long as you keep busy.’ She hates me, I tell you. Even with less work, I don’t leave sharp at 5:30 pm. What about all those others who just leave all their work and go? She likes them because she must have recruited them.”

Madhavi stood up and went to the stove.

“Amu…”, she said and stopped.

Ameya geared up for some sound advice and was surprised when she asked him to come up to the stove and taste the kadi.

“So what do you think Aai?”

“About what?”

“About what I just told you? The problems in SSR College?”

“Problems?”, she asked and switched off the gas.

“Yes?”

“Come, let us sit outside”, she said.

They went into the guest room and sat on the sofa.

“Amu, you have not mentioned a single problem. All that you have told me are your observations of the place. These observations are just manifestations of deep rooted problems. Problems don’t show themselves at first. You have to dig in and find it out.”

“Ok? But what about all these problems of insincerity and treating the staff badly”

“How do you know the staff is being treated badly? Did any staff member tell you about it?”

“Koli is so mean. I am sure they all hate her.”. Ameya put his head down.

“Just because she is curt to a consultant does not mean she is bad to the staff.”

He hated it when she sounded right.

“All your ‘problems’ are not problems, just symptoms of problems.”

His second term in his MBA swam by him as he recalled his marketing professor saying for the nth time that all the problems they had listed down for a company were only issues.

“Hmmm…so what are the problems?” He was sure he would not understand the difference now if he didn’t understand it then.

“Let’s see…maybe the benches are dirty because most students are not present for lectures. It is a fairly new college. They would not build it beyond capacity and that too in a city like Mumbai. So find out WHY the students are not attending. That is your ‘problem’. Also, the small door? Is it to the right of the main entrance?”

“Yes”

“That may be due to Vastu. See that you don’t hurt sentiments. You know how much people could take such things to heart.”

“Oh! I did not think of that.”

“Even now, you cannot assume things. Speak to them…find out. You cannot become a good consultant if you don’t talk to the employees. And the staff…are you sure they are unhappy about being away from the principal’s watchful gaze? I, for one would give anything to be away from the principal’s cabin….especially if she is like Koli.”

They both laughed.

“But on a more serious note, do not fear Koli so much. Do you think that she would have let you remain in the college and note down what she does wrong, if she was so close to the management. She is curt because she thinks YOU are management’s snoop in HER college. She fears you as much as you fear her.”

Ameya wanted to note that last statement down. It somehow seemed like one he would want to hear more often.

“The best thing is to win her favour and help her carry out administration with your observations. Mr. Raghuvanshi is no fool. He knows the difference between an academician and a manager. Don’t you forget it. Give Koli her due place and stay in yours. Show how good your work is and she will respect you. I can tell you one thing. You do not have many genuine people left in this world. And the few remaining are in schools and college…teaching. If Koli has been the principal for so long, it only means that she has worked for it and deserves it. She will recognize talent if you allow her to see it. Tell me otherwise who will want to work at such low salaries?”

It was hard stopping her once she was on her favourite topic.

“You say they leave at 5. Maybe they coach students at home …or this is just a part time job to keep their financial freedom afloat! Maybe they feel their families need them more than a college where students anyways do not attend classes? Have you found out? What is the motivation to work in the college?”

“I don’t know”

“Then find out!”

Suddenly Ameya’s two page report did not seem like something he would be able to submit the next day or the day after that. He was excited that he had new angles to look at now and swamped that it meant more work before he could get Koli fired. However, that thought cheered him up. He would be the problem fixer from tomorrow. When Rajesh would see the report, he would be stunned at Ameya’s wisdom. Making a mental note of the font he would use, Ameya ate his Solkadi.

Myopia

“A blank sheet and a pen, that’s all I need”. Ameya strode out of the staff room thinking this. He decided he would roam the institute and wherever he sees something amiss, he will jot it down.

The ground floor entrance of the college was a narrow opening that could allow a maximum of 3 students together. The other opening was a wide one, but for some reason was always locked in iron grills. The students entered through the single door and rushed to their classrooms. The ground floor had notice boards and important circulars that they would miss naturally. The Saraswati idol installed at the entrance was not even worshipped everyday. It just lay there like a founder’s bust.

Ameya shook his head. In one look, he saw so many flaws. He got excited about how many changes he would be able to suggest. The watchman was missing from his position and he could see a middle aged couple looking inside the premises for a glimpse of a helpful face. “Inefficient and insincere. Typical”, Ameya said and moved on. He slowly rotated on his heel and got a view of the entire floor. It was huge and when it was built, it definitely would have been beautiful. Now however, cobwebs hung from the ceilings and old desks were stacked against the walls. Many of the notice boards had out dated notices and posters and there was no welcoming feel to the whole place.

“This place needs to be redone completely. No one would want to walk in here”

He let his imagination graft an ideal floor onto this desolate area. It looked vibrant and beautiful. His thoughts were interrupted by Koli, who swayed into the scene.

“So you met Mr. Raghuvanshi?”
“Yes madam”, said Ameya slightly startled
"Does he have any other job offers for you?”
Ameya walked along silently. He did not like her and he made a mental note of mentioning her on the top of the list of 100 things to change at the institute.

“What are you doing today?”
“I have a repot to make for Rajesh Sir and that will take till evening to finish.”
“As long as you keep busy”, she said and strode off.

“Principal Koli”, wrote Ameya on the sheet of paper he had been carrying around and marked a giant 1 next to her name and circled it over and over again. “Let us see the first floor”. He jumped two stairs at a time with renewed enthusiasm with the feeling that Koli’s career was now in his hands.

The first floor was where the staff room, the principal’s office, the management office and the auditorium were. The laboratories were at the end of the corridor right next to the entrance to the library. The principal’s office and the management office were together and the staff room was their foster child, alone and desolate near the water coolers. “How they must feel, poor staff.”

The auditorium was on the first floor so that its activities would not disturb the classrooms on the higher floors. Ameya peeped into the auditorium. It looked in very good shape, maybe due to its infrequent use by students. As far as he could remember he had only been attending staff functions there. No wonder it was all still there – no broken chairs, no chipped benches, no torn curtains – It looked like a marriage hall instead. Ameya had seen a few students go in at times, but if they were doing anything productive, he had not seen the final result. He thought he would look into that later.

The second floor was made of 12 classrooms and thus could accommodate two thirds of the senior college in one floor at a time. The classrooms were dull and dreary and were always closed from inside during class hours. He peeped through the windows and noted that most of the benches were dusty. Also the whole dais was powdered with chalk dust.

The third and last of the floors had 6 classrooms for the junior college, a computer lab and the main entrance to the library. This floor was warmer than the others and yet there was no water cooler. “Ah, what a good idea!”, Ameya patted himself on his back. Peons were loitering around the terrace. “You can never find them when you want them and this is where they’d be? Such a pathetic style of functioning. But now everything is going to change”

Ameya entered the computer lab and switched on a computer. He saw the time on his watch. It was half past five. He would not get anyone to log into the college computer for him. Everyone would have left. He sighed. He would have to type out his report the next day. On his sheet of paper, he wrote: “Biggest positive – Very punctual about leaving on time.”