A True Friend

I was working as an Opinion Fiber & Radio Engineer at an International Airport, on Behalf of a private organization. One more Engineer was working with me on my team & his name was Akhilesh Kumar Jha. Both of us were freshers & we were very happy that we were working with the most crucial site of the Government of India, the International Airport. Working at Airport was sometimes extremely tiring. As optical fibre engineers, sometimes we worked underground also in case of physical fault & that also for 2-3 hours. It was a 24x7 work profile & we were majorly on night shifts. 

Sometimes in order to accomplish the responsibility, I was not able to take dinner as well. At that time I was an unmarried man & did not know how to cook food. While at the airport, I used to eat at the airport canteen & at my home, I used to eat at a nearby hotel. Once it happened that due to extensive work pressure, I was not able to have dinner consecutively for 3 days. I & Akhilesh were very busy rectifying the Technical Faults of most of the airline offices at that airport.

After 3 days, Akhilesh realised that I am not able to work efficiently. Whenever we went for rectifying an optical fibre cable or some other technical fault at the airport, I was getting tired very early. During night hours I used to feel sleepy out of weakness while working at the site. Akhilesh was a keen observer. He understood what is the problem. He came to me & said," Piyush, do you see that big box over there? There are 100 walkie-talkies in it. Can you please give that box to me? I have to do some configuration. As you can see I am already dealing with the technical faults of this device in my hand." I said, "No problem man, I will just give it to you."

Something strange happened. As I tried to lift the box, I was not able to lift it. I tried thrice but it was immovable. I laughed & said, "I think this is a bigger box with more amount of walkie-talkies in it." Akhilesh came near me & very seriously he said," It is the same box with the same amount of walkie-talkies in it. But the problem is you are not having the power to lift it. And you know why?; because you have not taken your dinner for the last 3 days. You are not taking care of your health & you are becoming weak day by day. Most of the time I have seen you skipping dinner. 

Piyush we are Engineers at this Airport & technical faults keeps coming frequently. If you are not able to work effectively, the organization will fire you. They are not going to listen to this excuse that since you don't have time to eat, that's why you are physically weak & you get tired fast due to which organization's tasks are not getting completed properly.

In a job environment, everyone around is waiting for you to do one mistake, & they will take over your position & power. Everyone around you is closely observing your daily behaviour & activities. Everything is important Piyush; not only your perfect technical knowledge but your perfect physical strength also.

Office politics is the dirtiest thing ever. Even if you are not focusing on others, others are constantly focusing on all your organization-related activities. Not because they actually care for you, but because they are waiting for one mistake from your side & you will be out of the organization. And you know what will happen after that? After that, they will bring one of their family members or relatives to take your position. It is because unemployment is a major problem in our country.

And you know why they will do it? Referral Hiring. If they provide some employees to the organization, they will get benefits in return, even if they provide that employee by removing genuine employees through office politics.

Piyush, I sincerely believe that health is actually wealth. Just think about what I just said."

Saying these words, Akhilesh left the place for some other important official task. For a few seconds, I was thinking about Akhilesh only. Within a few months on that site, our relationship had grown to such a level that my friend is bothering me so much about me. When I was about to join Wipro, people used to tell me that the corporate sector is all about competitors. Your coworkers will walk over you to achieve success. But Akhilesh was not like that. 

And the greatest lesson which I learnt from him, that he often used to tell me was, "depend on talent, not on the company". He sometimes used to say, "Piyush if you are perfect in your task, lay-off, contract expiring or any other mode of getting out of a job, is not going to bother you. You will find your appropriate place anywhere in the world."

Truly, Akhilesh Kumar Jha was a great friend. As it was a contractual job, I got to work with him for 2 years only, but the crucial philosophies of life that he used to tell me, will always remain with me throughout my life.