TWO PEOPLE WHO KNOW EACH OTHER ARE INTRODUCED BUT NEITHER PERSON ADMITS TO KNOWING THE OTHER

Justin was just in when Paul Scout realized that the fallout of what is forthcoming will not be in his best interest.

It was a huge construction work site where Jeetu was employed as an Executive Assistant to the Resident Engineer of M/s. Heavy Plates & Vessels Co. Ltd.

All three Justin, Scout and Jeetu were school mates in St Anthony High School, in Tegrah a remote village being developed into an industrial area as a part of the Government’s endeavor to attain self-sufficiency in petroleum products and petroleum byproducts and feed stocks like Naphtha for fertilizer plants. The Indian Government through its Corporation named Indian Oil Corporation in collaboration with a Russian Company put up an oil refinery and this school was run to accommodate the children of their employees as well as the children of the employees of the Russian Company.

Jeetu however was not from Oil Refinery Township but was coming to attend school by bus from the Fertilizer Township belonging to another Government Corporation named Fertilizer Corporation of India, which company was the buyer of the waste product or bye product of Oil Refinery and Naphtha which it bought to the tune of many tonnes which used to reach the Fertilizer plant through goods train link straight from Oil Refinery plant to the Fertilizer plant where it was used as raw material for production of Urea prills at the Prilling Tower developed by the Italian Company, by the process called Monti Catnne Total Recycling Process.

Jeetu was reasonably new to that school St Anthony, where Justin and Scout were studying from a few years before Jeetu joined. Obviously due to this Jeetu was unaware of what kind of misunderstanding and untoward incidents happened between Justin and Scout which lead to a kind of friction, kind of competition, kind of healthy and at times unhealthy bouts or race that took place to which the rest of the boys and at times girls of the class were party to. Some boys were in support of Justin and some even though not in his support gave the impression that they were not against him. Justin had that commanding voice and demeanour.

On the contrary Paul Scout was academically far better than Justin and was handsome too but would not like to confront Justin as far as possible and especially when a verbal duel had to ensue.

Justin was diplomatic but Scout was individualistic and will not compromise to anything that would come in the way of his keeping his academic record at its zenith. On the contrary, Justin will not miss any opportunity to bring Scout down, for which Justin could resort to anything like making friends with students of the senior class, teachers, attendants and other class mates.

To make things more clear let me state an example of an incident that took place during a table tennis tournament. Even though Scout was academically very good he was not anyway less in Table tennis and made his way to the finals and had to face his senior Aaron in the finals. Now Jeetu as the class mate of Justin and Scout obviously had to support Scout but to many class mates surprise Justin was in all support of the senior Aaron.

This was the kind of atmosphere that was prevailing in his class when Jeetu was studying in St Anthony High School. It was also that particular year when Senior Cambridge was gradually fading out and giving way to the new system of 10+2+3 or as it is called, Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE). Justin preferred to leave the school as he was not in favour of the change and decided to continue with Senior Cambridge and left the school.

Jeetu was aware that the Company in which he was working for was the Subcontractor to the Indian Oil Corporation and Scout was an Engineer in Indian Oil Corporation, their Client, after completion of his Engineering from an Institution in Baroda, Gujarat.

Jeetu also came to know that Justin was now a Designer, with Engineers India Limited, who were, Design Consultant for this Project, deployed by the Client M/s. Indian Oil Corporation.

Mind you, this meeting is happening after more than a decade of each of them leaving the School and finishing their studies and now in employment in their respective Companies in their respective field of learning.

It is a sheer coincidence that all of them get to know and meet each other at a construction site in the office where Jeetu is working. It was probably lunch time and Jeetu took Scout to the Office Canteen and had ordered for a light meal and soft drink. Scout was in his site attire which is inclusive of PPE that is compulsory for working in Construction sites.

Scout and Jeetu recollected their fond memories of school days and revealed to each other how they continued with their studies and promised each other to meet more often, to revive their friendship and recollect their past days and share their plans for the future.

It was just when Scout was planning to leave the office of Jeetu that Justin entered the office of Jeetu and Jeetu had Justin sit in his cabin with the promise that he has a surprise to offer in a few minutes.

Scout on the other hand, was on his way out when Jeetu called him to say that Justin is here, if you remember. To which Scout responded by saying that he does not recollect anyone with such a name and he is in a great rush to attend to the work at site and bid goodbye and uttered “see you soon sometime”.

Jeetu came back to his office cabin where Justin was waiting and anxiously enquired, what is the surprise that Jeetu had to offer? Jeetu was now not is the same mood as he was when Scout was leaving and Justin entered his office.

Jeetu responded by saying never mind the surprise and let us focus on what Justin had come to his office for, that is to seek his help in organizing an A1 size copy of the drawing he wanted to submit to the Client M/s. Indian Oil Corporation.