Change Management

Gopal, who was an astute student of human nature, finally addressed his boy’s question about their future passing the question off with the assurance his plans for future education were already in motion and they seemed quite satisfied to know each of them were being considered equally for their careers.

But Gopal’s mind was working hard on Kamini’s comment, and he wondered what kind of game she was playing. He was aware his wife had in the past dealt with some negative issues Kamini was involved in and he was determined to find out what she was up to. He called trusted workers at the factory and explained that anything in conversation between them and his daughter needed to be reported to him in detail and they were not to give any hint, they were reporting on her observations about the family. This was of great curiosity to these trusted specialists, and they saw it as a bit of entertainment and an opportunity to get into the good graces of their employer. So, in their interactions with Kamini, they’d ask her leading questions about family which Kamini understood was a minefield she needed to avoid. But over time as they bought little gifts for her and shared supposed confidences this guardedness began to break down and she thought they were doing this to gain her grace as the boss’s daughter and she began to reveal her innermost thoughts to them.  All this was faithfully reported to Gopal.

Gopal was shocked to learn of his daughter’s duplicity. She was confronted and now the true feelings were out in the open she railed against her parents for what she felt was a disrespect of her caste position in relationship to these people she was forced to tolerate.

Kamini was immediately dispatched to a relative in a distant city with instructions to keep her under the strictest control while Gopal sought a marriage partner for her. This was arranged quickly, and Kamini found herself in a home of her caste but under the thumb of a mother-in-law who treated her more as a personal servant than daughter in law. Her husband had another interest and eventually bought in a second wife who he showered attention on leaving Kamini at the mercy of his mother. He’d been reluctant to marry Kamini despite her beauty but the money incentive from Gopal Desai was just too tempting to turn down. Kamini, through smuggled letters begged her parents to forgive her and rescue her from this terrible fate but they were unmoved by their daughter’s pleadings. She’d been a disruption in the home, and they were not willing to risk more turmoil in the family by bringing her back.

Kamini’s sister Aashi had been relieved when her elder sister had been removed from the home. In their childhood they’d shared a room and there’d been so much tension between them over space that eventually it boiled over and their mother Rajvi had to intervene. The room vacated by Gopal’s aged mother on her death was hastily prepared and Kamini moved there. But the harassment of her siblings continued when Rajvi was not around, and the siblings tolerated this rather than see their sister get into further trouble. Now there was peace in the home after her marriage and move to another city. Aashi was sad when she heard of her sister’s failed marriage as she still loved Kamini despite the harassment.

Gopal was relieved when he realized his daughter Aashi was following Rajvi’s example daily studying the Shastras and other sacred writings and offering puja at the family shrine with her mother each day. The two women attended the temple regularly together offering prasad to the gods. Gopal was studying Aashi’s school grades and noticed she was in the upper levels with a particular flair for business. He needed eyes and ears in the accounting department to make sure funds were accounted for properly and even though he engaged the best of legal and audit firms his natural caution felt a family member in that department would be useful. So, on her college graduation he enrolled her in a higher-level business degree. Aashi studied hard and worked when not in school at the factory. She gave regular reports to her father in the evening on what had transpired in the accounting department, and this made those employed there very careful knowing this was going on. It would be a while before the twins were able to complete study programs, he’d mapped out for them before they entered his business so having Aashi there was a big relief for him.

The strain of work overload Iditry Gopal’s trusted personal assistant experienced was beginning to affect his health. Doctors had told him if he didn’t reduce the work program, he was following he was in danger of a heart attack. The Patel loyalty to the Desai family was very strong and Iditry struggled with what to do but decided to carry on with the work regardless of health concerns.

However, the doctor who was a friend of the Desai family communicated his concerns to Gopal and this alarmed Gopal. While technically the Patels were of a slightly lower caste to the Desai’s they were accepted as family members. Gopal sat with Iditri the morning after receiving this report from the doctor to determine what could be done to preserve this valuable man’s health. Iditri was embarrassed at his perceived failure to keep good health to serve Desai interests, but Gopal shut that line of thinking down quickly and stated that Iditri was too valuable as a family member to lose, and he needed help. He’d have to delegate some of his load but who’d have the capacity to do some of this work that required great experience?

Iditri smiled with pleasure to be recognized as an important extended family member. He realized this was a difficult thing for a higher caste person to acknowledge and his love for Gopal was further reinforced. He thought for a few minutes then remembered his boys Sanam and Prerit had taken some of the load off him when not in school without any form of remuneration and recalled they’d been accepted by all Iditri had business relationships with as part of the management team under their father. Of course, they had no status to deal with the likes of government officials, but Iditri could take them with him to learn all the tricks of negotiation and recognition for services rendered in granting these permissions to keep matters in top priority. They were approaching the end of their undergraduate studies and as Gopal had put money into their education would he consider them as worthy of being mentored into more responsible positions.

Gopal was delighted. The Patels had served the Desai’s for generations and these boys could be worthy successors to their father when the time came. He’d watched them grow from childhood and noted the discipline they’d learned from their parents. Why not put them to the test now to see how and where they could be useful to the Desai interests in future. He told Iditri to bring them to his home in the evening and Gopal would interview them before making a final decision.

The two Patel young men arrived at the Desai penthouse that same evening. They’d been running errands for the Desai’s since childhood and were familiar with the penthouse but usually when they were told to go up there by their parents there was a clear understanding as to what needed to be done. This time they were ordered to go there without any clear instruction as to what would be required of them. They were quite apprehensive this time and wondered if they’d done something to anger Gopal and what punishment would be metered out to them.

To be continued.

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