The Accidental Apprentice by Vikas Swarup Read Free Book Online

fibreglass sculptures of Ravinder Reddy I had seen in the National Gallery. The original oil paintings on the mahogany-covered walls also seem familiar. There are horses by Husain, cows by Manjit Bawa, and a cubist rendition of a nude, which might have been painted by Picasso himself. If Acharya’s aim in calling me to his office was to overawe me, he has succeeded admirably.
    He himself sits on a thronelike chair behind an antique, horseshoe-shaped desk, overlooking a large bay window. In his pinstripe suit, with a pink silk handkerchief jutting out of his breast pocket, he looks every inch the corporate tycoon he is. If further proof is needed, it is provided by the wall behind him, which is covered with framed professional photographs of him hobnobbing with all manner of international luminaries from Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama to Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela. I cannot shake off the feeling of being in a cosy private museum, Acharya’s memorial to himself.
    â€˜So how do you like my office?’ he asks, gesturing that I should sit down.
    â€˜It’s very nice.’ I nod, sinking into a plush leather chair opposite him. Only then do I notice the wooden plaque on his desk. It bears the inscription: ‘C LEAR V ISION , D ETERMINATION , D ISCIPLINE & H ARD W ORK ’.
    â€˜These are the core values which guide our endeavours in the ABC Group.’ He taps the plaque. ‘I would expect you to hold the same values when you become its CEO.’
    â€˜You mean if I become CEO.’
    â€˜That depends entirely on you. As chairman, my task is simply to select the right person and set the right direction. I am convinced you are the best person for this company. But you must also feel the same way. Remember, the first step to achieve success is that you must really want it.’ He drops his eyelids, as though recollecting something, and quotes a verse in perfect Sanskrit: ‘Kaama maya evayam purusha iti. Sa Yatha kaamo bhavati tat kratur bhavati. Yat kratur bhavati tat karma kurute. Yat karma kurte tad abhisam padyate.’
    I am familiar with the verse. It is from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. ‘You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.’
    â€˜I’ve never really believed in destiny,’ I respond.
    â€˜But destiny may believe in you,’ he rejoins.
    â€˜Then let’s get this over with. I suppose you’ll need me to sign that undertaking.’
    â€˜That’s right. Let me call Rana.’ He presses a buzzer and Rana enters the room, bearing a leather folder. He sits down next to me and hands me a sheet of paper. It’s the same form I had seen last time.
    â€˜Before you sign it, I need to know if you have discussed my offer with anyone,’ Acharya says.
    â€˜No,’ I reply. ‘I haven’t spoken to anyone about this.’
    â€˜Not even with your mother and sister?’
    â€˜No. But why all this secrecy?’
    â€˜Well, as you can see, my methods are a bit … ah, unconventional. I don’t want my shareholders getting needlessly twitchy. Complete confidentiality is a necessity when going about such things. You must not utter a word about our arrangement to anyone.’
    â€˜I won’t.’ I nod. ‘And what’s this clause about not being allowed to terminate the contract mid-period?’
    â€˜It simply means that the contract remains in force till all seven tests have been completed. You cannot quit in between.’
    â€˜But what if I fail any of those tests?’
    â€˜Then I terminate the contract, not you.’
    â€˜Please sign at the bottom,’ Rana says, offering me a pen.
    â€˜Before I sign, I also want something.’
    Acharya frowns. ‘What?’
    â€˜I want double.’
    â€˜What do you mean?’
    â€˜According to this contract, you are to pay me a sum of