When I asked him who the client was—the sucker who’d be picking up this tab in full along with service tax—he said it was for a Hosur-based manufacturing company that had hired Dufresne to carry out cost reduction studies.

I had nothing else to do all day. At four o’clock Shailesh told all the new recruits to leave early so that we could pack, settle accounts at the hotel and be ready to check out tomorrow morning.

All the way home I could only think of all those bills that Abhijit had filed. There was a full bottle of Indian champagne in it too!

Talk of the high life …

I decided to live it up when I came back to the room. Gave the fellow from room service my entire laundry for express two hours service just now!

11 p.m.

Just told the people at the reception that I’ll be checking out at seven tomorrow morning. And ordered a cappuccino. Just for the heck of it.

11.23 p.m.

Picked up both the Red Bulls, the Ritter Sport chocolate bar and one KitKat from the minibar. Packed everything into my backpack. Along with all the toiletries and a couple of bath towels.

I briefly contemplated taking the bathrobe.

But that would be too cheap, no?

11.25 p.m.

The bath robe is mine!!! LOL!

25 May 2006

2 p.m.

Okay. I usually try not to make any diary entries in the office, but you will not believe the shit that happened this morning, Diary …

I woke up, got ready and went downstairs to have breakfast. I took a table for myself in a corner so that I could eat as much as I wanted to without being disturbed by the other guys. This was our last breakfast in the hotel and I didn’t want to waste the opportunity. I’d given myself a full forty minutes for breakfast and asked a waiter to bring me waffles, two scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast and the Scotch Breakfast Bowl.

I had no idea what the Breakfast Bowl was. But I figured that if it was Scotch it would be good.

And then I noticed that the other Dufresne guys were sitting alone at their tables too. The greedy bastards.

Everything was splendid except for the grapefruit juice. I can’t understand why people would drink something like that first thing in the morning. Maybe it’s a firang thing.

Also, the Scotch Porridge tasted like shit. It had stupid oats in it. Wet, shredded cardboard in milk with sugar and butter. Had the consistency of vomit. I’m gagging just thinking about it.

Anyway, it was a splendid morning. I left my luggage with the concierge, told him I’d pick up everything in the evening and then went to the reception to say bye to everyone.

Which was when they told me that I had to settle a few bills before leaving.

This was totally unexpected, of course.

I said that there was some mistake and reminded them that Dufresne was paying for everything. The fellow behind the counter, who had way too much attitude for a service sector professional of middling seniority, and an atrocious accent, checked the computer and then shook his head. He said that only the room tariff and breakfast buffet were part of the Dufresne package.