In the mid-nineties, I took charge as a system administrator at the State Bank of India, HAL Branch, Bengaluru. The job entailed working in shifts since the End of Day (EOD) operations stretched into the wee hours. The branch was the only one in the state and maybe in the country that opened at an odd 8.15 in the morning, probably to synchronise with the factory timings. The EOD exercise would conclude well past midnight, and there were occasions when we spent the night at the branch with pests for company. Thankfully the ordeal ended when an official working in the forex desk earned a promotion, and I was asked to step into his shoes.
The new job was a baptism by fire. Terms like foreign exchange, imports and exports, bank guarantees, FDI, Nostro and Vostro accounts, etc., sounded like Latin and Greek to me, but I slowly and steadily learned the ropes. It was also interesting to interact with clients of all hues. My real oxygen came from meeting and talking with people.
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, a former Indian Air Force pilot and the only Indian citizen to embark on a space journey, was one of my celebrity customers. I marvelled at his accomplishment and grit. He shared many interesting stories on space travel. The staff were quite envious of the camaraderie that we shared, so much so that one of them came up with a request to introduce him to the office colleagues.
When I broached the topic to the astronaut, the response was in the affirmative and my fellow staffers were pleased as punch. Though he was rich and famous, he had the uncanny habit of haggling for better rates for his dollars. Our association ended after I left for a rural centre on promotion. Other celebrity customers included former cricketer Rahul Dravid and his statemate Carlton Saldhana. Given their busy schedule, it was their fathers who transacted on their behalf.
I would like to recall an embarrassing incident that stumped me. A foreigner who walked in to exchange dollars offered me a $100 tip for the express service, but I politely declined. In another instance, while doing duty at the SBI counter at the first Aero Show in Bengaluru, I gave away some complimentary stuff to the Russians who were participating in the event. They reciprocated my gesture by gifting me cute aeroplane cufflinks that I treasure to this day.