Retain High Performers

Retain High Performers

by Robert Hosking

Signs of economic improvement are no doubt welcomed by companies everywhere, but some firms may have reason to be concerned about the recovery. During the downturn, many businesses depended heavily on their best workers to keep productivity high in the midst of decreased budgets and staff levels. As a result, employees who feel overworked, underpaid or underappreciated may depart as the job market improves.

Here are five tips to help managers retain their most valuable employees.

1. Managers can "interview" their best workers.

A good way to determine if a manager has satisfied the staff is to interview them about what's like working at the firm. They should be encouraged to respond candidly to questions such as:

a) If you could change something about your job or the company, what would it be?

b) What's your best day on the job like?

c) Are you interested in assuming new responsibilities?

d) What can I do to make your job better?

e) What are your career goals, and how can the firm support them?

Employees' answers may prompt managers to make changes, such as launching a formal professional development program, grooming promising individuals for higher-level roles or simply implementing a more casual dress code.

2. Provide development opportunities.

In an OfficeTeam survey, one-third of executives polled said limited opportunity for advancement is the leading reason good employees quit. Put simply, managers must show their workers there is room to grow at the firm. Training courses, mentoring programs or tuition reimbursement are cost-effective ways to convince staff members that the company wants to help them broaden their skill sets.

Managers should also consider rewarding deserving employees with promotions. If that's not possible at the moment, they can give employees the chance to take on new responsibilities and work them to develop a defined career path with the company.

3. Recognize excellence.

When OfficeTeam asked workers what they find most motivating, other than monetary rewards, the top response was frequent recognition of their accomplishments. Managers don't need to throw a parade every time an objective is met, but people do appreciate when management pays attention to their successes.

Regardless of how busy they are, managers should make a point to frequently offer sincere, specific thanks. Other simple but effective incentives include allowing employees to take a long lunch or leave early, offering public praise and providing a handwritten thank you note.

4. Communicate with the team.

The best remedy for boosting low morale is effective communication, according to executives surveyed by OfficeTeam. Managers should let employees know what they're doing to keep the company strong, stable and on track, particularly if the business was hit hard by the recession. They also need to get out of their offices and talk to staff to solicit their input about new developments or business challenges. In short, they must treat their employees like stakeholders and share information as freely and frequently as possible.

5. Emphasize balance.

Managers can help their workers achieve a healthy work-life balance by considering flexible schedules or telecommuting options. These changes are often not difficult or costly to implement, and employees will appreciate having the ability to better manage their personal and professional priorities. Small businesses, in particular, often can be creative with policies that address work-life balance issues.

In addition, managers should take a look at the demands placed on their teams. Is every project deemed high priority? In all likelihood, some assignments can take a back seat to more pressing matters. Do managers foresee heavier workloads on the horizon? They ought to consider bringing in interim professionals to help alleviate the burden on their teams.

Above all, managers need to keep in mind that they can't postpone retention efforts. Especially during times of change, they need experienced, loyal teams in place to remain competitive.

Love,

Smit

Market Mechanics

It was autumn, and the Red Indians asked their New Chief if the winter 
was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a Red Indian chief in a 
modern society, he couldn't tell what the weather was going to be.

Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he replied to his Tribe that the 
winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village 
should collect wood to be prepared. But also being a practical leader, 
after several days he got an idea.  He went to the phone booth, called 
the National Weather Service and asked 'Is the coming winter going to 
be cold?'

'It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold indeed,' the 
weather man responded.

So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even 
more  wood. A week later, he called the National Weather Service 
again. 'Is it going to be a very cold winter?' 
'Yes,' the man at National Weather Service again replied, 'It's 
definitely going to be a very cold winter.'

The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect 
every scrap of wood they could find.

Two weeks later, he called the National Weather Service again. 
'Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?' 
'Absolutely,' The man replied. 'It's going to be one of the coldest 
winters ever.'

'How can you be so sure?' the Chief asked. 
The weatherman replied, 'The Red Indians are collecting wood like crazy.'

This is how stock markets work!!!

Love,

Smit

The New Nawabs

When Ratan Tata moved the Supreme Court, claiming his right to privacy had been violated, he called Harish Salve. The choice was not surprising. The former solicitor general has been topping the legal charts ever since he scripted a surprising win for Mukesh Ambani against his brother Anil. That dispute set the gold standard for legal fees. On Mukesh's side were Salve, Rohinton Nariman and Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The younger brother had an equally formidable line-up led by Ram Jethmalani and Mukul Rohatgi. The lawyers' fees alone, at a conservative estimate, cost the Ambani brothers at least Rs 15 crore each in their famous war over natural gas. - India Today The dispute dated back three-and-a-half years to when Anil filed a case against his brother for reneging on an agreement to supply 28 million cubic metres of gas per day from its Krishna-Godavari basin fields at a rate of $2.34 for 17 years. The average legal fee was Rs 25 lakh for a full day's appearance, not to mention the overnight stays at Mumbai's five-star suites, business class travel, and on occasion, use of the private jet. Little wonder though that Salve agreed to take on Tata's case pro bono. He could afford philanthropy with one of India's wealthiest tycoons. Welcome to the world of new nawabs. The lawyers' fees alone, at a conservative estimate, must have cost the Ambanis at least Rs 15 crore each. Both the brothers had booked their legal teams in the same hotel, first the Oberoi and, after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the Trident. "Well, if you're going to write all this, then you can also add that Mukesh bought me a pair of pyjamas as well," laughs Salve, recalling how he was called to Mumbai suddenly from Orissa where he had gone for a day's hearing. "I told Mukesh I had packed nothing. He insisted on buying me the essentials." It's not the essentials as much as the frills that raise eyebrows. The veteran Jethmalani is surprisingly the most modest in his fees since he does not charge rates according to the strength of the client's purse. But as the crises have multiplied, lawyers' fees have exploded. ************************************************** Harish Salve, 54- Landmark case: Won the gas dispute for Mukesh Ambani, though what he enjoys most is being amicus curiae in the Forest Case of T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad vs Union of India and Others.- Legal Style: Is a master strategist. Gives a balanced argument rather than an aggressive, one-sided view.- Fee per appearance: Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. For a full day, it's Rs 25 lakh.- The indulgence: Drives a Bentley. ************************************************** Ram Jethmalani, 87- Landmark case: Got the Jain Hawala case against L. K. Advani squashed; is currently defending former Gujarat home minister Amit Shah.- Legal Style: Argues forcefully. Has an acerbic wit.- Fee per appearance: Rs 5 lakh.- The indulgence: Has an indoor badminton court built in his MP bungalow that is the envy of Lutyens' Delhi. ************************************************** Mukul Rohatgi, 55- Landmark case: Represented Anil Ambani in the gas dispute.- Legal Style: Is a slogger. Argues aggressively and goes straight to the point.- Fee per appearance: Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh and Rs 25 lakh for a full day.- The indulgence: Drives a black Bentley, has Souza on his walls, a holiday home in Goa. ************************************************** Majid Memon, 55- Landmark case: He represented Yakub Memon but could not set him free.- Legal Style: He argues in the court with his right leg on a chair.- Fee per day: Rs 10 lakh. Charges Rs 2 lakh for a bail application.- The indulgence: Likes to travel, makes frequent trips to exotic locations. ************************************************** Satish Maneshinde, 50- Landmark case: He secured bail for Sanjay Dutt in the Bombay blast case and for Salman Khan who allegedly killed one person while driving drunk.- Legal Style: Argues calmly in court and looks straight into the judge's eyes.- Fee per day: Rs 10 lakh.- The indulgence: His Mercedes and a passion for Page 3 parties. ************************************************** Aryama Sundaram, 53- Landmark case: Represented the West Bengal Government against Haldia Petrochemicals and UBS Securities against sebi.- Legal Style: Persuasive speaker, argues his case in a measured tone.- Fee per appearance: Rs 3.5 lakh ************************************************** Arvind Datar, 53- Landmark case: Was one of the lawyers in the Vodafone vs Income Tax case.- Legal Style: Says one lesson he learnt is to never antagonise a judge. It's not only your bread and butter but your client's life.- Fee per appearance: Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh.- The indulgence: His first car was a Toyota Corona in 1990. Now he drives an Audi. Has penned a three-volume commentary on Constitutional law. ************************************************** Abhishek Manu Singhvi, 51- Landmark case: Won the right to fly the tricolour for Navin Jindal.- Legal Style: From logical in court to rhetorical flourish in Parliament to snappy sound bites for the media on tv.- Fee per appearance: Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. For a full day, it's Rs 25 lakh.- The indulgence: A limited-edition Visconti pen with a custom-made nib and watches from every luxury brand. ************************************************** The 50 court hearings in the Haldia Petrochemicals vs the West Bengal Government cost the former a total of Rs 25 crore in lawyer fees and the 20 hearings in the Bombay Mill Case, which dragged on for three years, cost the mill owners almost Rs 10 crore. Large corporate firms, which engage star counsels on behalf of the client, also need to know their quirks. For instance, Salve will only accept the first brief. He will never be the second counsel in a case. Some lawyers prefer to be paid partly in cash but the best are content with cheques. Some expect the client not to blink while picking up a dinner tab of Rs 1.75 lakh at a Chennai five star. A lawyer is known to carry his home linen and curtains with him while travelling on work. A firm may even have to pick up a hot Vertu phone of the moment or a Jaeger-LeCoutre watch of the hour to keep a lawyer in good humour. Some are even paid to not appear at all for the other side - Aryama Sundaram was retained by Anil Ambani in the gas feud but he did not fight the case. Or take Raytheon when it was fighting the Jindals. Raytheon had paid seven top lawyers a retainer fee of Rs 2.5 lakh each just to ensure that the Jindals would not be able to make a proper case on a taxation issue. They miscalculated when a star lawyer fought the case at the last minute. "I don't take negative retainers," shrugs Rohatgi, former additional solicitor general. "A lawyer's job is to appear for any client that comes to him. It's not for the lawyers to judge if a client is good or bad but the court." Indeed. He is, after all, the lawyer who argued so famously in court that B. Ramalinga Raju did not fudge any account in the Satyam Case. All he did was "window dressing". Some high profile cases have continued for years, providing a steady source of income, from the Scindia succession battle which dates to 1989, to the JetLite Sahara battle now in taxation arbitration to the BCCI which is currently in litigation with Lalit Modi, Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab. Think of the large law firms as the big Hollywood studios and the senior counsel as the superstar. There are a few familiar faces to be found in most of the big ticket cases, whether it is the Ambani gas case, Vodafone taxation or Bombay Mills case. Explains Salve, "There is a reason why we have more than one senior advocate on a case. When you're arguing, he's reading the court. He picks up a point or a vibe that you may have missed." Says Raian Karanjawala whose firm has prepared the briefs for cases ranging from the Tata's recent right to privacy case to Karisma Kapoor's divorce, "The four jewels in the crown today are Salve, Rohatgi, Rohinton Nariman and Singhvi. They have replaced the old guard of Fali Nariman, Soli Sorabjee, Ashok Desai and K.K. Venugopal." He adds, "The one person who defies the generational gap is Jethmalani who was India's leading criminal lawyer in the 1960s and is so today." The demand for superstar lawyers has far outstripped the supply. So a one-man show by, say, Rohatgi can run up billings of Rs 40 crore, the same as a mid-sized corporate law firm like Titus and Co that employs 28 juniors. The big law firms such as AZB or Amarchand & Mangaldas or Luthra & Luthra have to do all the groundwork for the counsel, from humouring the clerk to ensure the A-lister turns up on the hearing day to sourcing appropriate foreign judgments in emerging areas such as environmental and patent laws. "We are partners in this. There are so few lawyers and so many matters," points out Diljeet Titus. As the trust between individuals has broken down, governments have questioned corporates and corporates are questioning each other, and an array of new issues has come up. And as the government has weakened, the courts have become stronger. The lawyer, says Sundaram, with the flourish that has seen him pick up many Dhurandhares and Senakas at pricey art auctions, has emerged as the modern day purohit. Each purohit is head priest of a particular style. Says Karanjawala, "Harish is the closest example in today's bar to Fali Nariman; Rohinton has the best law library in his brain; Mukul is easily India's busiest lawyer while Manu Singhvi is the greatest multi-tasker." Salve has managed a fine balancing act where he has represented Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati, Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder Singh, Lalit Modi and Subhash Chandra and even the Ambani brothers, of course in different cases. Singhvi is Sonia Gandhi's go-to-guy on most legal issues, whether it is citizenship or filing a case against a publication. Jethmalani is the man to call for anyone in trouble. In judicial circles he is known as the first resort for the last resort. Even Jethmalani's junior Satish Maneshinde, who came to Mumbai in 1993 as a penniless law graduate from Karnataka, shot to fame (and wealth) after he got bail for Sanjay Dutt in 1996. Now he owns a plush office in Worli and has become a one-stop shop for celebrities in trouble, from getting bail for Rakhi Sawant when a youth committed suicide after she called him namard (impotent) to representing Salman Khan in a drunken driving case. With wealth come perks. In 1992, Karanjawala and Desai were chatting in the Supreme Court car park when former law minister Ashoke Sen zipped by in his Fiat. "What Ashoke, small car?" asked Desai to which Sen replied, "In Bangla we have a saying: known Brahmins need not wear the sacred thread." Now the car park is filled with Bentleys, Mercedes and at the very least, an upmarket Toyota. The symbols of success include a holiday home in Goa, Souzas on the office walls, shopping expeditions to Bond Street (where they can expect to bump into other lawyers). As Salve says, "Only Brioni and Canali make boring suits for lawyers, the blacks and dark greys." Also the pens, the watches, and in Arun Jaitley and Rohatgi's case, the jamewars. Then there is the public profile, amplified by talking head status on tv channels every other night. Most of the prized lawyers such as Salve, Jethmalani, Sundaram and Rohatgi do some pro bono work as well, if the cause is right. But in all this, the pil bar has come crashing down, upheld only by men such as Rajeev Dhavan and Prashant Bhushan. "I subsidise my pil work by taking on commercial cases, which I needed when I had to send my daughters to study in the US," says Dhavan. In many cases, it's the take-off point for a job in the government like Indira Jaising's work with Mumbai's homeless pavement dwellers which has got her the additional solicitor general's job. As Dhavan notes, the dense gravity of private marketing lawyering has created black holes in activist lawyering. Says an angry Sorabjee, "To charge Rs 30 to 40 lakh per day is nothing short of extortion. It is no excuse to say that the client can afford it. Lawyers are professionals, not tradesmen in a market place. I get mad if a client says fees are no question. You think you can buy me? You can charge heavy fees but not extortionist fees." The octogenarian constitutional expert charges Rs 2 lakh per appearance as opposed to the going rate of Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh charged by younger lawyers. Sometimes, if the court breaks for lunch at 1 p.m. and the matter has come up for hearing at 12.45, the lawyer even bills the client for two separate appearances. In Mumbai, for instance, veteran criminal lawyer Majid Memon charges Rs 2 lakh simply for securing bail in a sessions court. There are those who recall him coming to the tada court in 1996 on an old scooter. He now drives a Mercedes. In Chennai, Arvind Datar charges anything between Rs 50,000 and Rs 5 lakh per appearance. As for the chartered flights, they all claim that this is a necessity rather than a privilege. "The advocates come to us with that offer (of chartered flights). It's not flaunting of power but the idea is to return the same day from a badly connected destination, says Singhvi, putting on his most earnest expression. Rohatgi complains of being claustrophobic on small planes. "During peak hours, chartered flights don't get preference over commercial," he adds with the jaded fatigue of a seasonal traveller. There is a reason for this exorbitant fee structure. In recent years, the stakes in corporate litigation have hit the roof, as in the Rs 12,000-crore Vodafone vs the Income Tax department case. Moreover, the legal fraternity argues that when clients don't mind paying investment bankers fees worth millions of dollars, then why are only lawyers coming up for censure? The fate of several crucial corporate battles hangs on the slender thread of which matter is listed before which court and which lawyer would work there. "Why should we earn less than the CEO of a big corporation?" asks Sundaram. Except that this CEO often goes on to become a minister in the government-law as a profession offers immense mobility-and deal with the same organisations he once represented. Most corporate bosses also have their legal favourites. For instance, Nusli Wadia's favourite lawyer is Fali Nariman who hates "skullduggery"; ITC's was Desai but he has since been replaced by Salve; the late Madhav Rao Scindia's family favours Singhvi. Of course, the Ambani brothers too have their chosen legal soldiers: while Anil's first choice is usually Rohatgi, his brother opts for Salve. As does Ratan Tata. The Birlas go with Sen. Many have created mini-dynasties, whether it is Singhvi, Salve or Rohinton Nariman. "Sometimes, it's the thrill of the forensic complexity that counts, not winning or losing," says Singhvi. He recalls how during the Ambani gas case, a friend called and asked him, "The stocks are fluctuating wildly. You're the oracle: which way will it go?" Singhvi laughed and said he had no idea. Salve agrees. "Mukesh called me that morning and said we have done our best. The rest is up to God," he recalls.  However, Rohatgi who appeared for Anil says, "I had a premonition we would lose. But Anil thought otherwise." Salve adds, "After the judgment, Mukesh was too choked to speak. Nita said they had one more request. I should handle the media. She said, Harish bhai bahut negativity ho gaya. There should be no loose comments." Clearly a lawyer's brief is not just limited to courtrooms. Ironically, it was during the Battle of the Brothers last year that Salve told the Supreme Court how Mukesh Ambani had told him about the millions of dollars demanded by laptop consultants just to create holding companies, resulting companies and other such complexities. Quick to retort, Rohatgi had quipped, "Is this how Salve justifies his high fees?" Grinning, a sheepish Salve said, "I plead guilty on my behalf and on behalf of my colleagues." But it was Justice R.V. Raveendran who had the last word, "The only difference between Salve and the consultants is the laptop." And perhaps the Bentley, the BMW and the Mercedes. Love, Smit

Making a Baby

Making a baby. This is hilarious!

There is not one dirty word in it, and yet it is funny!--

The Patel’s in the US, Hari and Sarla, aka Harry and Sally, were unable to conceive children and decided to use a surrogate father to start their family. 

On the day the proxy father was to arrive,Harrybhai kissed Sallyben goodbye and said, 'Well, I'm off now. The man should be here soon.' 

Half an hour later, just by chance, a door-to-door baby photographer happened to ring the doorbell, hoping to make a sale. 

'Good morning, Ma'am', he said, 'I've come to...' 

'Oh, no need to explain,' Sally cut in, embarrassed, 'I've been expecting you.' 

'Have you really?' said the photographer. 'Well, that's good. Did you know babies are my specialty?' 

'Well that's what Harry and I had hoped Please come in and have a seat !.After a moment she asked, blushing, 'Well, where do we start?'

Leave everything to me. I usually try two in the bathtub, one on the couch, and perhaps a couple on the bed. And sometimes the living room floor is fun. You can really spread out there.'

'Bathtub, living room floor? No wonder it didn't work out for Harry and me!' 

'Well, Ma'am, none of us can guarantee a good one every time. But if we try several different positions and I shoot from six or seven angles, I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results.' 

'My, that's a lot!', gasped Mrs. Patel.

'Ma'am, in my line of work a man has to take his time. I'd love to be in and out in five minutes, but I'm sure you'd be disappointed with that.' 

'Don't I know,' said Mrs.Patel quietly.

The photographer opened his briefcase and pulled out a portfolio of his baby pictures. 'This was done on the top of a bus,' he said. 

'Oh, my God!' Mrs.Patel exclaimed, grasping at her throat.
'And these twins turned out exceptionally well - when you consider their mother was so difficult to work with.'

'She was difficult?' asked Mrs. Patel.

'Yes, I'm afraid so. I finally had to take her to the park to get the job done right. People were crowding around to get a good look'.

'A good look?' said Mrs. Patel, her eyes wide with amazement.

'Yes', the photographer replied. 'And for more than three hours, too. The mother was constantly squealing and yelling - I could hardly concentrate, and when darkness approached, I had to rush my shots. Finally, when the squirrels began nibbling on my equipment, I just had to pack it all in.' 

Mrs.Patel leaned forward. 'Do you mean they actually chewed on your, uh...equipment?'

'It's true, Ma'am, yes.. Well, if you're ready, I'll set-up my tripod and we can get to work right away.'

'Tripod ?'

'Oh yes, Ma'am. I need to use a tripod to rest my Canon on. It's much too big to be held in the hand very long.'

Mrs.Patel fainted!

Love,

Smit

Business is Business

One day in a school in London , a teacher said to a class of 5-year-olds, "I'll give 10 pounds to the child who can tell me who was the most famous man who ever lived."

An Irish boy put his hand up and said, "It was St.Patrick." The teacher said, "Sorry Paddy, that's not correct."

Then a Scottish boy put his hand up and said, "It was St. Andrew." The teacher replied, "I'm sorry, Hamish,that's not right either."

Then a Jewish boy put his hand up and said "David", the Buddhist boy said "Gautama Buddha" and the Muslim boy said "Mohammed". They all were not successful.

Finally, a Gujju boy raised his hand and said, "It was Jesus Christ." The teacher said,"That's absolutely right, Jignesh, come up here and I'll give you the 10 pounds that I promised."

As the teacher was giving Jignesh his money, she said,"You know Jignesh, since you're a Patel, I was very surprised you said Jesus Christ."

Jignesh replied, "Yes. In my heart I knew it was Krishna , but Business is Business!"
enjoy.......


Love,
Smit

બદલાવ – રમેશ ઠક્કર

ગીતામંદિર, અમદાવાદના એસ.ટી. સ્ટેન્ડ ઉપરથી સાંજના સાડા છ વાગ્યે અમારી લકઝરી બસ રવાના થઈ. માર્ચ માસની એ સાંજ ગમગીન હતી. 26 જાન્યુઆરી, 2001ના વિનાશક ભૂકંપ પછીના દિવસો હતા. વાતાવરણ બોઝિલ હતું. ચોતરફ દહેશત હતી. સ્થિતિ માંડ થાળે પડતી લાગે ત્યાં જ પાછા આફટર શોકના સમાચારથી ફફડાટ વ્યાપી જતો હતો. સમગ્ર ગુજરાતમાં એક પ્રકારની ઉદાસી હતી. આ ઉદાસીના ધુમ્મસમાં રાજ્ય સરકારના જવાબદાર અધિકારી તરીકે મારે અંજાર મુકામે રાહત કામગીરીમાં જવાનું હતું. અમદાવાદ-ગાંધીનગર જેવા શહેરમાં વસતા મારા જેવા સરકારી અધિકારીને ના ગમે તેવી આ સફર હતી. એસ.ટી. નિગમની સેમી લકઝરી હવે અમદાવાદ શહેરની બહાર નીકળી ખુલ્લા હાઈ-વે ઉપર દોડી રહી હતી. મારા મનમાં અકથ્ય એવો અજંપો છવાઈ ગયો હતો.

કેવા હતા એ દિવસો ? જાન્યુઆરીના અંતથી શરૂ થયેલ બચાવની કામગીરી : અમદાવાદ ઍરપોર્ટ ઉપરથી રોજેરોજ ઊતરતી રાહતસામગ્રીને મેળવવી, હિસાબ રાખવા અને અસરગ્રસ્ત જિલ્લાઓમાં તેની રવાનગી કરવી. રાતદિવસ વહીવટીતંત્ર ચાલતું હતું.
‘કચ્છ ધણધણી ઊઠ્યું હતું.’
‘ગુજરાત અનેક વર્ષો પાછળ પડી જશે.’
‘વિનાશની હજુ તો આ શરૂઆત છે….’
આવા નિરાશાજનક ઉદ્દગારો થકી ચોતરફ વાતાવરણ વધારે ગમગીન થઈ રહ્યું હતું. ગુજરાતની ખમીરવંતી પ્રજા આ બધાની સામે કઈ રીતે ટકી શકશે ? હવામાં પ્રશ્ન ઘુમરાતો હતો. બસ પૂરપાટ દોડી રહી હતી. અલ્લડ હવાની લહેરખીઓ મારા ઉદાસ ચહેરાને ચૂમી રહી હતી. તેના મુલાયમ સ્પર્શના સથવારે હું નિદ્રાદેવીના શરણે જઈ રહ્યો હતો…

બહાર શોરબકોર હતો. વાતાવરણ કોલાહલમય હતું. માણસોની ચહલપહલ, ફેરિયાઓના અવાજો, લાઈટોનો પ્રકાશ ફેલાઈ રહ્યા હતા. વાતાવરણમાં ઉલ્લાસ વર્તાઈ રહ્યો હતો. બસ ઊભી રહી ગઈ હતી. નજીકના ગલ્લા ઉપરથી સુંદર ફિલ્મી ગીત હવામાં રેલાઈ રહ્યું હતું :
‘આજ મૈં જવાન હો ગઈ હું
ગુલ સે ગુલિસ્તાન હો ગઈ હું.
યે દિન, યે સાલ મહિના…
ઓ મિટ્ટુ મિયાં…. ભૂલેગા મુઝકો કભી ના….’
મારી આંખ અચાનક ઊઘડી ગઈ હતી. ‘કયું ગામ આવ્યું ભાઈ…. ?’ બારીની બહાર તાકતાં ખુલ્લામાં ઊભેલા માણસને પૂછ્યું.
‘સામખિયારી. રાતના બે વાગ્યા છે.’ તેના ઉચ્ચારમાં કચ્છી લહેકો હતો.
‘ચા મળશે ?’ મારાથી સહસા પ્રતિપ્રશ્ન થયો.
‘હા…હા કેમ નહીં ? આવો ને આપણે સાથે પીએ. હું પણ તમારી બસનો પેસેન્જર છું.’

મને તેની આત્મીયતા સ્પર્શી ગઈ. અમે બંને વાતે વળગ્યા.
‘શું કરો છો ?’
‘ભૂજમાં ધંધો છે – ટ્રાન્સપોર્ટનો…’
‘ભૂકંપથી કોઈ નુકશાન….?’
‘ના રે ના. હતું થોડું ઘણું, બાકી ભગવાનની દયા છે…’ તેના અવાજમાં ગજબની ખુમારી હતી. ચાની સાથે નાસ્તો પણ આવ્યો. મજા આવી ગઈ. પૈસા આપવા મેં આગ્રહ કર્યો.
‘રહેવા દો સાહેબ… તમે અમારા મહેમાન ગણાઓ…. મહેમાન એટલે ભગવાન. આવી સેવા કરવાનો મોકો ફરી ક્યારે મળશે ?’ તેણે હસતાં હસતાં બિલ ચૂકવી દીધું. બસ સ્ટાર્ટ થઈ. મને થોડુંક ગમતું હોય તેવું લાગ્યું.

‘એક્સક્યુઝ મી….’ એક સુંદર લાગતી યુવતી મને કહી રહી હતી અને મારી સંમતિની રાહ જોયા વગર જ મારી બાજુની ખાલી સીટમાં બેસી ગઈ. તેણે મોહક સ્માઈલ આપ્યું. અડધી રાત્રે – આ રીતે એક સુંદર યુવાન સ્ત્રી એકલી મુસાફરી કરે તે મારે મન નવાઈની વાત હતી. હું ઘડીભર વિચારતો હતો.
‘અંજારમાં અમારું રિલીફવર્ક ચાલે છે. અમે એન.જી.ઓ. તરીકે કામ કરીએ છીએ. રાજકોટથી આવતાં હતાં અને રસ્તામાં વાહન બગડ્યું… બસ મળી ગઈ, તમારી બાજુમાં સીટ મળી ગઈ….’
તે ખડખડાટ હસી પડી.
‘ડર નથી લાગતો ?’
‘શાનો વળી ?’ તે બોલી.
‘ભૂકંપગ્રસ્ત વિસ્તાર, બેહાલ લોકો….’
‘ના રે ના. એમાં ડરવાનું શું ? આખો દિવસ અનેક લોકો સાથે કામ કરવાનું થાય, નવા અનુભવો, કામની સાર્થકતા…. સાચું કહું ? મારા જીવનના આ સુંદર દિવસો જઈ રહ્યા હોય તેવું અનુભવું છું….’ તેણે પૂરું કર્યું.
મારી સામે જોઈ રહેતાં તે બોલી, ‘તમે ?’
‘સરકારી અધિકારી છું. રાહત કામગીરી માટે આવ્યો છું….’
‘ઓહો. એમ કહો ને મોટાસાહેબ છો, તમારે વળી શું ચિંતા….’ તેણે મારો આત્મવિશ્વાસ વધારતાં કહ્યું. મનોમન હું મારી જાતને ધિક્કારી રહ્યો હતો. ક્યાં અજાણ્યા પ્રદેશમાં એકલા હાથે આનંદથી ઝઝૂમતી આ તરુણી ? અને ક્યાં અજંપાગ્રસ્ત ચહેરે સફર કરતો હું !

વહેલી સવારે અંજાર દેખાયું. ઉતારાનું સ્થળ દૂરની એક શૈક્ષણિક સંસ્થા હતી. સાડા દસ સુધીમાં તૈયાર થઈ ઑફિસમાં પહોંચ્યો. તમામ સ્ટાફમિત્રો મળવા આવ્યા.
‘વેલ કમ સર ! હવે બધું બરાબર છે. રાહત સામગ્રીનું વિતરણ ચાલુ છે. સહાયના કેસો તૈયાર છે. કોઈ મુશ્કેલી નથી….’ બધાની ઓળખાણ થઈ. હું પણ કામમાં પરોવાયો. મોડી સાંજે બહાર નીકળ્યો. કચેરી ધમધોકાર ચાલતી હતી. રાત્રે જમ્યા બાદ પાછો કચેરીમાં આવ્યો. હજુ પણ લોકો કામ કરતા હતા. મારા દિવસો આ રીતે પસાર થવા માંડ્યા. દૂર ખૂણામાં એક કર્મચારી ટેબલમાં માથું નાખી સતત કામ કરતો હતો. હું આવ્યો તે દિવસથી મેં તેને આ રીતે જ જોયો હતો.
‘કોણ છે એ ભાઈ ?’ મારાથી પુછાઈ ગયું.
‘પંડ્યાભાઈ છે. ભૂકંપમાં એમનું ઘર પત્ની અને બાળકો સમેત ધરાશયી થઈ ગયું. તેમના બે સગા ભાઈઓ ભૂકંપ વખતે અંજારના બજારમાં ગયા હતા. લાશ પણ મળી શકી નહીં… આ માણસે કામમાં દિલ પરોવી દીધું છે. એક પણ રજા લીધી નથી. આવા તો અનેક માણસો તમને જોવા મળશે….’ હું એ કર્મચારીની સ્થિતપ્રજ્ઞતાને જોઈ રહ્યો. મારે જાણે હજુ ઘણું શીખવાનું હતું !

‘અબ્દુલ તું ક્યાં રહે છે ?’ મારી સરકારી ગાડીના સ્થાનિક ડ્રાઈવરને મેં પૂછ્યું.
‘સાહેબ, જેસલતોરલની સમાધિની બાજુમાં અમારા ઝૂંપડાં છે.’
‘તને કોઈ લાભ મળ્યો કે નહીં ?’
‘નથી લીધો સાહેબ.’
મને નવાઈ લાગી, ‘એટલે ?’ મેં પૂછી નાખ્યું.
‘સાહેબ…. અમારે ઝૂંપડાવાળાને શું નુકશાન હોય ? ખુદાની મહેરબાનીથી અમે બચી ગયા એ મોટી વાત છે. જેને તકલીફ પડી હોય તે મદદ લે… અમારાથી ના લેવાય….’
‘તારા મા-બાપ શું કરે છે ?’
‘મજૂરી કામ… દહાડીએ જાય…. ખાધેપીધે સુખી છીએ, સાહેબ….’ તેણે ગાડીને બ્રેક મારી, ‘સાહેબ, સોડા પીવી છે ? મને યાદ કરશો…..’

હું તેનો જીવનરસ જોઈ રહ્યો હતો. ઝૂંપડીમાં રહેતા આ માણસમાં આટલી અમીરાત ક્યાંથી આવી હશે ? મને જાણે એક પછી એક પ્રસંગો ઘડી રહ્યા હતા. મને એવું દઢપણે લાગી રહ્યું હતું કે મારે દિલ દઈને મને મળેલા કામમાં ખૂંપી જવું જોઈએ. મારા અંતરમાં કોઈ અજબ પ્રકારની સરવાણીઓ ફૂટી રહી હતી. મારામાં ગજબનો બદલાવ આવી ગયો હતો 

Love,
Smit

Business Man (True Story)

A business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out.

Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.

Suddenly, an old man appeared before him. "I can see that something is troubling you," he said. After listening to the executive's woes, the old man said, "I believe I can help you."

He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying, "Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time."

Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000, signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world!

"I can erase my money worries in an instant!" he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the uncashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought.

With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.

Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.

"I'm so glad I caught him!" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been bothering you. He's always escaping from the rest home and telling people he's John D. Rockefeller."

And she led the old man away by the arm.

The astonished executive just stood there, stunned.
All year long he'd been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him.

Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.

Love,
Smit