41. PAYING BACK IN THE SAME COIN (YEAR 1982)

STRESS, SUCCESS AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN

The Highs and Lows of A Woman’s Journey in the Corporate World

CARE: This is Chapter 41 of my book Stress, Success and Everything In-Between. These are individual anecdotes but to understand the professional journey in totality, I would recommend reading the book right from Chapter 01 onwards.

That day, the air crackled with anticipation. It was not a usual workday for the Bank. It was closed to the public, but the banking hall buzzed with activity. Today was the half-yearly closing, and amidst the bonhomie of a working but non-working day, there was another reason for celebration for me. The news of my promotion had just reached the branch, and the staff, with whom I had shared countless hours of trials and tribulations, were ecstatic. "Party time!" they chorussed, their enthusiasm warming the otherwise mundane banking hall.

Till recently, I had revelled in the freedom bestowed by my previous boss, a delegator extraordinaire. It had been an exhilarating experience in branch management and a confidence booster, especially after the unfortunate incident at the last posting.

Things were different now. The new Branch Manager was the polar opposite of his predecessor. He was a micro-managing tyrant who was prone to frequent fiery outbursts. He would bellow at officers while cowering before the clerical staff, creating tension for us, the officers. We somehow tolerated him, but today, with the exhilaration of my promotion fresh, a silent defiance had started simmering within me.

As the party preparations were on, the essential task of balancing the ledgers was in progress. Back then, in the era of manual banking, this meant meticulous hand-balancing of every account. The night before, I had burned the midnight oil, ensuring the Progressive Book was ready with figures, giving my team no reason to delay their task.

Around 11:30 am, I was moving from one desk to another in the bustling hall, checking on each one's progress with a smile. Suddenly, the Branch Manager's loud voice shattered the hum. From a distance, he bellowed a question about a minor issue. Before I could respond, his face contorted, and his lips twisted with despair. His voice echoed through the hushed banking hall as he screamed, "Oh, come on. What is the Bank up to? Promoting people like you? (आए हाए, ये बैंक भी क्या करता है....आपके जैसों को प्रमोट कर देता है।) "

A collective gasp was heard through the hall. The vibrant chatter died, replaced by a deafening silence. Even the flickering fluorescent lights seemed to dim in shock.

My own temper flared. "If the bank can elevate someone like you," I retorted, voice laced with barely contained anger, "then what on earth makes me less qualified?(अगर बैंक आप जैसों को प्रमोट कर देता है, तो मुझ में क्या कमी है?) "

The manager's face contorted into a mixture of fury and humiliation, and he stormed back into his office, red-faced and sputtering something unintelligible.

Moments later, I was summoned to his room, where he complained in a mumbled tone, about my inappropriate retort in front of the staff.

"And your outburst in front of the entire team was acceptable?" I shot back, not letting him finish. With that, I turned on my heel and marched out, leaving him speechless in his chair.

He had received the message loud and clear. From that day onward, the bullying stopped. It was a small victory, but I had learnt my lesson of not tolerating bullying from anyone, even if he was my boss and was going to write my annual appraisal report shortly.

(To be continued....)

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