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SOME MOMENTS I CANNOT FORGET!
My first few months in CALCUTTA
I got appointment in Railway Electrification,Calcutta and joined duty on 01-10-64 and started to live in another state for the first time.I had no relatives or friends there and I was in my 19 only! On the outset, I found out a place to live in, at Lake road, South Calcutta.`Shanthibhavan` was a moderate lodge and incidently when I reported, a bed was vacant only in it`s V I P room -- Room No.11. The occupants, I remember, were top executives in reputable firms. One was the `chief cachier` of USHA SALES, another, `Chief Chemist` in Martin & Harris Ltd. and the third one, a senior personnel in SAIL . Poor `me` was an apprentice in Railways ! I pretended I was not bad too! They introduced them to me and among other things, mentioned that they used to cellebrate saturday afternoons, when no visitors were allowed in room No.11. As a rule, each room partner took charge of the day, in rotation! I knew the situation and took up the challenge! You know, 50% of my stipend was spent on this saturday afternoon affairs and this went on for nerely six months, when I realised that I was not in the right track .Luckily, by grace of God, I searched out a new dwelling place for me and shifted to that. At Bhawanipore, in my new dwelling, I had my training to meet life face to face. Mr.K.A.Ananda Varma, `Varmaji` for many, was my guiding force there at 39, Debendra Ghosh Road, Calcutta. I dedicate this page to 'Varmaji'.
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A few Bombay Lessons
A wonderful magic.
One day, I received a message from my younger brother that he would be arriving (Bombay) Dadar Station by Kanniyakumari Express and I had to pick him up. I was staying in Matunga (Western Railway) Quarter. I promptly received him and since he was having only a light luggage, we decided not to hire a taxi and go to Matunga by local train.Accordingly, we crossed over to western Railway local platform no.1 and boarded a train to go to Matunga. We had to enter through the west side door and get down at the east side door. Matunga being the next stop, the entire procedure (that is,getting in, moving and getting down ) hardly took three minutes. As soon as I got down, a strange feeling prompted me to check my pocket and you won't believe it ! My pocket had a clean shave ! I only had a smile of admiration and in a light vain, asked my brother how much money he had in his pocket. ' May be 8 or 9 bucks ', he said. Then, like an expert magician, I said. " Hush.. fush..let there be no money in your pocket ! ". Lo and behold ! My brother verified his pocket and stood there in disbelief ! His pocket was empty ! Later, when my brother came to know that our combined loss was about sixteen bucks only, his dibelief gave way for a hearty laugh ! Bombay's sense of value for time.
This again, is a local train story. You know, every 'daily commuter' in Bombay has a particular seat (or a standing place,for that matter ) of his own in a particular train on both ways ! That being so, once the 'Light Finger' spotted an attractive necklace worn by a ( side seater ) lady commuter in a local train in Dadar station. Soon the necklace was snatched away and the commuters witnessing the same, made a hue and cry. But the lady consoled others telling that the necklace was not costly and was made of imitation gold.So far,so good.But that was not the end.You know what happened,next ? Next day the same train stopped at Dadar station at the right time. All on a sudden,the side seater lady, before knowing what was happening, was slapped on her face, the necklace was thrown at her and then there was a shouting--" stupid, wasted my time " !
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