Two Brothers & An Office

So, I kinda had it planned for today. I told Navin sir that I didnt want to come anymore. He kinda knew it was coming, so he was pretty ok with it, and just said that he might call me if I was needed for work I had done. So, its not really an official goodbye. I think that would be when I get my papers signed in February. It wasnt really difficult to part with the office now, but last year at some time I thought about this day and I thought that would I certainly cry leaving this office. But I guess nothing dramatic really happened. I think I still have to say my sincere thank you's to them, which I would when I get my papers signed.

Navin Sir and Shyam Sir, two brothers running a small CA firm. Almost three years ago, I walked in this office for the first time with my elder cousin, who had done part of his training from there. It was 12th Feb, 2005 and a saturday, and they didnt even take my interview and asked me to come from monday. And monday was 14th Feb!! But I had nothing to do, so I came anyway. I was just looking for a hideout, and this was such a perfect hideout. I was just a pretty unconfident little kid when I started out. So I didnt wanna go to a big firm, cos I felt and still feel that I got no dressing sense, and I just wanted a small non fussy place. Had some great times there, frowned a lot too, fought a couple of times too, never backed down, learnt to be a rebel, and became confident of my work atleast. I am excellent at accounts, and just cos I worked in a small firm, doesnt take that away from me.

Navin Sir was the younger of the two brothers. He was the one wo handled getting all the work done in the office, handling the staff etc. So its only natural that I was closer to him than Shyam Sir. The Navin Sir I met when I started out my training was completely different from the one today. And I believe that me and Rajiv had a lot to do with the change in his whole attitude. He was so used to doing all the important work by himself, and afraid of handing it out to the staff. But I made through his defenses, and that I consider a wonderful achievement. I would say, he's got a lot in common with me, just that he doesnt have a speck of ego, and I have tons. So many times I would barge in, and point out his mistakes, and he would accept it all graciously, and acknowledge me. I always wondered how he did it.

An incident I clearly remember during my second week of training was when I went with Navin Sir to Panipat for a bank audit. And during the whole two hours bus ride, he hardly said a thing, just gave a audit manual to read. And at the bank, at around 4, when I finished my work, I hovered around his table like a little kid, while he was busy with his work, and he finally looked up at me, and he kinda understood the question on my face, and said that we would be leaving soon. I was just a little kid when I started out.

The other brother, I had tons of problems with. I had two major fights with him. At one of the occasions I threatened to quit, but didnt cos I had spent a whole year getting used to this place, and I wasnt just chuck it all away. He never liked me since then. Cos I called a spade a spade. He had this habit of discussing his ideas with some of the staff. He would make me and rajiv sit in front of them, and pop up his silly ideas. While Rajiv was all diplomatic, I would straight away shake my head and say - It wont work!! Just loved to irritate him. And then he would ignore me and discuss his plans with Rajiv. Whatever!! But other than that he never really bugged me as such, and so it was pretty ok.

They were pretty good people, and they gave me enough vacation for my exams, and were always cooperative, and never did anything bad to me. So that way, I guess it was pretty nice. Both of them had this weird accent and lingo that all of us just loved to imitate. And they were pretty stingy, but all bosses are that way I guess. So why was it that I wanted to leave. Not cos of them, maybe I just needed 17 days before my result came to think about where I am heading. It was all going so fast, and I needed to slow down things.

It was my first office, and I would always have wonderful memories of that place, especially the first half of it, with Dheeraj, my rebel guru and rajiv being there. With my home being dramatic those days, I never wanted to leave office, and Dheeraj used to make our stomachs hurt with all his comic stuff. And we wud close the upstairs office, and put on our headphones, and tell each other which song was playing on which station. And keep standing at the bus stop for an hour, waiting for an empty bus. Running off from audits at 2pm, and making silly excuses if we got caught. But then we even stayed till late when there was work at the end times. But now all the staff has changed, there is no dheeraj, no rajiv, and hence I just dont feel at home there anymore.

Rajiv said that since we worked in a small firm, we would be at a disadvantage when we go for interviews after we become CA. I kinda agree, but to be honest I dont really care. I had loads of fun there. As I always say - its better to be the king of small empire than be a slave in a huge empire. And we were kings during our training and I am proud of that. We worked on our terms, and never backed off. And these are traits that are more valuable than some big client names on the CV. So, sure I didnt do any big audits, but how many articles get to teach their CA's something during their training?? It was a perfect hideout, lets just see where we get to after this.