What happens when you don’t repay your loan? The bank sends a muscle man to twist your arm and squeeze out the money.
Let us rephrase. The bank sends a beautiful and smart woman to talk out of the impasse. If the defaulters out there are feeling relaxed then now is not the right time because Annbolyn Kharshiing can be as tough as a man, and even better.
Annbolyn is probably the only woman in the state who works as a recovery agent, which in banking lingo is known as a reposition agent. The 32-year-old single mother of one says she started as a recovery agent around 10 years ago and now she has her own agency, Kaay Associates. “It was not by choice that I came into the profession. I needed a job and I got this. But now I like it because it is challenging and at the same time I get to meet so many people and know their stories. I have my part of adventure too,” says Annbolyn.
Talking to her one would be struck by her vivacity. She is an easy talker and can befriend a person in no time. Her friends describe her as headstrong. And so she is.
Walking on the path that is seldom treaded by women is not an easy task but Annbolyn is not someone who will back down. “The job is hard and more than physical strength you need a focused mind. Sometimes payments are erratic. Even then you have to stay focused because I have 10 employees who are depending on me,” she says.
Annbolyn works with banks and non-banking financial companies and has to travel through the length and breadth of the state and sometimes even outside Meghalaya. “My mother has been a great support and it is thanks to her that I can work without any fixed timing,” she admits.
The young reposition agent says there is competition but “the young agents are not as dedicated”.
But is the job safe for a woman? Annbolyn scoffs at the dichotomy of the question. “Aren’t we talking about women empowerment? Is there any place on earth that is safe for women? But you have to strengthen your position so that no adversities, including men, can affect your capability to be independent. Yes, there are difficulties at times because we have to travel to even remote areas. Sometimes the person whose assets need to be repositioned is stubborn. Then I take the help of police. You have to apply your nous. But it is not that a woman cannot be a recovery agent,” she says with more emphasis on the last sentence.
Annbolyn is super-busy but she balances her work and social life with aplomb. If she is not working then she is driving around the city in her SUV or hatchback and probably calling on a friend in need. Whatever she does she puts her heart in it and that makes her a winner.
