The PPT was scheduled to start around 8 pm. At around 7:50 pm the students started trickling in and by around 8:10 pm there were sufficient number of students. But then there was no sign of the company officials. The DPN (let's call him Raj) handling the company was already getting nervous.
He tried calling up on the phone of the HR. No use. No one was picking up the phone. The audience, comprising of the "disciplined" students of IIT Bombay, were trying to communicate to him how much they are loving this. Some gave him the finger. Some showed a slow motion action of how his nose was going to be punched. Some even threatened him that they will celebrate his "birthday" that day.
8:20 pm. Yet no sign. Our DPN saab sweating. Now and then he looked at the audience. They were growing restless. He started realizing that something must be done before things go out of hand. He called the other DPNs for a quick meeting.
"Kya kare yaaro", Raj asked. Raj looked at me. I looked at Rakesh. Rakesh looked at Jainendra. Jainendra looked at Raj.
"Aree kuch tho karooo, nehi tho maar khayega aaj. Aur kal muche guide ke saath meeting bhi hei. Aaj hospital mei admit hua tho kal guide ka maar bhi khaana padega", Raj started lamenting.
Just then Raj pointed at the door of the hall and started shouting, "Catch him catch him".
We all turned around. A student was leaving the room. All of us gasped at the same time
"Oh No".
We ran towards him,as if our life depended on it, and caught him in the nick of time.
"Plz don't go, plz don't go. The company guys will come any minute. Please go back and be seated", Raj pleaded.
"But I have to go, it's urgent, I..."
Even before he could complete what he was saying, Raj let loose his desperation
"Plz plzz if you want, I will buy you tea and medu-vada after the session is over, but please go back and be seated"
"But I can't hold on any longer".
"Plzz you have to. The HR will arrive any moment now".
"That's exactly why I have to go to the restroom now. I can't hold any longer".
"Ohh". For a moment Raj didn't know what to say.
"First turn to the right", Raj replied giving him a sheepish smile.
8:40 pm. Yet no HR. Raj called us again.
"I am going outside and will try calling the HR. You guys somehow keep the students inside the hall".
And before we could say something, Raj vanished, leaving us among the pack of wolves baying for our blood.
I looked at the audience and muttering all my courage I asked
"The HR will be here any moment. In the meantime why not have some entertainment. Who will come forward and entertain us with a song or a dance".
The students started whispering among themselves. I was expecting a rotten egg or a tomato to fall on my face any moment from any direction. Luckily one enthu guy volunteered for "entertaining" us.
He came up to the front, turned and faced the audience.
"How about a nice break dance everyone".
Even before anyone could respond, he started shaking his hands, then legs, then hands and legs, then his whole body. He seemed to be enjoying his own show, though the same could not be said of the audience.
Suddenly the hall went quiet. The only noise that could be heard was our enthu guy dancing. Our hero stopped dancing.
"What happened", he asked the crowd.
No one replied.
He turned around to face us. There Raj, along with 2-3 persons with business suits, were standing, with their mouths wide open. On seeing them, our Michael Jackson slowly returned to his seat.
Raj turned to the HR.
"Sir, I can assure you that you have not come to the wrong place".
Thus goes the endless list of "innovative" crisis management techniques that are adopted by the DPNs of IIT Bombay.
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