55. Strange decision

"Then being its chief lawyer is huge task. And I'm sure that ever since the company started it's international operations the workload has doubled."

"You're right about that." Mr Chauhan nodded again.

Tanmoy went silent again and suddenly in the quiet room, Mr Chauhan's periodic sipping of tea became weirdly loud and prominent. But he did not seem to mind that as his sole focus on Tanmoy who was yet to come out of his world.

After a long five minutes, Tanmoy let out a deep sigh, "Mr Chauhan... once again, I'm extremely delighted that you,whom I treated as my idol, deemed me worthy enough to be your substitute. But... I'm sorry. I have to refuse your kind offer."

"Why do say so Mr Chakraborty? I don't think you're someone who doesn't know their worth. And I believe you know the range of opportunities you'll get not only for yourself but also for your firm if you agree. Moreover, if you start working for Jet, they might even think about recruiting you as the permanent chief lawyer. I'm offering you this position knowing I might lose this job." Mr Chauhan said.

The last part was obviously a joke to which everybody laughed. Tanmoy may have risen to fame recently but Mr Chauhan's years of experience and accomplishments in his field was not something so easily replaceable. And Tanmoy knew that fact well. Still, he decided to play along with his joke.

"I don't want to steal your job Sir. But you're right about the fact that I can do so if I put my mind to it. Anyways, I'm refusing your offer for for several reasons.You said you'll be away for some time and it's not a short period either. But you didn't say the exact duration of your leave. Meaning, even you're uncertain about when you'll be back." Tanmoy leaned over his knees.

"But most importantly, I volunteer to open and fight for unjustly closed and unsolved cases free of cost, regardless of them being major or minor. And I need to travel to different parts of the country for that. I generally get about ten such requests per month. Sometimes the count goes higher. So it takes up a lot of my time. That's why I don't think I'll be able to juggle working for Jet and this."

"Are you sure? You might not know this but Jet treats it's employees very generously. And the position I'm offering you has a salary much higher than what you earn annually." Mr Chauhan probed.

"I'm certain. I won't stop my volunteer work even if it means I have to pass up the big salary I'll receive from Jet."

Mr Chauhan nodded with a flicker of surprise in his dark grey eyes. He had only ever read about the young lawyer's achievements, so he was still doubtful about his work ethics, perception, sharpness and intelligence. But his skeptimism gradually dissipated as he listened to him. He also appreciated Tanmoy taking pride in his capabilities. Appointing someone who is not even confident in their own skills, to such an important position would itself crumble the department's morale. Let alone tackle difficult cases.

He needed someone who could make up their lack of experience with their presence of mind. One with decades of experience could lose a simple case despite the counsel being an amateur simply for their lack of intellect. The difficulty in dealing with court proceedings may not always lie in collecting evidence but in the way of presenting it. Even if a case started with the first party taking the lead and the second one having little chances of winning, the situation is still reversible. Experience only helps to understand the situation better but turning the tide requires perception, sharpness and intelligence.

Tanmoy joined his hands and continued, "Although you came here for me, I'm content with what I earn from the clients accepted by the firm. So I have to refuse you. I'm sorry."

"What makes you think I came here for you?" Mr Chauhan asked.

Tanmoy smiled politely and said, "I believe that an esteemed person like you won't roam around without a goal. You must've had someone in your mind before venturing into your journey. Since you came here and Mr Bakshi called for me, then it's definitely because you insisted him to do so. Otherwise Mr Bakshi knows I wouldn't accept your proposal and I'm sure he already told you about that. You didn't look surprised by my rejection."

Mr Chauhan's smile broadened.

"When you were telling me the purpose of your arrival there was expectation, doubt and confidence in your tone. Expectation for my answer — whether Mr Bakshi was telling the truth. Doubt about my capabilities, and confidence because you felt that I wouldn't refuse."

Tanmoy straightened up and looked Mr Chauhan in the eye, "But you've failed to convince me with the promise of a high salary and fame. Then, what's with that look on your face?"

Mr Chauhan remained silent for a while and then laughed out loud.

"You'll see. But first, good job. Now I'm certain you're worthy of your title of the number one advocate of the country. And you didn't add the typical correct me if I'm wrong at the end. This means you're confident in your theory and believe in it. And it is true. I came here for you only. And when I spoke to Mr Bakshi about the purpose of my visit, he indeed warn me about your refusal. But I'm curious about the rest of the several reasons why you want to reject me."