It was about 30 years ago that I had a strange run of experiences in a short period of 30 odd hours. It is a sort of unique occurrence that happens in the life of a sales person which may never happen in any other job.
Those were the days I was working as a District Sales Manager in Ciba(a Swiss MNC Pharma company) based in Hyderabad and responsible for sales in Telangana, Rayalaseema and North coastal districts (Visakhapatnam, Vijayanagaram & Srikakulam.) I once visited Mancheriyal with an overnight stay. I joined my colleague, Chandrasekhar (who was working Adilabad district) in his work in that town. Since I also planned to visit Sirpur Kagaz Nagar the next day along with him, he arranged for a room for my stay in a local lodge where he was also put up. The place was just about manageable with bare minimum comforts - just an ordinary room with a bed and an attached bath. Clean linen apart, nothing more to write about the room. After completing the day's work in Mancheriyal, I preferred to have biscuits and coke for supper.
Next morning, Chandrasekhar and I boarded Grand Trunk Express in Mancheriyal railway station to go to Sirpur Kagaz Nagar comfortably in an AC coach.
As we settled down, I remembered my previous journey in GT Express which happened in1971. I was on my way to Roorkhee then to attend SSB (Short Service Commision selection) final interview. It was on that train that I had my first contact with 2 Ciba Medical Reps, PBK Syamala Rao and KJ Nagaraja Rao (after I got my job in CIBA later, we became colleagues) They were on their way to New Delhi for a Company Meeting. I met them in the Pantry Car of the train. Nagaraja Rao is from Proddatur (my native town) and his family was known to us. In fact, he was professionally meeting one of my doctor brothers in Cuddapah. He recognised me. I never imagined that we will end up one day as colleagues working in the same Company. I narrated my 1971 GT express travel experience to Chandrasekhar who was surprised to know from me all about it. Destiny made all four of us colleagues.
We made our customer calls (doctor visits) in Sirpur Kagaznagar and took an APSRTC (red passenger) bus from Sirpur to Kagaznagar Cross Roads. We waited for another red bus (coming from Asifabad) to go from there to Mancheriyal. As it was drizzling, we took shelter in the only road side thatched hut serving tea. We stood there for a while drinking tea boiled on a mud chula using fire wood logs and served in a glass tumbler washed with hot water. After waiting for about 30-40 minutes, as we were losing our patience, a van stopped by our side. It was a Rural Marketing vehicle belonging to a consumer goods company. The salesman in the vehicle was Chadrasekhar's friend. He offered to take us in the van to Mancheriyal. We reached Mancheriyal in that van. Unlike the journey under the scorching Sun by an APSRTC passenger bus and the Rural Marketing Van, return journey that evening from Mancheriyal to Secunderabad by AP Express was in a comfortable AC coach. I reached Secunderabad by about 9pm.
The next morning, I had to go to Delhi for a sales meeting. So I took the morning flight (Indian Airlines Airbus) and reached Delhi by about 10am. My stay in Delhi was in a star hotel. The contrasts in that short period of about 30 hours will ever remain etched in my memory.
Red bus travel to Airbus travel (ఎర్ర బస్సు నుండి ఎగిరే బస్సు) - tea in a thatched road side tea hut to menu from a star hotel - stay in a non-descript lodge to stay in highly comfortable star hotel.
All in the space of 30 odd hours. Strange is the life of a Sales Person.
Comments
Post a Comment