The Beauty And The Brain - Episode 9 - Serial With Weekly Episodes

Thanks, Sunitha

I posted the episode just 12 hours early and because of the time difference you were able to see it a whole day early.

I am very happy that I bring so much happiness to you. Please read it and post your comments at your convenience. I shall reply them.
Varalotti

 

Relieved, Prathi!

Dear Prathi,
I feel now relieved and happy because this episode has not fallen into the "run of the mill" types.
The most strenuous part of the episode was Sethu's feelings towards Swetha. He had lived a wholsome life with his wife Raji and after that kind of a life, to fall in love with another woman, even if that woman happens to be the world's most beautiful woman will be difficult.
But Sethu has a soft corner for Swetha because he wants to help her come out of trouble.
As to Swetha, she is reaping what she sowed. Falling in love with a person who doesn't deserve her love.
In fact the great difficulty I face every time is the stopping point. I do want to stop at the righ time but then the size gets changed. One episode is 1900 words and another is 3000 words. Then either I had to cut the size or increase it or add one more scene.
I am very happy that you liked that stopping point.
thanks once again,
sridhar

 

Thanks Vidya!

Hi Vidya,
Many people subscribe to the view that not only accounts but also accountants are boring. One of my young clients says that the only thing more boring than talking to an accountant is to listen to his talking.
When I dress in a bright colour dress, the first reaction I get is "Sridhar, you don't dress like an accountant; you dress like a Marketing Manager."
When handled in the right way by the right person, even Accounts can be interesting. Though I don't have the rich experience my hero has I have had my own share of forensic audits. Found out cash misappropriation in Pune, unearthed a fraud in a Sivakasi company and assessed the extent of fraud in a Singapore firm. While handling these assignments (and several others) I get so excited that I can't even sleep in the night.
The central core of this serial was taken from the case diary of a Mumbai Chartered Accountant. I got only the facts. I introduced Swetha, Sharada and Khan to make it more palatable.
Thanks for everything,
sridhar

 

The Best Is Yet To Come or atleast I think so!

Dear Chitra,
Thanks for the kind words. To use your own Mission Statement, the best is yet to come. Or atleast I think so.
While writing the Raji Sethu conversation, I had tears in my eyes.
I have described about NI's demonstrative culture. But now when I go to Bangalore or Chennai, I find the same thing. I think the difference that existed between Bombay and Madras in those days, is now there between Chennai and Madurai.
A few years back I saw a girl smoking in Airlines Hotel. I have seen many girls smoking. But the way this girl held her cigarrette and the way she tipped the ashes and her stylish pose - it was defly not a turn on, but I had a cultural shock in the same way Sethu had when his beautiful client kissed him.
My regret now is that I don't have any women clients. ha ha ha
Thanks for the wonderful words, Chitra.
sridhar

 

Thank You Usha

Thanks for the nice words. There's no need to rack your professional brains lest reading this serial should become a professional assignment for you.
Actually I lifted the forensic audit part from the case diary of a Mumbai Chartered Accountant.
I have also not worked on ACL. But saw the demo version which they gave to us as part of the ISA course here in Madurai.
But now we have a much cheaper product CAATlyze which is as good as ACL. Just now training on that.
Using an audit software is not rocket science. You should know how to query a database. If you know basics of SQL it's pretty easy. But it's very powerful.
I loaded my clients data - a 20 crores- textile retailer and by the first glance could point out the varieties where his margins are low. He has more than 5000 items in his inventory and his sales book for one financial year contains five lakhs records. The software took just 10 seconds to give a list of low margin items.
Thanks once again,
sridhar

 

I Appreciate The Candour, Sudha!

Dear Sudha,
I am happy to have got a chance to explain those two scenes a) the dialouge between Sethu and Raji and b) the NI culture.
I have tried to portray Sethu in the most realistic fashion. Sethu has been a faithful husband and a man of character, no doubt. But he is not a saint. So seeing the world's most beautiful woman falling in love with him he is also disturbed. Any man in his place will have some feelings of guilt and think about some intimate moments he had shared with his wife. After love making many husbands and wives feel very close to each other and it's at that time they speak out what's in the deepest parts of their hearts.
This serial is a love story and not a crime thriller. It's not even a spooky thriller like the haunted house where I have to maintain a fast paced story movement. So I am taking the liberty of bringing out what's there in the minds of the hero and the heroine.
Even now many South Indian families are not demonstrative in their show of affection. But NIs are a different lot. I had to bring in the cultural differences to make Sethu understand that Swetha flying into his arms is not her declaration of love for him.
Work to some extent affects one's personality.
When we go as a group and check out of a hotel I would be the only person to verify the bill. And if the bill is not computerised I will even check the totals. People have called me stingy; but I can't help it. At times I find that the hotel staff had omitted to add something. I honestly report that also and get chided by my friends.
But when I find out an obvious error and save money for my friends then they praise me.
That exactly is the fate of the present day accountants especially in India. When we find out something and save money for our clients they simply hug us as Sethu's NI client did. But many a time we have to tell our clients that they are going in the wrong direction. And when that happens they just change their accountant.
As I said in my reply to one of the accountant members of IL, I am dedicating this serial to the Indian Accounting profession which is grossly underrated.
So please indulge when I sing praises about my profession. After all this is the only forum I can do that. Elsewhere people won't listen.
Thanks for the honest comments. If you are not saitsfied with this reply please do tell. I'll try again.
regards,
sridhar