So it's a Monday morning in the month of August. I have literally
dragged myself outta bed and convinced my sleepy eyes to remain open. I
run the cleansing errands half-asleep and get dressed in time so I don't
miss bus no. 83 to work. I reach work well in time. It's 9:15 am and the
office is as deserted and hauntingly quiet. I walk towards the coffee
vending machine, which is pleading to be serviced for having gone
through all kinds of atrocities by the dumb wit pantry boy. I get back
to my desk, take a sip of Cappuccino and before I could place the cup
back on my desk I hear the big boss calling out my name.

'Please have a seat Mr. Goyal. This is important.'
'Yes Sir'.
'The group chairman Mr.John Bradman from UK is visiting us in October.
He heads the entire operations of our Bank and is a very important
person.'
I nod in agreement, never having heard the VIP's name and clearly not
giving a tiny rats ass to his so-called status.
'We would like Mr. Bradman to meet the Managing Directors of our
existing clients and hence we need to prepare a brief profile on each of
these MDs and the company's they run.'
'Ok Sir.'
'Place everything else that you are currently working on aside and get
on with this. This should be your top priority.'
'Yes Sir.'

So the work commenced immediately on that seemingly boring Monday
morning in August. Through the course of that month, I realized that I
wasn't the only soul working on the much hyped Mr.Bradman's visit to
India. To my surprise, my immediate boss and his boss and his boss and
various others were making frantic calls to their clients and fixing
appointments and requesting the who's who of the Corporate World to dine
and wine with the Brit who was arriving soon. So much so that even on
Ganpati Visarjan day, when the rest of Bombay was either indoors or
dancing on the streets bidding goodbye to their favourite Idol, the
serious Bankers of my Org were scratching their heads and making those
final touches to the invites.

The D-Day finally arrived. 3rd October 2007. Last minute confirmations
were coming in and the bookings were being re-confirmed until.....

Mr. Bradman's secretary called in to inform that 'Sir' would not be able
to make it today. He is unwell and is down with a severe case of Food
Poisoning. However, he is flying down tomorrow and the event should take
place then.

It beats me how any one could be down with food poisoning for a day and
also assure of his wellness well in advance.

I don't blame him actually. It's the community. We Bankers as a lot are
very pretentious. We try to be so analytical about everything around us
that basic practicalities are overlooked. We go outta our way and do
things which are not required. We appear to be serious and read business
dailies not because we enjoy it but because every one around us is
reading them. The truth is, deep down, we hate all of it.

The effect of the Brits' sudden cancellation can have dire consequences
on the relationship with the clients who, after heaps of persuasion,
finally agreed to clink their glasses of champagne with the VIP of the
Banking Industry.

So why the pretence you may ask?
I guess I can answer that question after I spend a few more years in
this community which I have ended up becoming a part of. Hopefully, as
time passes by, I will learn the reason behind the pompousness of the
Bankers. And hopefully, I will continue being averse towards it.