True to his reputation of being a gentleman, Happiest Minds' Ashok Soota has decided to overlook the recent verbal assault of new Mindtree Chairman, Dr Albert Hieronimus.

Reacting to to Albert's statements, Soota told Economic Times: "Albert often used to say that I hope my 'German English' is not being misunderstood. I feel this is what must have happened. I somehow cannot visualise him making the statements attributed to him."

The separation of Ashok Soota from rest of the Mind Tree founders was bitter. While he rushed to start Happiest Minds to compete headalong with Mindtree, Albert Hieronimus sort of became a front for other founders to get back at Soota.

In various interviews Hieronimus described Happiest Minds as a me-too venture, which would not work. Dismissing his predecessor he said Soota was unprofessional and just one of 10,000 MindTree minds. The other 9,999 were still with Mindtree, he pointed out.