The following transpired in one of my meetings today.
X: I was hoping to meet someone senior..
Me (smiling): That would be me.
X: I mean someone who can take a decision..
Me (still smiling): Again, that would be me.
X: Well, is there no one older and more mature that I can meet?
Me (pretending to smile): I assure you that the Board of Directors considers me to be mature and senior enough to meet with you and has given me the authority to make the necessary decisions.
X: Oh okay.. it's just that I am not comfortable talking business with ladies.. I would like to meet your Director.
Me (stopped pretending to smile): 2 of the 4 directors are "ladies". And, the other 2 are currently out of the country.
X: That's okay. I will wait.
Me: But you regularly do business with "ladies". In your proposal, you had mentioned that your company's corporate account is with ICICI Bank.
X stares at me - blank.
Me (trying to keep the sarcasm to the minimum): I hope you know that the ICICI Bank is run by Chanda Kochhar... who is a lady..you know...
X (after thinking for a few seconds and what seemed like quite an exertion for him): But our ICICI RM is not a lady..
Me (giving up all pretenses and standing up to leave): Never mind. The deal is off. You and I, anyway, can't do business together.
X: Why??
Me (suddenly remembering this line from some random movie): Because I can't think as slow as you do even if I tried.
X: That's unacceptable. Who are you to do this?
Me (back to smiling naturally): You seem to have forgotten. As I said before, I am someone who the Board of Directors considers to be mature and senior enough to meet with you and who has been given the authority to make the NECESSARY decisions. Uncle, badam khaiyiyee. Memory badhegi. (Uncle, eat almonds to improve your memory.)
X: I was hoping to meet someone senior..
Me (smiling): That would be me.
X: I mean someone who can take a decision..
Me (still smiling): Again, that would be me.
X: Well, is there no one older and more mature that I can meet?
Me (pretending to smile): I assure you that the Board of Directors considers me to be mature and senior enough to meet with you and has given me the authority to make the necessary decisions.
X: Oh okay.. it's just that I am not comfortable talking business with ladies.. I would like to meet your Director.
Me (stopped pretending to smile): 2 of the 4 directors are "ladies". And, the other 2 are currently out of the country.
X: That's okay. I will wait.
Me: But you regularly do business with "ladies". In your proposal, you had mentioned that your company's corporate account is with ICICI Bank.
X stares at me - blank.
Me (trying to keep the sarcasm to the minimum): I hope you know that the ICICI Bank is run by Chanda Kochhar... who is a lady..you know...
X (after thinking for a few seconds and what seemed like quite an exertion for him): But our ICICI RM is not a lady..
Me (giving up all pretenses and standing up to leave): Never mind. The deal is off. You and I, anyway, can't do business together.
X: Why??
Me (suddenly remembering this line from some random movie): Because I can't think as slow as you do even if I tried.
X: That's unacceptable. Who are you to do this?
Me (back to smiling naturally): You seem to have forgotten. As I said before, I am someone who the Board of Directors considers to be mature and senior enough to meet with you and who has been given the authority to make the NECESSARY decisions. Uncle, badam khaiyiyee. Memory badhegi. (Uncle, eat almonds to improve your memory.)
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