The Arrest

Manager: “So how do you find the job here?”
Virag: “It is good. The atmosphere is nice, but at times I do feel that the challenge could have been more.”
Manager: “Hmmm, how do you feel so? The product and the domain, both are so vast, there is so much of learning involved. You can in fact, pick up a module and master it so that any one comes to me with an issue in that module, I can say the module man is Virag.”
Virag: “Yeah I do agree that there is indeed a lot of learning involved, and as you see since the past almost one year I have been working on this particular module and know it in and out. But what I feel that product knowledge is not an issue, it all depends on my zeal to learn, but I feel the lack of chance to learn the domain knowledge and business processes.”
Manager: “OK, I will keep this in mind and if anything comes up, shall keep you in loop.”
Virag: “OK Thanks.”

Some days later a customer project comes up. They had some issues with the product which needed to be solved at an urgent basis. The manager comes to Virag and tries to know if he’d be interested in taking up the project. Virag, seeing an opportunity to improve his communication skills and customer interaction tactics, takes up the project. Now he is i2 Technologies’ face to the customer. He is whole-n-sole responsible for the project. He works extra time to keep up to his standards since he was handling it alone and was handling it for the first time; the whole product was at his disposal. But he had the confidence to pull through. Also he had a KEY AWARD to his kitty to boost his morale for his work on his previous assignment. But one thing pulled him back and that was his marital problems. His estranged wife was trying to control him with the help of her parents. His in-laws were pressurizing him to abandon his aged and dependent parents so that they can interfere in his daily matters and get a grab of his financial control. He was slowly realizing it was a coy from their side to malign his parents’ reputation amongst his relatives, and putting a social pressure on him to succumb to their unjust demands. But Virag does not budge, and does not take a decision against his principles.

Meanwhile he was excelling in his project and was delivering a performance. The client had given him the liberty to call at anytime he had a doubt and also used to arrange the calls according to Virag’s convenience, keeping in mind the time difference between India and the US of A. It was the 10^th September 2007, Monday as per IST, so Monday morning being a Sunday evening for the client and as some serious discussion was involved the call was scheduled in the evening so it is Monday morning for the client. So Virag planned his work accordingly, patched it up by 7: 00 P.M. and reached home. Just he had parked his bike and reached for the elevator when a man approached him.

Man: “Are you Virag?”
Virag got a bit wary seeing the man’s appearance.
Virag: “Yes, why?”

The man flashes his identity card indicating that he was from the local PS. Virag froze. He understood, his wife had approached the police with a false complaint. Though he tries a bit to act as if he does not know what is happening. The man stopped him in the parking area and did not allow him to use him phone as well. Then swooped down the whole team. They were about six in number. Virag was made to sit inside the police van and told to wait. The security person informs his parents that he is being detained by the police. They rush downstairs.

Meanwhile Virag was now told that a dowry harassment complaint has been against him and his parents by his wife and her parents. Virag tries his level best to convince the police person that this complaint has no standing and he has evidence to prove his point, but he is not given any chance. When his mom arrives, he passes over his laptop and HIS CELL to her and tells her in Gujarati to inform Rishi (their lawyer). His mom takes away the laptop. And then calls up Rishi as well her sister, who stays across the town. Then the Station House Officer arrives. He insults Virag and his parents very badly and shouts at them and threatens them. Virag, as advised by Rishi, maintains his composure and tries to convince the SHO about the nullity of the case, but he had been bribed properly by Virag’s FIL, so he is in no mood to listen. All the three are taken to the police station on pretext of investigation.