My own Anish Bhai

ANISH Bhai. The man who makes us laugh with his one-liners, his jokes will no longer be with us. He has made up his mind to leave us and seek better pastures. He wants a new audience.

I know it has been 5 years for him in Cordiant and he is eager to move out and make his mark.

I had the privilege to know him when I had come to Cordiant for the interview on 23 September, 2004. Since I was a person who was new to Kochi, I had reached Cordiant a good 2 hours earlier. I had this buffer set since I was not sure if I could find the place. I had never ever come to the Kadavanthara side alone.

On reaching Cordiant, my interview which was scheduled at 4:30 pm was taken at 2:15 pm. Probably Rekha Ma'am and Anish bhai thought that it would not be worth making me wait for an interview scheduled at 4:30 pm. My first acquaintance of Anish had been after the interview. In the reception, which is now the HR room, I remember Anish walking with me and Rekha Ma'am ahead of us. Anish turned to me and started speaking. He was speaking as if to a long lost friend. The best part was he was speaking to me in Hindi, the language I grew up with and knew very well. I also knew that this language is a foreign language in God's own country. I guess, we clicked off together in the first meeting itself.

It has been a roller coaster ride for me from then on. I joined Cordiant on the 5th of October, 2004 and am currently putting down these words for you.

Rekha Ma'am and Anish Bhai have always been around to support me in whatever I planned and initiated out here. Two pillars on whom I relied for most of my decisions and tasks which I have undertaken successfully. He was not only a support to me, but also to our dear Rekha Ma'am.

Once he is gone, one of my pillars of foundation is gonna just vanish; and the whole load is gonna fall on Rekha Ma'am. It will be a big load for her. She knows it too.


He has been a constant support to her through thick and thin, whatever situation arises; they would collectively take the decision. Guys 'n' Gals, I hope you remember the times we had the going rough with our client and they have always been around to help us out and give us the valuable insights to resolve the situation.


It has been a far cry from those days, when I had just joined Cordiant and there was a small QA team. Find below a poem that pays homage to that team.


Our QA Team, led by Rekha
Who knows, where to draw the line;
In India, it’s call’d, Laxman Rekha
Her motivation, makes us stand out and shine.



Second in command, Anish
Always there, to lift up, our spirits;
For he knows, our boredom, how to banish
Will little jokes, having us in splits.



Cool member, Shihab
In, he always strolls, with a smile;
For me, he is a center of rehab
Bcoz, to us, is refreshing, his infectious smile.



My pal who joined with me, John Jose
His Office hours, dictated by a train;
On days, when Cochin due to hartal, is close
Early to office, he is, to avoid undue strain.



Myself, the author of these lines, Abhilash
Everybody’s aware, my weaknesses, laughter ‘n’ food;
Without which, my system, ‘ll take a beat ‘n’ bash
Nobody can deny, my food, to their faces, does good.


When I wrote this poem, the most prominent feature in Anish that I have observed and analyzed was taken up. We are really really going to miss him. His loss means a lot to us. He has been a friend, a guide, a mentor, a buddy; all rolled into one. Probably he played more roles than what I have mentioned in here.

Rekha Ma'am is gonna miss him special. His jokes kept her always smiling and laughing and I can see the smile missing once Anish bhai decided to move out of Cordiant. I remember those days when Anish is on a long leave and poor Ma'am had nothing to smile and laugh about, all down. She would be alone without Anish by her side. Once he was back, the smile would reappear on her face and her eyes would be lit up. I know Ma'am, it is painful for you. It is painful for us. Anish has been special to us in our own way. Everybody will swear by that.

Well, Anish Bhai. Nothing we can do to change your mind. Hope I could force you to change your mind. The best we can do is wish you the best and you always be cheerful, happy and outgoing as you are. We'll miss you dearer.