If you walked into the office of Cadbury Schweppes, it would, perhaps, be easier to understand why the chief of the company prefers to call it his den.The beautifully colour-coordinated office, done up in stark, modernistic designs - and all the colours of the soft drinks Cadbury Schweppes has to offer - is arguably one of the most inviting places to be in.It's not only easy on the eye, it's also full of toys, gadgets and painstakingly designed yet simple-looking soft drink displays. "We felt that it was important to have the kind of office that has a more informal working environment and therefore, better team work. So after sacking two architects, we finally settled on one who was reduced to simply following instructions," says Jain.His own cabin stores an amazing collection of everything - eight clocks, a couple of paintings, a voice-activated planner, a stepper, coordinated custom-made shelves and a collection of trivia that would drive a garage sale freak nuts. And almost everything is in black, white and red."The colours just seemed to fit," he explains, disclaiming partiality to any of them. While a painting of autumn leaves done by his wife matches the identical plastic plant sitting on a shelf, two diyas on either side keep company to a Buddha bust sitting serenely on the window sill. The window, with unfettered Venetian blinds, offers an unobscured view of the garden they have developed outside, a most unusual sight in the heart of the city, Prabhadevi, where the office is located.Considering that he spends the better part of the day, seven days a week here, one is forced to ask where, if any, the sleeping arrangements are. "Well, I had something brought over for me to stretch out on, when needed, but currently, no need," he laughs. But all his other needs are taken care of, right here. He points to his cell-phone-cum-palm top. Then to his lap top, which "does the job better than anything else". The stepper. "Well, I'm on it when I get on the phone. I need the exercise," he says. The phones, by the way, are tucked out of sight in a drawer. The office which this self-claimed gadget freak sits in, could very well be a discovery of delights for anyone who'd have the permission to peek.
