I present to you some of the typical office specimens (and I am certain you've encountered them yourself) that make every office a happy place.
Srini, the Quintessential IITian
Straight out of one of the country's IIT corridors, this Srini practically runs the IT department of any organisation. I bet many of you don't even know what he looks like. His head is usually buried deep into his PC and Srini can be found lurking the office at the oddest hours.
Shetty, the Food Mogul
Anna, as this creature is fondly referred to, controls almost all office canteens (besides the zillion Udipi eateries across the country). Consequently he also controls you. A happy Shetty means palatable food for the day. The Shetty is known to fiercely guard his domain. We once had a Sharmaji who dared to co-host food services in our office canteen. Egged on by employee support, he even tried to expand his services. And then Anna struck. Overnight Sharmaji was out. Anna rules again – the canteen and us.
Iyer, the Moneyman
Gold-rimmed spectacles and a 'tilak' adorning his forehead are the typical trademarks of this Iyer. Iyer runs his own fiefdom and has a number of other "Iyers-in-the-making" buzzing frantically about him through the day. The "Srini" has made life easier for "Iyer" by loading his computer with wacky programs, but Iyer still has his desk strewn with papers and post-its. Iyer perhaps does the most tiresome job in any organisation and is only remembered as the month draws to a close.
Julia, the Boss's Secy
Need I say more? No one can guard the boss's door like Julia can. Meticulous, upright, prim n' proppah, she clickity-claks into office at the dot of 9am and is out at the dot of 6pm, come hell or high water. Beware of Julia, she can be your best friend or your worst enemy. With her, it's always good to be the former.
Shekhar, the Errand Guy
For all those of you who still haven't warmed up to the idea of net-banking and can't get off those swivel chairs, Shekhar should be your best buddy in office. Who else will willingly drop off your late fee cheques and run your personal errands during office hours? Don't forget to occasionally reward him though.
Rahul, the Sales Studmuffin
The world is at his feet. His poise and gait reek of confidence (or ahem… over??) that's undeniably an acquired quality, fine-tuned over time. He smooth talks everyone in office (all the above included but mostly Julia) and knows how to get this way through 'the door'. An achiever and a charmer – what would office be without him??
