Every building has one. Ours had him.

Mr. Venkateswaran Iyer—universally known as Venky Uncle—a man so punctual that even time checked his watch before moving forward.

The Man, The Myth, The 8:00 PM Exit

Sunday wedding reception?

Everyone else: “Let’s stay till dessert.” Venky Uncle:

“We leave by 8:00 PM. Tomorrow is office.” Not go to office. Not reach office.

Office.

Because for Venky Uncle, office wasn’t a place. It was a religion.

He woke up at 4 AM (not PM, because even typos fear his discipline), took a bath, drank filter coffee, and began his day with the Gayatri mantra like a man spiritually CC’ing God before logging into corporate life.

First to enter office. Last to leave. Only after his boss left.

At home? Lights off by U:00 PM sharp. Netflix? Weekend luxury.

Fun? Pending approval.

Plot Twist: HR Calls

One fine day, HR called.

Now in corporate India, HR calling you “for a quick chat” is like your doctor saying, “Don’t worry… just come to the clinic.”

You know something is wrong. And it was.

“Due to restructuring, your services are no longer required.” Just like that.

Thirty years of loyalty reduced to one sentence and a severance calculation.

The Betrayal (Sponsored by Corporate Reality)

Venky Uncle, shocked but still polite (because discipline), walked into his boss Mr. Mukhesh Shah’s cabin.

This was the same boss whose:

family trips he planned

tickets he booked

life he organized

Basically, Venky wasn’t an employee. He was Google Calendar with emotions. And what did he hear?

“You are getting old. Now young girls do this job at lower salary. You should relax… maybe go to the Himalayas.”

Ah yes. The classic corporate retirement plan:

Fire + Spiritual Advice = Compassion

Venky Uncle walked out not just jobless, but with his worldview shattered.

Welcome to the Real World (No Filter Coffee Here)

With two daughters to marry, retirement wasn’t an option. So he took another job.

At Sandera Pharma Pvt. Ltd.

Sounds fancy, right? Wait.

The Boss From Another Dimension

Enter: Mr. Deepak Singh.

Pan-chewing. Whistle-blowing. Respect-optional. This man didn’t use intercom.

He used… animal communication techniques. “Hey!”

“Arre!” “Shoo shoo!”

Venky Uncle—once a dignified executive assistant—was now being summoned like a confused pigeon.

Lunch break? Cancelled. Self-respect? Pending. Sanity? Buffering.

By the time Venky opened his tiffin, it was 4 PM.

By then, his boss had already eaten bhelpuri and destroyed three people emotionally. Fifteen days later, Venky left.

Plot twist: He didn’t even get paid.

Because apparently, suffering was part of onboarding.

The Final Transformation: Corporate to… Everything

Today, Venky Uncle works with a stock broker. And when he says,

“I have sweeping powers,” He’s not joking.

If the sweeper doesn’t show up—Venky sweeps.

If the AC needs to be turned on—Venky arrives early.

If snacks are needed—Venky is Zomato without an app.

His boss, Mr. Hiten Mehta, is not abusive (low bar, but okay), but expectations? High.

Office clean. AC on. Tea ready. Cheques deposited. Bonus level:

Boss’s wife, Mrs. Avani Mehta, conducts surprise inspections like it’s a reality show: “Venky ji, please be more responsible.”

Because clearly, running the entire office wasn’t responsible enough.

The Supporting Cast

One accountant uncle who reports like CID

One peon who may or may not show up

One receptionist who has front-row seats to this daily drama

Total staff: 3

Total chaos: Unlimited

The Real Punch (Because This Isn’t Just Funny)

We laugh. Because honestly, if we don’t, we’ll cry. But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Venky Uncle is not a story. He’s a pattern.

A man who:

gave his life to his job

believed loyalty mattered

thought hard work guaranteed dignity

…was replaced, reduced, and repurposed.

Corporate Lesson 101 (Nobody Tells You This)

Your job loves your work. Not you.

The system will:

praise your dedication

reward your sacrifice

and replace you when convenient

All in the same financial year.

So What Do We Learn?

No, the answer is not:

“Quit your job and move to the Himalayas”

(Mr. Shah has already suggested that enough.) The real takeaway?

Build a life outside work

Set boundaries before life sets them for you

Respect yourself before your job forgets to

And most importantly…

Don’t become indispensable to a system that sees you as replaceable.

Final Thought

Somewhere in our building, every morning at G AM, Venky Uncle still leaves for work. Same discipline. Same sincerity.

Just a very different job.

And every time someone says,

“Arre Venky Uncle, can you just do one small thing?”

Life quietly adds another line to his unofficial job description.

Because in the end, the biggest career shift isn’t the role you take— it’s the respect you lose along the way.

A Closing Thought

Every morning, Venky Uncle still leaves for work at the same time. The discipline remains. The sincerity remains.

But somewhere along the way, the belief that work will take care of you if you take care of it—that belief has softened.

And perhaps that is the real transformation. Not the change in role.

But the shift in understanding.

In a world that constantly redefines value, the most important question is no longer “What do you do?”

It is:

“Who are you, when your job changes?”