Tara Books- People behind this name

I am one such a silly person who writes but forgets to put it up on a blog. This is one such an article I wrote in June,2009 when I joined Tara Books. 🙂 It has been a year since and I have added my view as on date as well.

It has been two months exactly since I nudged my way into the small team of Tara Books. I’m a talkative brat who writes just like she talks… I work 3 days a week at Tara and am in charge of book advocacy- keeping in direct contact with our customers.

I thought it’d be good to write about my colleagues- the way I see them as of today!

Sisterhood of travelling pants- Gita Wolf & Geetha

Gita Wolf [Director]

I have a pretty bad memory and remembering names though is a necessary part of my job, is something I fear! They both made my job easier by having same name.

Gita Wolf… hmmmm…she is as colourful as our picture books. Her wide attentive eyes constantly display inquisitiveness and the joyous expression in them reminds me of that of a child. To me it seems she lives by the policy everyday is a new day and in everything she discovers and cherishes something new!

You might chuckle if I say I have seen her only twice! Now now…don’t think I’m just buttering my boss! As I said earlier these are my impressions as of TODAY. If I find that her eyes change their expressions and turn cold, I’ll make sure to update you guys!*evil grin*

She is travelling again!!! This time to collect the Bologna Ragazzi Award for the children’s title “Do!”. She is still as energetic and enthusiastic as I had seen her a year before. And the expressions in her eyes haven’t changed 🙂

V. Geetha [Editor]

I have known her even before I came in to Tara. I have been a listener to her session on “Ethnic Conflicts”, not forgetting to gasp at constant intervals when she churned out historical facts. She had in fact turned into a history book, that which can speak and answer queries!

I got to look and interact with her closely when I came in to Tara Books. She is like a steady placid stream, which has traveled a lot along its course and still has a long way to go but then is silent about its spectacular exploits. I don’t mean SILENT in the literal sense and hope you get me right.  And now, she has also transformed into my Tara Handbook which guides me through my every actions.

****Want to know why I called them “Sisterhood of Traveling pants”? For all these 2 months, both of them have been traveling and have surprised me with the way they manage work wherever they are. If these globe trotters had the magical pant which they want to send across to each other wherever they went, the pants would have been constantly in flight…and the world would have witnessed a war between Professional & FEDEX to grab the opportunity!****

She is still my Tara Handbook and something more.

Arumugam Sir [Production Manager]

He is the poor man who sits straight behind me and to whom I scream every 5 minutes, “Sir! What is….?” He has been in Tara Books as early as Gita Wolf and has been running the production! His brain works non-stop to decide what books to go to production next, taking care of designing and of course to manage the cry of help which erupts from all directions.[especially from me!]

He is also running the printing workshop “AMM Screen printers” which is 3-4 kms away from Tara Office. He has to shuttle between these two places very often. Hmmm…on a second thought may be not as often as I expect his rolling chair to spit fire and fly.

He is still tormented by me.  He is also handling the rights to Tara Books and can’t be more busy. Anybody who discovers that fire spitting chair, contact Tara Books.

Our people in the AMM Screen Printers escaped my introduction as I haven’t been in contact with them much.

Shameem [Finance & Accounts Manager]

I haven’t seen him anywhere else in the office other than his seat. His job as Accountant keeps him glued to his seat. He’s there when I enter office. He’s there when I go for lunch. He’s there when I leave for my house. And… he’s there to help always with a smile on his face. I’m planning to announce a Rs.10,000 prize money for anyone who pulls him out of his chair.

No one has claimed their Rs.10,000 yet 🙂

Nancy [Publishing Assistant, in charge of office administration]

She is the first office administration in charge I have seen with a smile which is not fake. She is another person who has been tormented Monday through Wednesday when I come to office. We both sit exactly side by side. I wonder how she manages to stick the smile on to her face despite my thousand questions. Both our works fall under the same line – sales and that adds more to her burden! 😀 She speaks in such a low voice which threatens to disappear even before the sound reaches my ears. Either I should train her to speak as loud as me [which is hazardous to our fellow colleagues] or I have to sit on her lap to not miss any word of hers. Well, we have to sort it later on!

She speaks as soft as always. But I make her shout with my too many “WHAT????”s. We’ve become two souls locked up in a single job! 😀

Ramya [Accountant]

She is the accounts assistant and I can see her face every time I turn my head to my right! She has a very melancholic look on her face. And like everyone I was cheated by her silent and puny outlook! When she talks she is like the bijli cracker! [which is small but when burst will secretly munch your ear drums]. You will think she was exercising bending her torso up and down but only later will know that she had been busy pulling the carpet under your feet! A laughter riot – that is what our Ramya is.

She is still busy pulling the rugs 🙂

Kavitha [Promotions]

We’re of the same age and she had joined just a month earlier than me. So, I had constantly fallen back on her for assurance – that am doing things right and making mistakes is OK. When we leave for home, I drop her on my way and that 15 minutes everyday was the time which in fact brought us closer. What more than a good gossip to bring two people together?! 😀 Psst psst! She has all the qualities to be my partner in crime too!

She is exactly what I described her as. The ride back home, Marybrown+Dosa Corner+KFC stands proof for our friendship. Sadly she is leaving for her hometown in a month and I will be missing her, so would all at Tara Books.

Jonathan [Designing]

He joined us last month. Our intern for designing from Brazil. He looked just like an infant just now dropped into the world, except that he smiles unlike newly born. He is getting used to Indian weather, people and food. He has managed to fight the Indian heat and his friendliness helped him befriend people as well. Want to know how he is coping with food? Of all things he is to learn to speak in Tamil, he first learnt these two words “Kaaram Vendaam” [means No hot & spice!]. But I am sure by the end of his one year internship he’d me screaming to the roadside shopwalla “Machaan! Oorugaai enga?” [Bud! Where’s the pickle?]

He is coping pretty well and what more? Though he intended to stay just for a year, he’d be with Tara Books for some more time.:) He knows too many languages that I stopped listing them. Though he surprises us with a few Tamil words now & then, still he doesn’t talk in Tamil. Jonathan, myself & Kavitha- Just put us together and we can tease eachother to death.

Jennifer

She was the ex-intern from America who after returning continues to work as our publicist in the US. She also wrote the book “Metamorphosis” for Tara. And…she is one person I’m trying to get hold of since the day I joined Tara Books. Due to her prior commitments and the time difference between two countries, I am unable to skype her. So anyone who finds Jennifer, please tell her I’m still gazing at my monitor [with a sad face] waiting for her email!

This busy bee floods my inbox with emails! She flatters you and spoils you bad with her hefty praises, even for smallest of efforts. Such a sweetie…

David

He was the intern who was here prior to Jonathan. Really a friendly being! He carries an innocent smile and we all miss him. He may not have time to miss us though! Now he must be on his way to Delhi in his bike! Oh yeah! You heard me right. He is rewriting Motorcycle diaries!

Ranjith

Have you seen the way people in post office put the chaapaas? That’s what comes to my mind when I think of him! He keeps packing books for delivery as and when we mercilessly call with fresh orders.

He’s still busily packing…

Senthil

He is very indispensable and is of great help in marketing and administration. He also carries the responsibility of delivering the books and the burden of taking me around to the shops which has our books.

He’s still the same…going round & round in the auto freshly painted by our artist Bhajju…

Disclaimer:

The Author of the article bears no responsibility for whatever implications this article has as it was written completely under the influence of madness.

And…am still suffering from madness…