The Power of Desperation
Written by Nawika Sharma
Image by Viresh Studio
Sometimes we encounter situations where we have to think on our feet in order to achieve desired results. During my time as a communication trainer, I had a trainee who was a South Korean national working with a prominent Korean conglomerate. He was in the country for some time and my task was to teach him general Hindi phrases, so that he could interact with the staff at the company showrooms he had to visit.
As the training sessions neared their conclusion, the client expressed a desire to me that he wanted to witness a traditional Indian wedding before departing the country. Initially, I believed it would be an easy task, considering it was wedding season and assumed someone would have an invitation. I began reaching out to colleagues, ex-colleagues, distant relatives, and even those I preferred not to meet, in hopes of acquiring an invite. Unfortunately, none of them had an invitation, or perhaps they did not wish to extend one to me.
As the days passed and the client's departure date approached, my heart sank. It seemed he would have to return without fulfilling his wish. However, my landlady came to the rescue when she in passing mentioned to me about a wedding of her colleague's brother. I pleaded with her to secure an invitation, emphasizing the desperation of the situation. Realizing the urgency, she agreed to procure the invite.
Finally, the day arrived, and we all dressed up, ready to attend the wedding. I was residing in Noida at that time, and estimated it would take around hour n half to reach the venue. Considering the traffic, it might even stretch to 2 hours. Therefore, at around 7 p.m., we embarked on our journey, happily conversing. However, after three hours of travel, we had only covered half the distance. I had forgotten to account for the notorious wedding season traffic congestion in Delhi.
Sitting in the car, frustration building up, I realized that by the time we would reach our intended destination, the wedding celebrations would likely be over. Then, I noticed a venue hosting a wedding along the way, and a sudden thought struck me: why not attempt to gate-crash? It was something I had never done before. Convincing everyone and with my heart pounding, confidently entered the venue. I had a ready excuse prepared in case anyone inquired about our presence. We had a great time there enjoyed the delicious spread, took numerous pictures, and departed happily after an hour.
At the end of the day, my client left with cherished memories, his camera filled with happy pictures, and I was content knowing that we had created a truly memorable experience for him.