"Speak up... hurry up... I don't have time... Can't you see... I'm neck-deep in work... Stop beating around the bush... state the purpose you're here for..." Seth Kamal said in an irritated tone. His voice was naturally grating, harsh on the ears and unsettling to anyone's temperament. In the truest sense, Seth Kamal’s voice was a source of auditory agony.
Standing before him was a company employee. His job was to manage the minor maintenance, sweepers, and peons of the company. He spoke with slight hesitation. "Actually, Seth Sahab... the matter... is actually that..."
"Are you just going to keep saying 'actually, actually'... Don't waste my time... Speak straightforwardly... otherwise get out... go..." the Seth cut him off sharply, biting back.
"Well, Seth Sahab... all the sweepers and peons are saying that their raises are too low... everyone else got a twenty percent increment, and they were only given five percent," the employee blurted out fluently.
"So what should I do... should I pay sweepers two hundred thousand each?" Seth Kamal's voice rose.
"Seth Sahab... just look into it... if a little more increment is added, they will be happy... otherwise, they will keep working half-heartedly and then take more leaves," the employee pleaded, stating the reasons.
"Move, move... fine... I'll see... I'll let you know later... Now you go... go and reassure them on my behalf... go," Seth Kamal waved his hand, signaling him to leave.
The employee said thank you and walked out. After he left, Kamal Seth picked up the glass placed on the table, took out tablets from a vial, and popped them into his mouth. Then he gulped down water.
Suddenly, his gaze fell to his left side. The glass almost dropped from his hand. Some water splashed out and fell onto his clothes. The reason for his sudden panic was the person who was half-reclining nonchalantly on the large sofa placed on the left side, looking at Seth Kamal with bold eyes. His appearance was strange and mysterious. He was wearing a large black cloak with an attached hood. Beyond that, his face was peculiar. It was extremely dark, with countless ugly smallpox scars all over. In this state, his dirty yellow teeth added to the ugliness and revulsion.
One reason for Seth Kamal's shock and subsequent bewilderment was how this person had entered the closed room. No one in the company had the audacity to enter without permission, yet this person hadn't just entered; he was half-reclining on the sofa with complete ease right in front of him.
Then Seth Kamal's bewilderment immediately turned into anger. He expressed his outrage: "Hey... who are you... how did you get inside Seth Kamal's office without permission... where did you come from... did you drop from above?"
At the Seth's remark, the deformed man sat up straight.
"Consider me your well-wisher." The man's voice was also rough, but his tone was friendly and soft.
"Well-wisher... what kind of well-wisher..." The Seth's tone remained aggressive. "And who are you... how did you sneak in here... did you come as a fly?"
"I can come anywhere... I don't need anyone's permission." The black-clad figure stepped forward and sat down very comfortably on a chair opposite the Seth.
The Seth reached for the intercom in frustration. The dark-faced person placed his hand on the intercom receiver with astonishing speed.
"Believe what I say, Seth! You'll benefit from it." He stared into the Seth's eyes. I don't know what magic his eyes held, but Seth Kamal leaned back in his chair in a relaxed manner. "Speak... what is this beneficial thing?"
"The employee who just came to you... to get raises for the sweepers and peons, what will you gain from that? There is no need to increase the salary... if you increase it, tomorrow others will come too... then what will you do?"
"I'm not going to increase everyone's pay by killing myself."
"If you open the door once, the others will also gain courage."
"But if I don't listen to them, people won't work properly... they slack off... they start taking more leaves." The Seth expressed his helplessness.
"Meaning, they blackmail you?" The dark figure began to smile.
"Just think of it like that." Seth Kamal conceded.
"Why take it... don't listen to them."
"Baba... then they will quit their jobs."
"Before they quit, you fire them yourself... this way the others will also learn a lesson... many other people will come to work for half the salary... the country is full of unemployed people."
At his words, Seth Kamal was forced to think, and then nodding, he said: "What you say is absolutely right... there is weight in it."
"Such a big Seth being blackmailed by these penny-worth people... this is a matter of shame." The dark figure said.
"No... I don't get blackmailed by anyone... I'm not crazy... that was just... I take care of them a little," the Seth made a face and said.
"Just get smart now... and show some strictness... whoever protests... throw them out on the spot," the dark figure said in an advisory tone. Then he stood up. "Now I must leave... and yes..." he emphasized, raising a finger. "No need to tell anyone about me... if you tell... I won't come back... you will get a lot of benefit from me... remember this."
The Seth kept staring at him. He moved toward the wall. As the Seth began to say something, he vanished from sight. Seth Kamal kept staring in that direction with bewildered eyes.
After that, the black apparition became Seth Kamal's friend and well-wisher. He started coming to Seth Kamal every day, to the point that he would even appear at his house. The tasks that Seth Kamal previously handled through legal and legitimate means, he now began executing through illegal and illegitimate means under the apparition's influence.
Income tax, electricity, water, and gas bills that were previously paid honestly were now being paid at half rates through illegal means on the apparition's instructions. Electricity theft began, and the lineman would be bribed. Through all these methods, Seth Kamal started saving millions of rupees every month. He had become happy and was convinced that the black apparition was his well-wisher.
"Now do one more thing," the apparition said one day.
"What task... speak?" Seth Kamal asked.
"Fire all the old employees of the company... by now, their salaries have become four times compared to the work," the apparition stated.
"Then how will this company run?"
"Hire new people... you will find plenty... but at half the salary of the old ones," the apparition suggested in a cunning tone.
Seth Kamal became instantly happy. "Yes, that's true."
Then the Seth did exactly that. He let go of the old employees on the spot without any reason. The poor souls kept protesting, but none of their pleas were heard. An old employee started crying in front of Seth Kamal.
"Sahab! Don't do such cruelty... where will I go to find a job in this old age... my house runs on this very job... have mercy, Sahab!"
Right there, the apparition was also standing watching this drama. The Seth asked the apparition: "Speak... what should I do with him?"
The old employee started looking around in confusion because he couldn't see the apparition.
"Dismiss him... he's putting on a show," the apparition said.
"Hey... dismiss... dismiss him... I said it already... get out immediately," the Seth snapped his fingers and said to the old man.
The old man went away weeping and wailing... all the old employees left crying and cursing. Seth Kamal didn't care about anyone. He hired new employees at half the pay.
There were many servants at Seth Kamal's house as well. One day, the Seth's wife's expensive mobile phone went missing. She created a huge fuss. Seth Kamal made all the servants stand in a line. The apparition was with him too.
"Who stole the mobile... tell me? Otherwise, I will hand everyone over to the police," the Seth shouted in anger.
