A hard day's work for recovery man

NEW DELHI: Flexing his muscles, throwing his weight around, being heavy-handed. It''s all in a day''s work for ''recovery man'' Rajesh.
It all starts with a sweet voice over the phone gently reminding you that your credit card payment is due, and it may have slipped your mind. But if your amnesia continues, chances are you might end up squirming in a face-to-face encounter with Rajesh.
He''s the stuff urban legends are made of.Like the one about the Sharmas'' car being seized in broad daylight. Or about the Vermas being thrown out of their apartment.
Things rarely reach such a dramatic climax, corrects Rajesh. And when he sets out from home everyday, it''s not such strong-arm tactics that''s usually on his mind.
He''s the man who won''t take no for an answer all right, but he''s not the real bad guy, he insists.
"We, in fact, prevent unpleasant things from happening," explains Rajesh.
"It is our job to warn the debtor of the consequences. And make him pay up. It''s better that he pay me than the guy who will turn up tomorrow."
That guy, incidentally, is the repossession agent. He''s the real bad guy. For Rajesh, it''s a job he''d rather get over with without ''unpleasantness''. But things are not always easy.
"It''s difficult to collect credit card dues because there is no collateral for the money advanced," he says.
"Unlike a car or house loan, where the threat of repossession holds good."
Rajesh explains his simple ''method'': "I always talk straight, but if I suspect that a person just doesn''t want to pay, then I stand my ground."
After being in the profession for five years, he can now easily sniff out ''liars''.
"All I do is explain how the system works. Some might call it threatening, but I see it as brotherly advice."
And if that doesn''t do the trick? "Companies are pretty fidgety about debtors who play hard to get. So, if we can''t recover the money for them, they give it to an outside collection agency. That''s where the real goons come in."
There are emotionally-stirring moments too. "Every morning when I set out, every debtor is just a mere number to me. But during the course of the day, I also meet people who are in no state to pay back even a small percentage of their huge debts. It can be very heart-tugging to demand money from them. But I''ve to do my job."
For this native of Rohtak, a simple philosophy governs his life. "After graduating, I couldn''t get a job that paid me enough. So I don''t care if people call me a gunda. I work hard and earn my pay. That''s all that matters."