‘Our parent company has a bunch of idealists at the top. They want their employees to have total freedom, to come and go as they like. They can decide when and how to do the work they’ve been assigned, as long as it’s completed by the deadline. Meanwhile they can play video games or work out in the gym. When they introduced the system here, I said let’s go slowly. They didn’t and now they’ve fallen flat on their faces. They want to know why money is being embezzled, why people are making fake taxi vouchers, why people aren’t coming to work for days on end, why they spend entire days playing video games.

‘At the conference the staff told this man frankly, “Tell us what you want us to do, when and how. We want pukka rules. That’s what we are used to.” See, Sharu, there’s a basic rule that companies who want to work in alien cultures must take the trouble to follow. They must understand the culture of the place. This man says to me, “What culture are you talking about? There’s only one global culture now. My son wears jeans, drinks Coke and eats burgers. So do your teenagers.” How do I get through to him that dress and food are only superficial signs? Belief in hierarchy goes deep. We find it difficult to be free in the way they are. Our caste system is all about the high and the low. If people in high positions begin to treat subordinates like equals, it upsets our world view. If they don’t make strict work rules and show their authority, we are lost. We don’t know how to be the boss’s equals without being disrespectful. I’ve been trying to tell him these things. He just needs to trust me. We’ll learn to balance freedom and individual responsibility. But he wants to change the world with a snap of his fingers. He will try to force his ideas down our throats and fail. So fine. Go to hell.’

Shekhar is truly upset. Sharada swallows her disappointment and puts her hand over his. ‘Go, since you have to. We’ll see the film after you come back. A late-night show.’