Filter Coffees with Anuj

On 28th Feb '12, when I heard the news of passing away of Anuj Philip - my best friend from college, I was holding a strong filter coffee. The irony of that moment strikes me hard every passing year.

‘Dei – enough of stock dumping da. The stockists’ souls will haunt you’- Anuj said as I walked out after yet another terrible month end dumping. I was selling batteries & torches. He'd already sold TV’s, internet packs and was pushing desktops.

Every month end, we found a new coffee joint and over endless filter coffees, cribbed the shit on our bosses, company & life.

Yeah – we were strange that way. Coffee & Cribs gave us the high.

We were 2 years into our sales lives after being batchmates at B-School. I was having a very tough time as a sales lead.

‘Macha, I am quitting sales da. Just can't handle it’. I said after another terrible month. Anuj knew I was serious. But I was used to his silences before he spoke.

He took a while. Finished his coffee. Asked for a refill. I still remember the glint in his eye as he asked me : ‘Hmm. But what's really scaring you Uday - sales or failure? Because these are for life'

It’s now a line I've used the most in my 22 years as a sales leader. Because, that one question from Anuj changed a lot for me.

It's Anuj's bdday today. But I know he'd still be busy 'Hmm'ng & Asking Big Questions'. In another world. Charming someone. Over another coffee.