How to deliver a Tiger?

Let me take my readers a few years back in time. The time when I was a pretty determined technologists at Goldman Sachs (GS). During those times my then manager used to cite Murphy's law every time I was making a new software release. Just before the final push when the tension meters soar high, I would perform the last checks to make sure all goes well and he would stand behind my desk remembering Mr. Murphy. Well, Murphy's law is an adage that is very often stated as - "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong". An utterly pessimistic proverb in my view.

To clear the air, I wasn't the guy who used to roll out blunders in software releases and my managers wasn't the guy who didn't have his trust on me. We shared good rapport. In his defence I would say when you are responsible for a trading system that processes transactions worth billion of dollars you do get jittery at the thought of - "what if something goes wrong". I had a solid clean career at GS - one which didn't have many blunders committed.

Post a successful roll out when all the dust had settled, after handling the last minute checks and the manager's anxiety, I would spare no chance to prove to him that this Murphy's law is just a pathetic statement made by a loser and that he should stop quoting it. Over lunch or tea, he will hear from me different expressions of fortune favours the brave. Come the next software release, sounds of Murphy's law travel to me from behind my desk, right where they had left me that last time. 

Fast forward to Wednesday 10th March 2021, this is the day the world would remember as the day of the planned delivery to me of my new bike - Triumph Tiger 900 Rally. A bike that is ready like a new bride has to be loaded on a carrier and delivered. What could possibly go wrong - one would think!!. Deja vu. Murphy's law. The bike in the afternoon was moved to the third floor of the Triumph service centre for fitment of accessories. The delivery vehicle for porting the bike to the showroom was stationed outside the building. Vishnu, the most active sales guy that I have ever met, feeling excited that all is going as per plan gave me a confirmation call to fix the time of delivery of the bike at 4:30pm. Currently, it was 2pm.

Thirty minutes later Vishnu called back. I picked up the call to a worried Vishnu. He updated me that the transformer supplying electricity to the service centre had a blast. The backup generator was not connected because the authorities had done a phase change just a few days back. The situation at hand was that the bike with all accessories fitted is at the third floor with no power supply to function the lifts to bring it down. 

One hour past I called Vishnu from my office. He said - "Sir, the concerned service engineers from the government agency have arrived at the site. They will fix the transformer and restore the power. You can start in an hours time". The new time of delivery was set to 6:30pm. I felt relieved. Close to 6pm, I started from my office towards the Triumph service centre. When I was close to the service centre, I called up Vishnu to check if all is going as per plan. It wasn't. Vishnu updated that the transformer was brought up but it suffered a second blast. But Vishnu was determined to deliver the bike on the same day. He said - "Sir, you wait at the service centre. I will deliver the bike today only". Instead of waiting at the service centre, I drove to the nearest coffee shop. While sipping over coffee, I started to imagine that Vishnu is tying the bike in ropes and using a pulley to bring it down.

Now, Vishnu is a man of grit and determination and he has pledged himself to the noble cause of getting the bike down from the high grounds of the Triumph service centre. He is the knight in the shining armour, who riding his horse, overcoming the hard terrain will reach the dungeon at the hill top to rescue the damsel in distress (read my bike) held captive there. Well, he did save the evening for me. He and his fellow engineers started contemplating if there is enough hydraulic pressure in the lift so that it can be brought down with small amount of power. Enlightened and determined as they were. They got the idea to use old bike batteries to power the lift. It worked. The lift was powered on using the batteries, there was enough hydraulic pressure and the bike was brought down safely. Thank God no ropes and pulleys were used. So, at around 7:30pm Vishnu gave me a call to inform me that the bike is finally on its way to the showroom.

Formalities were completed and I was riding my bike to home at around 9:30pm in the night. The Triumph team then went out to celebrate their feat. Much deserved!!. 

 
So, where's Murphy here? He has no role here. The sheer grit and determination saved the day. By the time I had the bike all temples nearby had closed. The next day morning was the only nearest possibility to get the Ganesh Pooja done for the bike. The good omen is that the next day is Maha Shivaratri. All the delay made it possible that I got my bike's Ganesh Pooja done on the auspicious day of Maha Shivaratri.

Ignore the bad omens and believe in the good one's. One can overcome every obstacle with a strong will. What was looking like a failed evening turned out to be the well laid out plan of the almighty. 

When ever in doubt chant "Har Har Mahadev" and go for your aim.

A heartfelt thanks to the Triumph team and special thanks to Vishnu for not giving up and giving me a great experience that I can use for my prose.