Prelude

There he was traveling on foot from the bus stand with a name similar to what his
small bit of paper he had in his hand, clasped tightly, lest he miss it and gets stuck
in a land, so always dear, yet never visited earlier. With no particular mobility
around, and not really knowing the direction, in scorching sun, he stopped at a small
make-shift bamboo shop. His eyes gazed the entire content on display, as they were
trained to do so at the very first such opportunity. It had neatly stacked packs of
cigarettes, mostly non filter, tobacco rolled into white paper, an offer from
marketers to take away the masses from the ubiquitous beedi, which they
cherished so dearly.
When asked of a soft drink, he was offered a bottle filled with lemon soda wherein,
the tip was sealed with a marble. The mere sight of this made him salivate and took
him back to his school days. Without any inhibitions of its hygiene, he savored the
content the way he always did while returning from school. Once paid for the
service rendered, he enquired of the location name where, he was destined to go, in
his broken vernacular accent; he received a not so warm, conscious reply directing
him couple of kilometers ahead. He yet gathered his courage and checked from the
owner of the shanty, about a certain mobile unit, which was colored in bright blue
and had red text on it talking about the new offering from house of a big business
family. Receiving a blank from that any many such shanties later, he checked of the
availability of a PCO nearby. Made calls to the senders, the very people behind this
melancholy in his life, the replies that the above unit hadnt called for quite few
days, didnt really were consoling to his ears.
His legs had given away and sought him to let them sit and take a brief rest before
embarking upon the next few kilometers. Being the first journey, post becoming a
probationer with the pioneer company, this young lad, all of 24, didnt think of the
perils of moving around in parching heat of June, 97 in the hot bed of Punjab state.
He was also reprimanded of the areas being the notoriously acclaimed terror
infested lands of Bhindrawala, the torch bearer of Khalisthan, land of purity. A
movement with hands across borders supporting it with arms, ammunition, fake
currency at al, making the state devoid of its youth for more than a decade in
contributing its growth and rather be eaten up by the monstrous treacherous
intents. Though all that was a past, immediately wiped away from the visible
memories of the citizens, who, largely were the elderlies and carrying it as few more
strips on their foreheads.
He continued to wander around, had received few gazes of suspicion and yet
conquered his own fears and kept on moving from road to road, milestone to
milestone. Once, realized that the effort put so far, hasnt paid and with sun ready
to set, accepting defeat on his first day of first attempt to make his parents proud
and win few brownies from the superior, who had shown his confidence and picked
him up from many others for the journey to the state. He was equally aware of the

fact that 3 more set of legs were also on the lookout for the mobile units, albeit in
other states on the very day.
He made another call to the office representation supervising these units on daily
basis, albeit, the only contact they too had with the mobile units, were through the
calls they used to receive, wherein, the sole intent of the caller, remained to seek
funds for ongoing days of Communication that they were to carry on for completion
of 4 weeks. These callers were completely aware of the fact that just in case their
call time is more than a few minutes, the funds coming to them will be delayed by
those many days. The recipient of their calls always used to admonish them to blow
away the already scarce money that they had in such inconspicuous calls. For them,
the calls ideally were to be made only after 18-20 days of completion of work in the
field, though, they easily used to forget that the handed over monies were barely
enough to even have the fuel for vehicle running for those many days, not to talk of
their stay, food, buying of stocks for replenishment, innumerable faxes wherein, the
days reports were sought from office. Another thread of contact were the post
cards that were to be posted by the vehicle representation from those very markets
and used to reach as and when the postal department pleased themselves, which
mostly happened at times after week of actual postage.
God only knows how many off days the department used to enjoy and how the
entire country was run by them with such a good service.
With nothing added to the status quo that he was put in when he sat in the public
transport bus to travel to the state, he moved to the bus stop. For an hour of wait,
he saw a bus coming towards the village. When the last occupant got down from the
bus, and its conductor too got down to have him eased of in the nearby field, he
rushed to the driver and enquired about the destination that the bus would be
heading to. His reply added wounds to the worry. It was the last stop and the bus
now was to be parked in the bus station, few kilometers from therein. Bus it was to
ply back to the city Amritsar, now early morning of next day only.
Scared with the very thought of not knowing what to do, also of where he was stuck,
he cursed his luck as the beginning of a new job has landed him into this mess. With
a sad face, he enquired once again, this time for any lodge, hotel or other place
where, to stay by for the night. To his dismay, the village was a really small one and
had no such urban luxuries to offer to passengers.
He looked at the passerby in complete disbelief, when came to know of the nearby
town being 30km and with no vehicle plying in the night, it was almost impossible
for anyone to travel that long distance at night.
KI HOYA KAKA. A voice of a female co-passenger who was around 45 years
of age and had a heavy village built, enquired from him. He could also saw a young,
nubile face of a girl, of 18-19 years following her and waiting for her instructions to
lift the luggage. Girls face was expressionless and she was wearing nothing in her

hands or around her neck though the lady had been wearing few glass bangles
along with two seemingly gold bangles around her wrists.
The response from him and its ease took him by surprise. He could hear himself
saying, ETHE KOI DHARAMSHALA (LODGE) YA KOI RAHN LAYE JAGAH NERE HAI
KYA
The reply was a polite negative without bringing in vagaries of it. She added,
PUTTAR, TOOH SADE GHARE CHAL SAKDA HAIN! Before he could feel the
embarrassment of it, he heard another co-passenger saying, GURUDWAREY
CHALE JAO, UTHE RAHAN LAYE MANJIYAN (COTS) PAYIYA NE

He was relieved and realized that suddenly had the rush of adrenaline in him. He
enquired about the way to the Religious place, thanked the lady, and picked up his
bag to go and stay at the place.
The first learning that he had in this first tour was that Interiors and posh urban
localities were alike, interiors have no mode of transportation which is personal and
thus you always have to depend on public transport or something / anything under
you giving you the mobility as and when so desired, on the other hand, posh urban
have nothing called public and again either you walk for distances or have acquired
mobility.
Second and more important insight into people in interiors was that they do not
have fears knowing and sharing your fears without even being narrated. They
empathize and attempt to resolve your fears as if they were their very own, without
being even asked.
The above two became golden rules for the avid Jason Bourne reader who always
had a belief before this brief journey, wherein, he always had not cared for others,
as no one could dare.

Summer of 97
Pioneer Marketers had by then gone into all the locations that could qualify as the
interior and done all that could possibly be innovated or thought of and left only to
improvise for the generations to come.
Veterans from the old school had started getting disbursed, to accumulate later as
the spokesperson wherever conversations started of the new markets vis--vis
saturated urban markets.
A newly joined team of two marketing executives, soon joined by another one, were
given opportunities to serve different departments, varying from research, planning
& creative to servicing.
Budding youngsters, fresh out of management institutes, post honing their skills for
couple of years in varying industries, they had come together, all unmarried, who
had moved from their education towns to this big city, thus had no girl as friend,
and were always on the look out to make every first girl coming their way, if not a
girl friend atleast a friend amongst girls.
One of them, comparatively more fortunate, as was living nearby and could visit
back every week, and thus yet was protected from the vagaries of the big city.
Their first meeting happened over a plate full of varying Pakoras (North Indian fried
delicacy) with a big tumbler full of juice. Conversation had topics a plenty. From
that day, an instated bonding had always held them, through thick and thin. Life
used to teach them a new lesson daily. From arranging a place to live by and
commuting from home to office to market to office and back home, they were all
seeing the face and fracas of this big city.
One early realization that they all had, no girl worth their interest would perhaps
come their way and similarly, no girl would perhaps find them interesting thanks to
their nature. They all were career conscious, dreams hungry lads. Projected tenure
to make it big was 5 years.
Big clients, big accounts, trivial issues and loads of work, this all was their daily
rigmarole. Now, the intent of them was to create concepts, or perhaps re-run earlier
failed concepts, polish them with their own insights and make them deliver to the
clients and in turn to their organization.
From a service provider organization to an agency of repute that not only thinks
differently, goes out and establishes the strength of its ideation, to actually
delivering when it comes to hard core real world, they were ensuring it all.
One learning that they had accumulated very fast was that your respect people and
they open their hearts for you. For them, even the orderly, peon, cleaner, drivers,
attendants, secretaries and even the bosses, all were equally respectful.

So they used to call them out loud yet with a -JI prefixed to their names. Sir... was
the opening of any sentence even in sleep. Within themselves also, they all were
sirs. Abuses were given and received again along with the above two participles.
Second learning was that any one and every one can make a wise comment every
now and then and that these comments are lying all around and abound. Without
realizing then that these very pearls of wisdom, were the insights into human mind,
that the planners used to teach them in their colleges, they were actually playing
the role of a fishermen who was always on guard lest a big fish gets slipped away.
Constant updates of what is being done by which client in which zone and how
much has been the earning, they were always on their toes.
Salaries were for the homes and expenses were what they have to live with. So,
conveyance reimbursement and food expenses while traveling were their big time
look outs. Borrowing some ones vehicle, filling up the fuel, and seeking to have the
reimbursement after a span of 3 weeks from actual spend, taught them the first
lessons of investing to reap.
Carrying food from and to the place, while traveling to reduce expenses was one
more such learning. They also had realized that rather than fudging a
reimbursement bill, its always better to actually have that Pao Bhaji or that big
glass of Lassi.
Soon came the month, when they all were to travel again.
This time a MNC company which was into detergents, personal care, oral care,
breweries had come to them and sought ways and means to make their products
reach out, their fight also was against spurious and ensuring the availability within a
decent ROI for such availabilities and so many other objectives were there for a 5year plus program.
Taking one of the objective at a time, firstly working on Market Development
Exercise(MDE) needing demonstrations, creating enough visibility and ensuring
availability, the plan was charted for year one. It though had an education defining
differentiation between original and fake, duplicate, look alike brands also woven
into the program.
While traveling in deep interiors, one of the core team members found himself in a
situation, wherein, he was held back by a gang of 3, seeking him to distance himself
from the two big cartons filled with nothing but tea strainers and carry cases for
glasses. These were part of Hot Tea sampling, a need to bring he taste closer to
peoples tongue. The story had further developed as a fight ensued with the team
member getting his wrist wounded and seeing blood oozing out, the gang running
away.

Post that visit, the office had become a mini police station, with a Sub-Inspector and
his sub-ordinates visiting the place almost daily updating of the development as to
how far they have travelled in identifying the culprits, all thanks to the brigadier
father of the gentleman involved.
While, this was happening to him, other representation from the team , basically
from Eastern India, traveling in Punjab, was being received in peoples homes with
lot much fanfare and welcome. A cot was spread for him, offered Kanji, lassi or
buttermilk; he was being treated suiting local royals.
For, he was coming from the Television channel and was with them to uplift their
lives and make them part of the mainstream of urban brotherhood, a message, that
he knew was almost all farce. He was though in no mood to tell them of it.
Traveling on a bike sitting pillion to the youth leader of the local Panchayat, he was
having one gala of a time. He finally reached on to the unit working in this area and
to his astonishment they were standing under a tree and sleeping in broad day
light. When confronted, excuse given was the heat and the time being not
conducive for interactions. Thus, in fact, they had intelligently modified the plan and
were starting very early, taking rest in peak afternoons, and working late in
evenings.
Another lesson learnt weather is a friend or a foe. Its on us to make it who we
would want it to be seemed as.
Summers always would mean early start and late finish with rests between. Winters
would mean late start, continuous work and early wraps. Rains would mean always
on the go and working full hours as and when the gods may please. This all needed
different set of paraphernalia and spread to have a visibility established along. Vast
set ups with minuscule amount of lighting in summer, with functional module in
rains and lot of lighting in winter evenings, would make you have favorable men folk
around with women wanting to have glimpses of the activity from roof tops.
Bringing them to the venue as a challenge was addressed by having a few of them
recruited as conduits that would go and fetch them. Also to have separate sections
created specially tailoring their needs to sit together.
Winning confidence of the trouble makers by recruiting their chiefs as the conduits
and giving them away the gratifications was another solution to keep the trouble
at bay.
They were also given the privilege to meet and greet the street performance team,
who was narrating the product story as their play.
Camera flash was clicked on them to please them and let them go. The moment,
you had a live footage put up for view; the thrill amongst the audience would
multiply and become huge.

Those were the days. Later generations always would be repenting on. And such
was the novelty of the medium that was always on wheels.