"Mian sahib seems visibly relaxed!"
"Right, haven't seen him this relaxed since he took over the reins of power."
"Indeed and this time too, he has applied his political acumen in the selection of the Chief of Army Staff."
"And the acumen displayed is exactly the same as during his previous selections."
"I don't get you?"
"The selection is based on a perceived weakness in terms..."
"Perceived?"
"Well, it's perceived because whoever is the chief, demands and need I add, gets absolute Respect, with a capital R - be it in military or civilian circles."
"You know when I was a kid - around 8 years - my parents went abroad and got many, many things for my older sister and me. The first selection was hers, the second was to be mine, the third was to be hers and so on... and do you know what my wily sister did? She got her first selection and then began saying that she desperately wanted one item and would I please not select that ... and guess what? I did... and later she told me that was the one thing she least wanted..."
"Where does this come in?"
"I heard that the new chief of army staff was the last name on the list submitted by General Raheel Sharif, now retired."
"So what are you saying? That Mian sahib was as effortlessly manipulated as an 8-year-old?"
"Ha ha ha."
"You are being facetious, aren't you?"
"I guess, but anyway as I said Mian sahib's selection was similar to selections in the past - based on ..."
"Hey back off will you, all I know is that Mian sahib made some key changes this time around - he got the new chief to salute at the door and advance inside to shake his hand - Mian sahib didn't take even one step towards him - and sat behind his desk rather than side by side just to tell him who is boss."
"Hmmm, and you know what the marvel is?"
"That he set the tone of the relationship at the start?"
"Nope that the desk of the prime minister of a country where there are issues galore was totally bare of anything - no paper, no flowers, no phone, no nothing."
"Don't be facetious."