Present…
Abhimanyu waited outside Akshara’s office for the end-of- the-week checkpoint as she was still in a meeting.
It was a novel feeling for him to wait for someone else, something he had very rarely done in his entire career. He was becoming impatient by the minute, and it was already five minutes past the hour.
He stood up like he wanted to walk away but stopped himself and started pacing outside her office. He looked in her direction through the glass door, and she looked at him at the same time.
The way she smiled at him put him at ease. The genuine guilt in her eyes for making him wait was obvious as she held her finger up, indicating she would need another minute.
Abhimanyu sat down, not feeling as impatient as he had earlier and thought of what to tell her, so he could wipe out the concerns she had expressed to her boss about him. He had heard those concerns directly from Mr. Pranav.
He made a mental note to make sure he gave Akshara the responses she was hoping to hear, the ones a real technician would say. He had been working with one of his technicians in Singapore in preparation for this meeting.
“Abhimanyu, I’m so sorry I was delayed,” her voice interrupted his thoughts.
He looked at her and chuckled. “That’s okay. I have no big plans for my Friday evening.”
She laughed. “That makes two of us.”
Abhimanyu smiled. “So, why do I need to meet with you so much? Potentially every day? I wasn’t told I would have so many meetings when I signed up for the employee exchange program.”
She straightened her back and placed her elbows on the table. “It’s not our standard process, but I suggested we meet because I want to make sure you are a good fit for our team. The system we rely on has never been wrong, so I cannot ignore the initial results.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why does it matter? Wasn’t that an issue with the system? Plus, I am here for a short period and only observing.”
She shook her head. “It’s very important for us, and as an HR representative, that’s my job. I need to make sure you have a good experience while you are here, and it’s critical that you are a good fit.”
“What does ‘fit’ mean to you?” he asked, annoyed that she reported him.
She smiled when he expected her to be irritated with his question. “Someone who adds value to the existing team and doesn’t add friction.”
“What makes you think I would add friction?”
“I didn’t say you would add friction, I wanted to make sure you add value.” She kept her tone steady.
He leaned forward. “So, did I add value this week?”
She looked at him for a long moment. “No, but it’s also too soon to say. I know you will, and we need to continue meeting to make sure the program is working for you and our employees.”
“What if I don’t add value?” He felt the strange need to challenge her.
She pressed her lips together. “If you don’t, then it means the program is not right for you. We will then work with you to find the right program.”
“What if I refuse to leave?” Abhimanyu leaned back in his chair starting to enjoy the conversation.
“Mr. Birla, we are here to work with you.”
“What if I don’t show up to these meetings every day?” He shrugged.
“How important is this program to you?” A slight smile played in her face while the look in her eyes challenged .
