India, Nov. 6 -- A few weeks ago, he seemed like the power behind the throne in one of the most intense corporate boardroom battles in the country. Today, he seems humbled, cowering outside the corporate court. Mehli Mistry, a staunch loyalist of the late Ratan Tata, and not-too-long-ago an influential and vociferous trustee of the Tata Trusts, which own a majority stake in Tata Sons, the holding company that glues together the salt-steel-software empire, laid down his weapons. He squeamishly walked away from the battlefield. What a whimper of a turnaround! What an anticlimax! What a non-story!

Even a few days ago, it seemed like Mehli was still on the rampage. Despite being ungraciously and callously thrown out of Tata Trusts, at least ...