Pass and Aggregate : Chapter 16 Prayers Heard

Chapter 16: Prayers Heard

Beginning in Ahmedabad began on a sad note with Anushka departing and the amazing journey coming to an end. Still there was hope of meeting her again. Although it was premature to predict a romance while I just had embarked on a friendship note yet something told me that the journey has started. My prior experience with love was not a very remember able affair but that had not dither me from reentering the world of ardor with new zeal and enthusiasm.

My thoughts of romance were cut short by the accountant Jignesh who came to receive me at the Bus Stop.

“So how was your journey?” asked Jignesh.

I just answered “Good” (remembering Nagendra Rao’s instruction to behave in an ‘appropriate manner’).

Ahmedabad was not a big city like Mumbai or Delhi but there was something charming about it. The sun shone brightly and it signaled the mercury that would be reaching during the day. I was exhausted and although I had the best journey of the life time still I was tired.  I kept on thinking about Anushka during the passage to the guest house from bus stop but that never provided me the respite from the blazing sun.

After reaching the guest house I thought maybe an hour nap before beginning the work would be good enough for me, but ‘Employee proposes Boss Disposes’. My boss called me within fifteen minutes of my reaching the guest house. I was taking the bath while the phone rang; I thought it might be Aakshya asking my whereabouts in her city but no my boss was more concerned than my sister and they say blood is thicker than water.

“So have you reached the guest house?” asked boss in his eternal rude and dominating tone.

“Yes ….Sir, Good Morning”. I replied while I was drying myself with the towel, yet still soaked in the fresh droplets of instantaneous infatuation.

“Now go and start the work, remember I want you to complete the work as soon as possible and please do not procrastinate.” said Gupta.

“Yes Sir, I will try”, I meekly replied.

“I want to see the results, do you get it”, he told and then disconnected the call. It was his usual way of talking over phone. I mean he never realized how rude he was and most of the times he lacked the basic etiquette and manners of a telephonic conversation.

The day ahead was busy and tiresome, learning the process of the company for the audit and then trying to figure out the way in which I could start the same, I was lost over and over again in the labyrinth. I continued going over the audit documents of last year and the instructions I got from my office.

“Sir we will have the lunch at the Canteen (to be read as ‘Kaen teen’, in total Gujarti accent) before I show you the rest of the documents” asked Jignesh closing the files on my table. He was visibly hungry so I agreed for the lunch at the canteen of the company.

It was during the lunch when Akshyaa called up.

“Where are you Anna, you should have called me, I am waiting since morning………” and Akshyaa continued with one way traffic and without punctuations till I interrupted “I am Sorry, but now I have to go and I will come to meet you in evening, and then you can give me sermons of do’s and dont’s ”.

The food was edible yet excessively sweet and I almost felt that I was gorging on the dessert instead of the main course. Although Jignesh was jingoistic about the Gujarti food, at the table he almost convinced me that the Gujarti food is the best in the world and in near future it would overcome the popularity of Chinese and Italian and Mexican gourmet. It was his attempt to convert me from a Tam Brahm to a Gujarti, although that is a task impossible since Tamils are too proud to even consider that yet Jignesh’s sweetness was overpowering than the sweetness in the food.

I was meeting Akshyaa after a long time; she was the same yet appeared different.  She had transformed her looks and appeared more trimmed and smarter. She took me inside the temple of the highest education in India, IIM Ahmedabad. It was a normal place although I seriously believe that they should get their wall plastered and coated but according to Akshyaa the brick structure gave more aesthetic appeal to the institute.

“Anna, Thank God you are here now you are going to help with the Accounts and Finance stuff, it is so boring I cannot do it”, Akshyaa remarked while showing off the book in her hand while I was at the guided tour of the world famous institution.

And for me this moment was once in a life time situation, the dinosaur was finally scared of something and she asked me for help. The feeling that surmounted me was in no way lesser than the feeling one could get after winning an Oscar, I knew that never in life this moment would ever occur again, and I wanted to seize the opportunity before she changes her mind.

I said “Yes dear I am here to help (in a tone of triumph), Accounts is like part of me, and I will help you out. She smiled sarcastically and I was handed over the book there itself. Looking at the book my over the top reaction disappeared and I said “Now please let us go for dinner, I am really hungry”. Both of us went out for the dinner in perfect cordial way although that was unusual. We talked of everything right from her classmates to my officemates, my work to her assignments, her infatuation to my fascination. I realized that Akshyaa was now more of a friend than of the irksome sibling. She was more understanding and less critical of me. Maybe someone has rightly remarked that siblings are the in house version of friends.

Leaving her to the hostel and returning to the guest house, I thought of Anushka. I decided to call her up to say a good night but my ambitions got a jolt soon since I lost the paper on which she had written her number. My whole thoughts from friendship to dating and then may be to a happy ending came to a standstill. My carelessness cost me dearly; I was flabbergasted and kept on blaming myself for the recklessness. In just few moments I became upset and I called up Akshyaa as she was the only one who knew of my latest craze about Anushka.

“What you lost her number, wow! You are such a pathetic creature, a girl handout you her number and you in the feeling of ecstasy lost the only contact you had of her” she exclaimed.

She was right but her approach was not. I fail to understand when confronted with a grim situation the fairer sexes always want to evaluate “What happened wrong in the past”? But not “What can we do in future”? I neither liked this thing about my mother nor about Akshyaa. May be even during an earthquake they will try to analyze which seismic activity lead to the earthquake rather than running away from the affected place.

“I know”, I said almost crackling up under the intense pressure of losing the number and my sister’s scolding.

“Now please try to search her on Facebook” she suggested.

“Hmmm, ok I will, good night and take care”. I said cutting the conversation.

Facebook is not a bad idea, these days almost everyone from our age is using the social networking site, “but what if she does not exist in the networking world”, I thought. And even if she does, how would I search someone with the name ‘Anushka Patel’, I mean it is a common name these days, and what if she wants to search me, even ‘Adithya Iyer’ is a pretty common name these days I thought. My parents should have kept a more uncommon name for me and even her parents were at fault I thought. But I was determined to search her and with so many questions in mind I logged on to Facebook. As predicted there were 500+ people with that name on Facebook.  I tried searching few profiles but being much tired I slept only to hope that I find her by all means as soon as possible.

The next day at work was even more demanding, the end of my work was not in sight and my search of the perfect soul mate was now lurking somewhere behind, with every passing day the searches on profile were not yielding any result, I kept on refining results but she has disappeared without any trace. I had lost all hopes on finding her. Days just flew by and it was ten days after which I landed in Ahmedabad that I got Facebook friend request from none other than Anushka, I could not believe my eyes, after so many frantic profile searches and endless wait I finally was able to reconnect with her.

I added her as a friend and while I was viewing her profile I got a message from her on the Facebook Chat 

Anushka Patel: Hi Adithya

Where d hell r u?

I thought I will get a call from you on d same day…..

Me: Hiiiiiii, Sorry but I lost the number L, bt hw r u??

Anushka Patel: No yaar, I dnt believe u, u were avoiding me L, even I searched and found you out, you could hv done same.

Me: Trust me Anushka, plz trust me I tried and on daily basis I searched profiles but I could not find u, u can go over the history of my laptop.

Anushka Patel: No, hw can I trust u, who loses a grls number dese days ?

Me : Plz forgive me dis time, can I take u out for Coffee and we make up. It is a date. (I was praying so that she says yes, but somewhere deep in my heart, I knew she will not refuse).

Anushka Patel: Ohkay, yes, I wud pick u up this Saturday where and what time???

Me: Funny.

Anushka Patel: And what is so funny abt it???

Me: I mean a guy and grl on date and girl picking up d guy……

Anushka Patel: dat is such a Chauvinist comment Adithya. I m rethinking on my decision to go on a date wid u.

Me: No, plz I am sorry again, okay pick me up at 6:00 clock, Saturday evening from Law Garden.

Anushka Patel : okay now give ur number to me rt now, bcoz I give u who knows u might lose it again.

Me : no plz, my number 98*******4, and plz give me a missd call.

Anushka Patel: Sure and now I am going off to sleep it is late.

I saw the time and it twelve at the night, she gave me a missed call and I saved it on my mobile. I was ecstatic after the Chat and now I had to wait till Saturday, and today was Thursday. A sense of anxiety surrounded me; I could not believe what was happening around me. But somehow Shruti reappeared in my mind, maybe I was so hurt that I needed a closure and though time had elapsed but the wound remained. I always thought that I would never fall for anyone again but I constantly prayed to God to heal me of the ill feelings that I bore and carried. I was in two minds, on one hand I became unsure of my decision to date Anushka, I thought maybe I am just rushing into things, on other hand I wanted to give a try. Finally I tossed and it said ‘Heads’ which meant I was not going on a date. But that is not a rational way of thinking so I had to go, and so I went. No risk no gain was the last thought that came to my mind.

That day Anushka picked me up, I was not so sure of sitting behind a girl on a two wheeler but then I hardly got time to think, I was taken to this posh urban café which has replaced the old places of romance. The cafés these days have certain homogeneity about their interiors, their menus and the crowd which come to enjoy their lattes or espresso. When we entered the café it was the same stereotyped setting with an uninspiring environment but thankfully the August Company was a respite.

“You know, Aditya (Bang on pronunciation), I simply like this café.” She said, trying to figure out a good seat for us. “There” she said pointing to a corner; it was a secluded place comparatively. We sat there talking endlessly; I don’t remember what we were talking about but it was one of the finest conversations that I had in my life. She appeared so calm and composed yet excited enough to have the spark while she spoke and I was mesmerized rather enchanted with her aura, with every passing second I liked her even more, I wanted to possess her. I know it sounds rather lecherous but I confess that I just wanted her to be with me. Our conversation had silences too but I guess the eyes talked when the lips were silent, and then it was time to leave. I felt a piercing pain while we were leaving the café, the place which according to my standards was an over rated place suddenly was pinnacle of romance. My fable for that night was nearing to an end and now I was in a dilemma to kiss or not to kiss. Kiss is a small word but it implies a lot. It is the worst kind of predicament a guy can ever go through but I guess almost every guy would have gone through it. My mind was working at a blazing speed but heart had stopped beating.

“Should I ask her? No a kiss has to be spontaneous, girls like it that way, but what if she is not ready as yet, and then she decides never to see me again, after all it is our first date, and what if she wants a kiss but if I back out she considers me as a spineless loser, good for nothing fellow but then again girls are complicated souls we are new friends and being friendly is different from sharing a kiss because you can seldom return to being just friends” I was philosophizing all this while we were walking towards the parking.

“So why are you quiet? Say something” she said.

“Hmm, nothing it was my one of the best evenings of my life, but sadly it ended” I replied in rather quiet and somber tone without actually revealing about the whirlpool of temptations going inside my mind.

“So are you going to end your finest evening like that?” She asked.

Looking confused I asked “What do you mean, I…”, before I could even complete my sentence she stood on the tip of her toes and kissed me on my cheek. The whole world around me stood still, “Was this the green signal, should I now kiss her” I thought.

Returning back to her normal elevation after the small peck she was looking away from me, just then I held her hand and kissed her. No it was not on the lips but on the forehead. The moment was magical and it was exhilarating too. But after the kiss she hardly spoke, the silence killed me; I kept on wondering what went wrong, she just said ‘bye’ while leaving me at the guest house.

My anxiety was not sparing me, I felt so low, and when I got a SMS from Anushka, my heart skipped a beat, with trembling hands I picked up the mobile and read the message.

The message just said “Thanks, your kiss on the forehead was least expected but most memorable, you have swept me off the floor with your chivalry, I think I like you more than a friend”.

Love once again knocked my door and I was there to welcome it whole heartedly. Few feelings cannot be explained love is one of those feelings; it can surprise you, shock you, stun you and change your perspective towards life for positive. After being dejected in love once I never thought I would trust anyone with my heart and it would only be leap of faith for me to ever look out for love. I always prayed to God to heal me and finally God started hearing my prayers.

Pass & Aggregate Chapter 15 New Begnnings

Chapter 15: New Beginnings

Future was a matter of huge concern when I was posted to Ahmedabad for Audit purpose. All my friends in Mumbai were going to start with the coaching class as CA Final exams were just 6 months away, but I had no strategy to approach my studies and on top of it I was being posted to an alien city for 3 months at a stretch. I was sure that I will miss out on my studies. My parents once again tried to convince me to come back to Delhi, where I could have continued my articleship and attended coaching even while living in the luxury of my home. After giving a exhaustive thought I declined the suggestion, which later I thought was one of the biggest mistake of my life but I still continued with my plan of suicide.

“Ahmedabad is not that alien place, after all Akshyaa is staying in that city for a year.” I said consoling myself while I was collecting audit related documents from the office before finally leaving for the destination of my punishment.

“Have you taken all the necessary documents?” asked Nagendra Rao.

I just shook my head.

“And you are staying there at the guest house of the client, so it would be better if you could behave yourself in an appropriate manner” Nagendra retorted.

“Appropriate manner?” I asked, wondering when my behavior was inappropriate.

“You are not arguing with me, should I talk to Mr. Gupta about it” he said in his usual dominating tone.

I was in no mood to fight with the sly snake; I just wanted to leave the place to have some breathing space far from the cubicles and the piles of office files, far from the villains and vamps of our office.

I said “ I have taken all that is needed and yes I will behave in an APPROPRIATE (stressing on the word) way during my stay at Ahmedabad.”

While I was coming out of the office, each and everyone was looking at me with sympathy, I knew the audit at Ahmedabad was considered as somewhat like the ‘Saaza- E – Kaalapani’, no I am not hyping or overstating but this was a general perception in the office, the most notorious article was given the audit. Even Pinkesh Patel came and patted on my shoulder and gave a glance that is seldom given in the moments of happiness. The immense burden of work, no social contacts and extreme weather made this audit the harshest amongst all. Either in those three months the person would improve in levels of sycophancy or would leave the office permanently, in either case it was a win-win situation for the management. In military terms I was being given ‘Code Red’ as given in US Army to discipline the soldiers.

Kripal came to see me off at the Bus Stop, he sympathized with me, he also suggested me to leave the office and return to Delhi but I do not know what made me stick to the ground. May be deep in my heart I was expecting a new beginning away from my office.

It was late at night when the Non AC Coach started towards Ahmedabad. I was lost in my thoughts till my co passenger requested me for a seat change.

“Can I sit on the window seat” she asked.

My deep thought process came to a arrest; I could not have said no that would not have been chivalrous and civilized. Although I hate sitting on aisle (especially when travelling without an AC) seat still I exchanged the seat with her.

“Where are you going”? she asked.

“Ahmedabad” I replied.

“Oh! Where in Am-daa-baad”? She stressed on each and every syllable trying to correct my pronunciation of her beloved city.

“I have no idea, but some place called Navrangpura, you see I am new to the place someone will come to receive me.” I blurted.

“You are going for the first time to Amdabad, I am sure you will love it, by the way are you on personal or professional trip”? She continued interrogating me.

“Professional” I replied.

“So what is your name?”She asked again.

“Adithya Iyer”.

“Oh Tamilian” she said in a guessing tone.

“Yes”. I said. She was from the rare species who said Tamilian and not the usual Madrasi and I give her full points for that.

I am Anushka Patel and I am doing Masters in Mass Communication from……………….., ” she kept on talking endlessly.

I was replying her in monosyllables trying to put across my point that I was getting bored by her volley of questions but people rarely try and understand this point. She kept on asking me questions and by the time we left Thane I guess she inquired a lot about me.

She was a restless and talkative too, overtly friendly, prying and intrusive creature. When my signs of discomfort and anxiety were not conveyed to her I thought maybe I have to follow a new tactic to keep her mouth shut. I adopted her method of communication; I kept on posing questions to her, I thought maybe she will get exhausted and would sleep but on the contrary she was energized. During this conversation I realized that even I started enjoying the talk game with.

For the first time in my life I was talking to a stranger with complete ease and without any pretensions. I do not remember when for the last time I spoke to someone at such a length. We kept on talking like long lost friends; obviously my sense of irritation and prejudice vanished soon. It was never my cup of tea to approach some complete stranger and begin a talk like that, but she had some magic, a certain aura which was very friendly and encompassing. She was like a live cracker yet she had certain depth about her persona which was attractive.

I don’t know when both of us slept while talking to each other but my sleep abruptly ended when the Bus made a halt somewhere. It appeared that there was some technical glitch; I got down from the bus to inquire about the break down.

“How long will it take?” I asked.

“May be an hour or so” the driver replied.

I stretched my arms and took a deep breath while looking at the road. It was around 3 a.m and it was a full moon night, it was lonely out there with few exceptions of other vehicles passing by. I got inside the bus after I was satisfied that I could do nothing to make the bus start. I came back to my seat, my co passenger was sleeping; this was the first time when she was quiet since we first began the journey.

She had wrapped herself in the shawl which she was carrying; while her head was tilted a lock of her hair touched her lips and moon shone brightly on her face which had a beam, she was looking beautiful and poetic. Her breathing had a perfect rhythm in it, she appeared at peace with herself, personification of beauty she appeared to me and I could not take my eyes off her. For few seconds I drifted away in another world but the waft was temporary as she woke up breaking the spell, and there she was effervescent and vivacious.

“Why have we stopped?” she asked getting up from her carefree slumber.

I still regaining from my reflections and looking at her dimples while she spoke could just murmur “some technical glitch”.

“So what are you doing, watching me, while I sleep” she questioned me in a tone of jest.

“No, I have better work: I retorted, but deep in my heart I knew I was looking at her and I was not ashamed of it.

“I am joking Aditya, do not take it seriously and now please go to sleep so that when you wake up you have reached Ahemadabad” she said.

“Yes Goodnight, Anushka”.

It was 8 in the morning when we reached Ahmedabad, the sun shone at its brightest. It was hot early in the morning.

As soon as the bus reached the stop and everyone started getting down to collect the luggage, even we got down and collected ours. I was dumbstruck, I had no idea how do I take her contact number and while I was wondering how to approach her with my request, she quickly gave me a chit and said “I know you have too big an ego to ask me my number so please take my number and give me a call whenever you feel or if you have any problem in Ahmedabad”.

Before I could say anything to her she was gone. Please do not take this as end it was a new beginning.

Pass and Aggregate Chapter 14: Friendship or Success

Treasure stories and the fables took a back seat in coming days; most of the time was in activities of the office. As the date of filing of returns was near the whole office was in rapid mode, except one man, the joker of our office, Nagdev Nageshwar Rao. By the way I want to clarify by use of the word joker I never meant the clown or buffoon; I can only imagine him to be the desi version of Joker from the Batman series. He sprung up from anywhere, from the corners of the office to the canteen benches; he rose when ever in the dark alleys of office there were secret meetings and slight air of harmless gossip. He was the Hench man of our boss, his pet, who had all the authority in the world with only one responsibility, and that was to keep our boss updated and appraised about the nefarious and shoddy activities(harmless as per my standards). His designation suggested that he was Chief Manager Personnel but we knew his actual designation was that of a Chief Spy. He was a schizophrenic and a maniac. We always feared for our lives while he was around, no one dared him but behind his back he was ridiculed. He was not alone in his pursuits of espionage; he was accompanied by Mayank his burly and husky partner in crime. We at office always thought his role was more like a bouncer in some discotheque. My personal equation with these two guys was not great but neither the less it was sound than most of the others around me.

But that equation was short lived when once I was called inside the Den of the Don, I meant our boss Gupta’s cabin. Gupta was sitting on his chair and was pre occupied with some papers, Nagdev was standing next to his chair, looking at me, and Mayank sat at the chair. There was pin drop silence; the deafening silence started having its impact on me. I thought I had committed some crime and if few moments I would be asked to reveal my last wish before being finally guillotined. I kept on thinking about my recent misadventures which would have resulted in such a congregation of the top notches of our office, but no such misadventure crossed in mind at that point of time.

“Sit down” Gupta said.

I could barely move, but I somehow gathered the courage to pull the chair towards me and made myself seated.

“So Nagendra told me, that you are working really well these days, haan, do you want to take over this office?” said Gupta said still writing something on paper.

I had this mixed reaction, and then I asked myself “why would Nagendra praise anyone, ohhh but I am being praised, am I?”

Gupta had finished writing and was staring me; I was not expecting such a conversation and was caught unaware. I gave the dumbest smile along with a hint of confused expression.

I said “No Sir”.

“That mean you are not working hard” Gupta asked in his typical Mogambo style.

“Yes Sir” I said in my confused state.

Gupta raised his brow again; I was getting nervous and fidgety.

“Look Adithya, I don’t want to beat around the bush, I would straight away come to the point, I think you have all the qualities to become a leader, and where ever you lack I am there to help you and guide you, you are like my own son, although there might be a few things which I am very particular about, like discipline and work but you know that has made me stood out in the crowd.”

I was getting a bit restless.

He continued “I think you should now concentrate more on office administration rather than wasting your time with those good for nothing fellows”.

I got the whole moot point at once; he was against my mingling with Kripal, Samir and Tushar. They were the biggest critics of Gupta, disliked Mayank and despised Nagendra. And I was becoming close to them. My proximity with them was a source of soreness amongst the administration.

“Don’t you think that these fellows are not your worth, I mean last week I don’t know why Tushar said something which was not in good tastes.” said Gupta, giving me a grin.

I was very much the part of that conversation where Tushar said some stupid joke about Gupta and Nagendra, but all the laughter died when Mayank appeared at a distance. He sensed something was going on which was about the High Command. He took the matter with Gupta and Rao, a conference was held, and I, being considered as the weakest link was called in pierce the veil of the Secret Society for Gupta Bashing.

Earlier Mayank too was the member of this gang but he became a mole in the secret society and blurted quite a few secrets out, puncturing the whole concept of secrecy. Not much damage was done as the Chief of the society; Dushyant Mittal left the office before the episode could take an ugly turn. Thereafter the society or laughing club met for the bashing occasionally, hardly ever in the office to pretend normalcy and discipline in the office. Gupta and his gang was not bad but they were the management and we were the workers and believe me these two sides can never ever come as one side, in spite of the various sermons by F.WTaylor, Henry Fayol or any other management Guru for that matter.

I for once was numb, but at times when we are pressurized to an extent we react to that pressure in an inexplicable manner.

I blurted “I have no idea Sir, of Tushar saying anything which was not good for the office as whole”.

“Is it???” asked Gupta continuing his impish grin.

Mayank interrupted “Than what were you talking in the office corridor, on last Saturday?”

“IFRS” I said.

“What IFRS, you are fu****g lying” retorted Mayank.

“Mayank, next time I will throw you out of my office if you use such cuss words” said Gupta, in a strong tone.

“Now go out” and pointing towards a file “Prepare the project report now”, “Nagendra go along with him, and talk to the client about the discussion we had with the bank officials.”

After both of them left, Gupta came near me and stood near my chair placing his hand on my shoulder he continued “Friendship is good, but you have to start differentiating between the personal and professional world. “

My throat was dry; I still could not understand the criticality of the foolish joke, to me it was just a part of office grapevine and for Gupta and Co, this was the largest scandal of our office.

All I said was “I understand that sir and I appreciate your view point”.

“No you don’t, problem is you don’t understand, Adithya your generation has disappointed me. Do you see the empire that I have created” he said this while raising his arms and showing me the magnanimity of his office.

I was about to laugh, he was talking as he was ‘Mukesh Ambani’, and was showing me his ‘Antilla’ I mean looking at him and the dingy cubicles I literally thought he has lost it all but jokes and observations apart this was something serious which I could not follow.

I just nodded in an affirmative.

“I have created this empire and I reached this position only after stepping on the shoulders of the people I knew and called as friends”. Adithya, we have to keep our emotions at bay, to reach at the top and to become something big in life”

The color of my face changed, I guess I became pale. I never thought he was so serious about a miniscule office joke that we shared and now he was after me to reveal the joke. I was now standing at a cross roads, whether to reveal the joke and enjoy my stay at the office or to face the music and be prepared for anything that comes.

I chose not to reveal anything, I mean what if I revealed the joke Tushar will be reimprimanded or Gupta will throw Tushar out of the job but I knew Tushar was not going through a very good phase at personal level to handle such a stress so I just said “Sir, friendship to me is sacred. I do not think anything said on that day was against the basic ethos, that you are trying to inculcate in us.”

I did not stop there my big mouth continued “And, Sir I am not a parasite who grows on others”. This was it, I knew I am behaving a little too big for my shoes but what is done cannot be undone.

He said nothing, he just sat on his seat and looked at me for few seconds and then asked me to leave.

A feeling of triumph filled inside me, it was not my pride which took a thumping but it was my stand to protect my principles, which made me joyous.

But that joy was short lived, the next day I was asked to go on outstation audit to Ahmedabad. Don’t get me wrong but it was the punishment awarded to me.

You might be thinking I should have revealed the joke, even I felt the same when I was packing for my Ahemadabad Adventures but at times ego kills and yes I was killed by My ego.

Even if I survived by my ego’s slaughter I would have been killed by Ahemadabadi heat in the future.