10. VICTORY OF DUTY: STORY OF HONESTY OF AN AGM: PART – 2
Continued from Part 1……….
A March of Outrage:
With banners, documents, and placards in hand, the team set out on foot towards Mr. Johnson’s residence.
Their faces were solemn, but their voices crackled with righteous thunder:
“Return the bank’s money!
This money belongs to the people, to the nation.
It is the trust of the poor, not yours to squander!”
A crowd began to gather in the street.
The media had already been alerted. Live coverage was underway.
Every news channel now headlined: “Bank vs. Johnson Pharmaceutical .”
Just then, Mr. Johnson’s servant rushed in, panting.
“Sir! Look at the TV… look what they’re showing! The bank officials are protesting outside our house!”
Mr. Johnson turned towards the screen. His face tensed, then fell still. There, on national television, was D’Souza and his team shouting slogans. His grand home — once a symbol of pride — had become a public declaration of shame.
It struck deep. He drew a long breath and slowly rose from his chair.
A flicker of rage danced in his eyes. He turned the volume down, inhaled deeply, and said in a firm, ice-cold tone to his servant:
“Call them all…
Bring everyone inside…
And stop this shouting!”
There was no yelling in his voice, but the weight of his command was like the silence before a storm.
Inside the Mansion
Led by the Assistant General Manager, Mr. D’Souza, the bank team followed the servant into the grand interior. They entered what could only be described as a royal lounge — magnificent chairs and sofas, velvet carpets, soaring ceilings, and a chandelier that glittered like a crown.
Mr. Johnson, now composed, gestured softly.
“Please… come, let us speak.”
AGM Mr. D’Souza stepped forward like a true leader and replied,
“We have come precisely to talk.”
Without glancing at the luxurious furniture, he sat down directly on the floor. His team looked at one another, surprised by the gesture — why sit on the floor amidst such opulence? But without a word, each followed suit and sat behind him. Something stirred within Mr. Johnson at the sight.
“Why are you sitting on the floor?” he asked.
“Please… be seated properly.”
AGM Mr. D’Souza smiled gently and replied,
“We can speak just as well from here. Please… tell us what you wish to say.”
Mr. Johnson exhaled.
“I’ve already told you — I don’t have the money.
Recover it from my partners, Mr. Bob and the others.
I have nothing left to give, and I will not give anything. They’ve destroyed my company. My reputation… my name… all ruined. I’ve been gravely ill for the past five months. During that time, my partners turned corrupt.
They not only sank the company but also defaulted on the loans.
I request you — have some tea and leave.
I have nothing more to say.”
At that moment, tea arrived. The servant stood nearby with a tray.
AGM Mr. D’Souza’s face turned firm.
“Forget the tea. We won’t even drink your water until you say ‘yes.’
This money isn’t mine, and I’m not here pleading for personal reasons.
This is the nation’s money, the people’s trust,
Millions who placed their savings in our bank. I will not let this money be devoured. This is the wealth of my country, of my people.”
**This paragraph shows the code of ethics in the banking system
Mr. Johnson’s tone shifted, darkened:
“The rest of my so-called partners, I will deal with them myself.
I’ve recovered enough now. I’m going to file charges against them for fraud under IPC section 420 B. They will pay for what they’ve done to me.
I won’t let them walk free. Their careers, their lives — I will shatter everything.
The money is gone… fine, I don’t mourn that. But what they did to my name, the humiliation they caused, that, I will not forgive.”
He paused, then added with sharp irony:
“You say this money belongs to the people… that it’s in the bank’s care.
Tell me, what does the bank give you in return for such honesty?
How much do you earn a month? Two lakhs? Two and a half?
Very well… I’ll give you one crore.
Take it, and walk away quietly. Stop this circus.
Why risk your life for such a small salary?”
AGM Mr. D’Souza was about to respond, but at that moment, Johnson’s security guards began to move forward. The message was clear — enough was enough. Time to throw them out. But Mr. Johnson raised a hand and halted them.
His voice softened. It trembled with emotion. “Mr. AGM,” he said, “you’re letting your emotions get the better of you…”
But AGM Mr. D’Souza replied with a quiet smile:
“My salary feeds my family.
But the money that people entrust to my bank that sustains my country, and I will not watch that money be squandered.”
“A Debt of Honor”
AGM D’Souza stood tall; his voice steady but burning with conviction.
“Do you know how many poor labourers have deposited their hard-earned, sweat-soaked savings into this bank?
How many mothers stayed awake through countless nights, toiled through scorching days, saving every rupee and placing their hopes in us?
How many small shopkeepers, after years of struggle and sacrifice, trusted us with their life’s earnings?
They didn’t invest in numbers.
They invested in faith.
And we can not—we will not—break that trust.
You may take my life if you must, Mr. Johnson.
But I will walk out of here only with that ₹200 crore.
Until you hand over that cheque, I will neither drink your water nor touch your tea.”
****(Harvard Business School study about integrity in leadership)
There was a long pause.
Then AGM Mr. D’Souza continued, his voice softer, but every word a sharp blade:
“Just moments ago, you were speaking of your deceitful partners…
How their betrayal broke you. How they destroyed your company, your image, your name — everything you had built.
You said you were burning inside with the injustice they inflicted upon you,
And that you would take severe action against them.
And now, in the very same breath…
You ask me to accept one crore rupees —To betray my duty, my bank, my nation? Mr. Johnson…
Just for a moment, put yourself in my shoes.
Would it be fair — even human —
To ask another man to walk the very path of fraud that has left you so broken?
The same crime you just called ‘treachery’ —
Would you now have me commit it?”
These words struck Mr. Johnson like a thunderclap from within.
He stared at AGM Mr. D’Souza — not with anger, but with awe and said, “For the first time in my life,” he whispered, his voice trembling,
“I’ve seen a man speak… not for his own wealth, but for the wealth of his nation.”
And just like that, something cracked open inside him.
Tears welled up in his eyes. He felt small before Mr. D’Souza’s honesty — his resolve. And deep in his heart, a thought echoed: “If only I’d had a partner like this… Someone who wouldn’t trade his loyalty for a handful of coins
If only this man had once stood beside me in my company…”
With a sudden firmness, he called out,
“Where’s the current valuation of our Australian property?”
The manager fumbled briefly with a calculator, then answered,
“Sir, it’s worth around ₹350 crores.”
“Advertise it,” Mr. Johnson said. “In every major Australian newspaper.
We’re selling that property.”
Then he turned to his HR manager.
“Bring me my cheque-book.”
He wrote two cheques,
One for ₹200 crores.
The other for ₹12 crores.
Walking up to AGM Mr. D’Souza, he placed a hand on his shoulder, and with tears still lingering in his eyes, he said:
“If only a man like you had come into my life earlier…I am proud of you, Mr. D’Souza. Proud of your integrity. A bank that has men like you will never fail, it will always rise.”
Handing him the cheques, he added with a smile,
“Here’s your ₹200 crore and here’s ₹12 crore from me as a deposit.
If there are any interest dues or penalties, deduct them from this.”
Then, almost laughing through the emotion, he added,
“Well then… I think now we can finally have that cup of tea.”
The room burst into laughter.
The air, heavy moments ago with tension, now rang with applause.
The entire team erupted with cheers,
“Long live Mr. Johnson!”
“Long live AGM D’Souza!”
——————————————-
The Fire of Integrity
When a man stands unwavering in his duties — with absolute honesty and conscience, he doesn’t just challenge corruption, greed, or immorality…
He shakes the soul of even the most broken. One seemingly ordinary bank officer, through sheer integrity, patriotism, and service,e had moved the heart of an industrialist drowning in his failures. This story reminds us that when a person rises above selfish gain and begins to think of society, of the nation,
He alone can become the catalyst for monumental change.
Honesty is not weakness. It is the strongest force in the world.
It is the invisible power that can humble the mightiest and mend what even fate had shattered, and the fire of truth, when nurtured with courage, can melt even the most fortified walls… and make the world bow in respect.
Author: Tirthan Ryder
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