Ministry of the Common Man
Ravi Masoor was an ordinary man. After a lifetime of public service as a postmaster, he switched to a career in politics. He did well, and by a quirk of destiny and the complexities of coalition politics he ended up becoming India’s external affairs minister.
Unlike his cabinet colleagues, Masoor declined all official amenities and decided to continue living as a common man. Living an ordinary life would allow him to better empathize with his fellow aam aadmis.
Besides, an austere life would set an example for others in public service. He could not let himself enjoy a life of comfort while his countrymen plodded their way through hardship.
He lived in a tiny MIG flat in Dwarka and drove a Maruti Wagon R to work. The car happened because going to work on his Hero Honda Splendor became too big of a security concern. He had no domestic help (demeaning to fellow Indians), paid his phone/bijli bills himself, and lived a contented life with his wife and three little kids.
The US Secretary of state was on a state visit, and Masoor was scheduled for a meeting with her today. Pakistan had been firing on the border, and there had been increased incidents of intrusion in Kashmir. China on the other front, wasn’t any less busy with its aggressive stance on the border disputes and would routinely shake a diplomatic rifle at India.
India had been pleading with the US for some diplomatic show of support, but things were in a state of statemate stalemate.
Today’s meeting was going to be crucial.
This was peak load shedding season and there had been no power for the last 20 hours. The inverter was long gone. Somehow he spent the night preparing for the big meeting in candlelight. The kids proposed keeping a bucket nearby for the sweat. Evaporation would help cool down the room, they had just learned in school.
Somehow the night passed, and he was ready for work.
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