Discontentment

I feel unhappy when I look at Niranjan. His disappointment at not getting a promotion is getting reflected on his face. All his actions radiate the fact that he is unhappy. I feel sorry that I could not get him promoted.

Niranjan and I worked together under a Senior Manager, while we were in an equal cadre. While we respect the organization we work in, we also give due respect to the higher officials. However, that one day, it was not the case with Niranjan. He was so confident of getting his promotion that he disregarded our Boss. While I got promoted, he did not, and one of the two other officials aspiring for promotion got promoted that year. On the day of the results, Niranjan was quite upset and created a lot of unrest in the office blaming the staff and the Boss for his failure. As against his attitude, I had been very calm when I did not get my promotion the previous year. 

During the time I was in the office awaiting my transfer orders, Niranjan avoided speaking to me and did not even attend my promotion party. I thought it best to ignore his actions. Five years later, I got another promotion and got posted as a team leader. Incidentally, Niranjan came to the same place on transfer, he was still in the same cadre. He had not changed a bit over the years, and his attitude was still in the way of his promotion. 

I greeted him happily when I saw him, but he chose to ignore me and acted as if he was just introduced to me. I didn't pay heed to it and continued my work as usual. It was promotion season again, and I wished that Niranjan would get his promotion at least this time. I thought I should do something to ensure his promotion. With that in mind, I called him and talked to him about how he should prepare and what aspects he should highlight during the interview. However, he chose not to care for my words.

This time, three officials from my office were on the list for promotion, including Niranjan. One of them is quite young and works very diligently. He is a willing learner and does not hesitate to admit when he is unaware of some things and is a quick learner. I, being in an influential position, was in a dilemma, whether to promote the younger one with a bright future, or recommend Niranjan who was competing for many years.

After much pondering, I conveyed my thoughts to the interviewer at the head office. He told me that he would interview them and then decide who was more worthy of the post. Interviews concluded, and the younger official got promoted. I wanted to know why Niranjan was rejected and enquired with my senior who was also the interviewer. I learned that Niranjan's behavior was bad during the interview. I was very much annoyed with Niranjan for not keeping his cool even at the interview. I decided that Niranjan was a good example of a person who lost all opportunities because of his bad behavior though he was excellent at his work. Thinking of all this made me sad. 

The saying "Karmanye Vaadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadhachana.", which states that you perform your duty but do not have any expectation of the fruits, came to my mind. If only Niranjan had followed it, he would be a happy man today.