A love story!

The passenger train stopped at a wayside station. It was an unscheduled stop because of derailment of a goods train which had occurred a few miles ahead. It would take at least a day before the track was repaired and cleared. That meant that this train had to return to it's starting station;there was no other option. And that too will happen after a few hours before the railway authorities could sort out the mess!

 Passengers cursed their fate and then got out of the train to explore the small station and the adjoining small town in search of a tea shop or such thing. He was one of them, a young man going to meet his distantly related uncle and aunt with a specific purpose. After he lost his parents some years back, they were his nearest relatives. He joined a small group of stranded passengers who found a small dhaba close by where one could buy some snacks and tea. They settled down on a couple of rickety benches. For the dhaba owner, it was a God sent!

As they waited for tea, he overheard two young women talking in low tones. One of them looked very upset with a personal issue. 'How could she do it to me' she was telling her friend. ' I do not know this man, never met him in my whole life. And my mother wants me to be engaged to him just because he is sort of related to her!' She began sobbing softly as her friend tried to console her. He felt very sorry for her, more so because she was pretty and looked so vulnerable. The woman continued her conversation with her friend. 'I am glad for this train derailment. A good excuse to postpone if not cancel the engagement. After reaching our hostel, I will call my mother to stall the event by a few days. No need to rush. Then I will see what to do!'

The tea was ready, said the dhaba man. The group had their fill and returned to the station. After a wait  of a couple of hours, the train started it's return journey and soon reached their destination. Our young man had already called his uncle the reason why he could not reach their place. He promised that he would come after a few days. His uncle replied that it was fine, he can wait considering the circumstances. He would tell him when to come. The young man used his balance of few days leave to meet and pursue the young woman he had seen during the disrupted train travel. He felt that he was in love with her!

She too liked him. She thought he was such a nice man with a good personality. He had told her that he knew of her predicament and would help her to overcome same. He explained his plan to her. She thought about it and then agreed. She would do anything to get out of her situation. How caring and thoughtful of him! She wondered what kind of man her parents want her to be engaged. In a few days, our young man was ready to travel. He apprised her of the date and other details. It was well before the new date of her engagement. She could have easily hugged him. Was he surprised that she so readily agreed!

They travelled on the due date and reached the place where her parents lived. After reaching their home, she rang the bell. Her mother opened the door. According to the plan, with a beating heart, the girl announced to her mother, 'Mom, I have married this person. Please do not be too upset. I am very sorry that now I can not get engaged to any one. Please forgive me and meet my husband'! Her mother was quickly  joined by her uncle and they both were aghast and stunned. Then her mother exclaimed ' but my dear, he is the person to whom you were supposed to be engaged in the first place and you were so unhappy about it!'

No problem, said the happy young man, nothing is lost, let us start the process, 'We are ready to be engaged today and then to be remarried any time!'

Life in these United States!

Life in these United States!

My wife and I live half the time of the year in the state of California in this great country, the United States of America simply because both our children, our son and daughter (and their families) have settled down here after they finished their education and started working. We love this country for many, many obvious reasons. Nice well maintained roads, beautiful public parks with lush greenery, disciplined traffic conditions, schools with their large playgrounds, general cleanliness, good public services, so on and so forth.

But given a choice, we still feel more happy and comfortable in our good old Pune in India! I had the occasion today to talk about this with my daughter with whom I was driving to pick up her younger son, my grandson, from a music class. And let me say, it is only when I am accompanying her or my son, son in law or daughter in law on such errands that I get to talk to them at length on any subject. Rest of the time, they are too busy for such mundane things like talking with retired seniors like me! Does not matter, let me come back to my conversation with my daughter this evening.

We were comparing life here and in India, mainly social life and interactions and were in general agreement that it is more warm, close and satisfying in India than here. Why it should be so is a matter of debate and analysis of many factors affecting people who have made this country their home. But I argued with her, what is noteworthy about India is that all your neighbours are your friends even if not very close. You can easily chat with a passerby for a few minutes on something or the other. Here, you may say hi to a dozen people every day while on walks without any real conversation. You hardly see or know your neighbours even when you have lived on the same street for decades!

In an emergency, the first thing we do in India is to knock on the doors of your neighbour. Here, the first thing you would do is to call 911 which is fine and another subject not under discussion. This is not to say that people are not helpful here. But they prefer to keep distance for reasons which perhaps also include legalities. Houses and the lawns in front are neat and tidy. You will notice a number of cars in front of the garages. But you never see anyone out except when they are getting in or out of their cars. There is simply no question of finding kids playing in the streets!

Basically, my daughter and I were talking about people, humans who appear to have taken a back seat of sorts. The small town atmosphere which is still in abundance in large parts of India is conspicuous by it's absence in the area we live in here. I was wondering if it is still there in small towns in the hinterlands of America across east, west, north and south. Is our society in developed countries, thanks to science is paying a price for too much progress, development, advances in all fields?

And that brings me to the question of what is too much progress! Is there any limit laid down anywhere by anyone? It is just not possible considering what man has achieved already. After the truly revolutionary advent of wheels ages back to flying into inner and outer space, landings on moon and Mars, we still can not fathom what is possible on our planet, the earth itself. Driverless cars is one of those things. My elder grandson who is crazy about cars responded in disgust with these words to this latest possibility; 'what is the point of having a car which you do not have the pleasure to drive! Ridiculous!'

I suppose only a child has the insight to bring the society at large to it's senses in it's senseless pursuits of progress and development, with such observations. What is scary is that in the not too distant future, human beings would become obsolete on our planet which will be run by robots!

Why me?!

Why does it always happen to me? I mean things which as if want to put me in my place with a tag of a loser. You are wondering what I am talking about. I will elaborate it with a few examples!

I have regularly observed when I am driving and approaching a road junction with lights, the green changes rather fast to orange and then red when I would have just made it. The whole system is designed to make my otherwise excellent driving a bit tedious I am convinced! Such peculiar phenomenon is extended and is manifested in other areas too. Years back, when I had to travel by the Indian railways, in spite of planning my journey well in advance, my name always appeared to be way down in the waiting list. The list would of course shorten, but will just stop when I came on the top!

When I was in college, bell bottom pants were the fashion for a few years. So I decided to buy a pair. And then I discovered that boys of my age had started discarding them and switching over to regular jeans. I bought my first T shirt when I was fifty plus, grey to be sure to merge with the surroundings. Nothing flashy or colorful! Same with graduating from old style canvass shoes to sneakers, always behind my generation. That brings me to my 'hair' story!

My hair started greying at an early age. My friends were luckier;they got them at a reasonable age and then quickly started coloring them. Smart fellows! I was too shy to follow suit, mainly because I realized that I should have done it much earlier. Now I had reached a stage when my head was more white than black and it would have been a big leap. So I bravely continued in my state and did not join the crowd. And at this stage of my wise resolution, who else but my young daughter should arrive on the scene, visiting us during her college summer break. She (and my dear wife) conspired and brain washed me into doing the unthinkable;coloring my hair black! 'Dad, you will look so young'!

 At that point of time, I was an instructor at a training school in the army in Mumbai. My first hour used to be my prepared lecture to a class of about twenty student officers on a given subject. I was pretty good in my job. But that Monday morning, I was not very confident for a reason you can easily guess. With my heart pumping at an alarming rate, I entered the class room with my full black hairdo. The students, all officers and some senior to me in rank, stood up as was the custom. And were they stunned?! That would be an understatement of sorts. They looked at me, forgot to say the usual 'good morning sir';they just stared and stared as if saying who is this man! Needless to say, I went through my lecture with pauses at all wrong places and quickly went back to my office.

No big deal, I did not lose anything worthwhile you might say and you would be right I suppose. But much before this time when I was a young man, I missed something or somebody worthwhile, or so I thought! I had a friend, a girl about whom I was serious. As was my nature, I was diffident and took my own time to come to the point. She too took her own time when another young man appeared on the scene. He was smart, much smarter and faster than me. Some other factors also came into play. I would not like to bore you with all that. What mattered was that he won the competition if ever there was one! I had missed the bus as the saying goes. But not really!

In retrospect, that was a lucky miss. In fact, I was very fortunate! Because, there was another girl who was patiently waiting for me. I am happily married to her for more than fifty years!

Hanging and marrying go by destiny!

This post is about a true incident which happened many years back when I was serving in the army. It is about an officer who served with me in a battalion at a semi field area where families were not permitted. It is also about the fickleness of men and tenacity of women in certain circumstances. As they say, life is stranger than fiction! I found this true in this particular story I am about to narrate.

Let me use a fictitious name for this officer for the sake of anonymity. I will call him Capt Yaad. He was an officer of medium height and build, very average. He had two weaknesses namely wine and women. I suppose all men have them to varying degrees. But he was pretty ahead and would beat the rest by a mile. This landed him in all sorts of trouble. According to his service records, he was married. But we had never met his wife. She was supposed to be living in his village he came from. 

Capt Yaad was also remarkable for his voice and his fluency in Hindi language. He came from the gangetic belt in the north and had the ability to hold your attention when he spoke. When sober, he was simply fascinating, just like Amitabh Bacchan! But when he was under the effect of alcohol, he became a sheer nuisance. Inevitably, he got into many physical fracas and got beaten up on some occasions. Alcohol and such scuffles took their toll. Therefore, he was never in good shape or medical category A,  a prerequisite for getting posted in forward areas. He mostly remained in peace stations which suited him in any case. You can easily guess that he was least bothered about his career prospects. Further, he also had to be admitted in military hospitals for periodic review or medical treatment from time to time. Somehow, his condition did not result in his permanent discharge from the army which was a pity. He carried on gamely!

This brings me back to his ability to charm people when sober. It is said that women in particular are vulnerable to men with an evil streak. There is some truth in that belief I feel. Good men are so boring! It was common knowledge that in his every stay at the military hospitals which were frequent, he would strike friendship with pretty nurses. He would pose as a bachelor. Many of those unsuspecting women just could not resist him and fell victim to his guiles. He used to have his good time, depart with false promises of marriage and then rejoin his unit unscathed. Once again, one fine day, he was required to get admitted in a army hospital for medical reasons. As a standard practice, our office issued him with a movement order and a railway warrant to proceed. He went to the army hospital, got admitted and after a week or so, he was discharged to return to our base. We came to know of this only because a copy of his return movement order issued by the hospital reached us by post. 

But there was no sign of Capt Yaad! It was just half a day's travel by train. Where was he, we wondered! We waited for another day and then got very concerned. Did he meet with an accident? Our commanding officer, a Lt Col, rang up the hospital and got a confirmation that Capt Yaad was indeed discharged two days back. It became a mystery as there were no reports of any mishap from police or other authorities. We waited another week or so and then as per the army law, our commanding officer considered him as AWOL, meaning absent without leave and decided to declare him a deserter. An apprehensive roll was issued for apprehending him wherever he was. In all such cases, copies of apprehensive roll are sent to police authorities of the town to which such person belongs, and to the district authorities. As and when they find him, they are supposed to arrest him and bring him to his army unit. In the army, there can not be a worse fate than being declared a deserter! We waited for the process to take it's due course and soon forgot about this guy as a lost case and a bad egg!

After about two months, as we were getting ready to go for lunch in our officers mess, we suddenly noticed an army truck stopping in the front. And who else but our missing Capt Yaad getting down from the front seat! To say that we were shocked would be an understatement. More so when we saw him helping a young woman to come out of the vehicle. After unloading their baggage from the rear of the truck, they approached us and he introduced the woman as his wife. We continued to be speechless as the plot thickened;she did not appear to be a person from his village, we thought. But well, we had to accept her as his wife, a lady wife deserving a civilised greeting. Our commanding officer welcomed her in to the mess along with her husband who had been declared a deserter!

There was not much talk about anything during the lunch with due consideration for the lady. But soon after, our commanding officer took Capt Yaad on one side and told him that families were not permitted in that area in any army unit. So he had to arrange some accommodation in the town nearby for his wife. More importantly, he himself was a declared deserter and would be confined to a room with soldiers as guards. Rest of the day was used to meet these requirements with the help of a couple of young officers. Next day, the stage was set for disciplinary proceedings against Capt Yaad for his offence of desertion!

A court of inquiry followed by summary of evidence according to army rules was arranged. This was followed in due course with a court martial. Finally, Capt Yaad was awarded civil imprisonment of some years and automatic dismissal from the army. It was a sad day for the officers cadre of the army! But he fully deserved it!

But this is not the end of this story. After about three years or so, I visited an army installation with many officers as part of a training course. It was commanded by a smart officer of the rank of a major. In the evening, we were invited to his residence for a dinner party. And who do you think was his lady wife who welcomed us with a smile and without batting an eyelid?

The same Mrs Yaad whom I had met three years back!

A tale of siblings!

TIME magazine brought out a very informative issue about siblings, 'The science of siblings' which deals with the most enduring relationship in any family. All other relationships, wives, husbands, children, parents, lovers and friends are all unique it says. However, there is no relationship which is as deep or long as those among siblings, it argues.

And this brings me to my two sisters, both younger than me. One is just a couple of years younger, the other is almost a decade. This post is about the first with whom I had the good fortune to spend many years when we both were in school, the same school in a small town in Maharashtra. We both were less than ten years of age then and lived with our maternal grandparents. My parents, both doctors served in Govt hospitals in the north and were transferred every two years or so. Therefore, they decided to keep us with our grandparents for the sake of continuity in our schooling and education.

I still remember those years. Being two years senior, I was ahead of my sister in the school. But she was the one who was better known and lauded for her good behavior and matching performance. On the other hand, I was pretty indifferent in my studies to put it mildly! And this created quite a few 'problems' for me. My sister, by sheer dint of hard work and sincerity, constantly maintained her high ranking in her class. And I was generally average which resulted in the inevitable comparison between us by the teachers concerned. The standard comment used to be, 'you are Nirmala's brother. How come you are not as good!' Or words to that effect. I call her Nima, by the way!

As you can easily guess, this situation was hardly conducive to any 'friendly' relations between myself and my sister, at least from my side, you get it?! And if this was not bad enough, at home too, she was admired for her quiet and submissive nature. Very obedient to elders, she was a role model. Regardless, I treated her with my big brother attitude, telling her to run errands, do things for me, warning her NEVER to speak to me in the school and things like that. You get the picture? But I must admit, she always took care of me and protected me if I was found guilty of some mischief or misdemeanor. Once, when I broke an expensive table lamp and was scared that elders in the house would really let me have it, my dear sister told them that she was the one who accidentally broke it. Her excellent reputation spared her from any scolding. No wonder, she was the favorite child of our grandparents, uncle and aunt who had their own kids younger to us.

Then there were times couple of years later when we were teenagers, I would sneak out of the house with my friends to watch the late night second show at the only movie theater in the town. She knew this and was concerned about me. She kept a sort of vigil;she would know when I went and when I returned. But she never, NEVER let out the secret to any one in the house. In due course of time, we both graduated from our school. I got above average marks, managed to enter college at Gwalior. Nima passed out with distinction and secured admission at the prestigious Benares Hindu university, and deservedly so. She continued her success story by getting into the well known Lady Hardinge Medical college at Delhi and became a doctor. Got married to a doctor and eventually moved to America.

It is more than fifty years since. She and her doctor husband have retired from work. As luck would have it, we all have settled down with our respective families in the same country, USA. She and her husband, my brother in law, visited us recently. We were meeting after more than five years. What is most remarkable about my sister Nima is that she has just not changed over the years. She remains the same person what she was in her school days, very simple, gullible and very trusting and believing in nature. You can easily fool her by keeping a straight face. There is no guile about her. In many ways, she is a misfit in today's world of 'smart' people. But, most importantly, she is a very good person and that is what really matters. I am very proud of her!

Musical Evening.

Practically every weekend, thanks to my children and my grandchildren, we have a get together for some reason or other. There are numerous birthdays and anniversaries, occasions galore or just spontaneous getting together to enjoy a drink followed by dinner. But there is one particular weekend, generally the second Saturday of the month which is allotted for a musical meet. Not serious music but full of music and song nevertheless where barring a few exceptions, every one just lets go. And it is strictly for the amateurs, certainly not for the condescending highbrows! At the same time, let me say that this group of people have some really gifted singers we all look forward to hear. It is sheer pleasure!

For this occasion, everyone practices and practices to sing a song of one's choice. It could be a song from a favorite singer or a movie or a non filmi ghazal. All of enthusiasts (including me!) wait for their turn, patiently or impatiently, for their moment of glory, just for those few dedicated minutes behind a mike and in company of that wonderful karaoke which gives tailor made music to the song. Above all, this day also serves as an occasion for friends and families to meet socially without formality. All contribute to drinks and dinner by bringing in food and wine, an invariable part of this exciting evening!

Last Saturday, we had the pleasure of this musical evening at my daughter's place. It was heartening to see the house overflowing with people, young and old, all looking forward to singing their numbers with gusto. As usual, some good and confident participants took the lead to kickstart the event. As the evening wore off, it was the turn of grandkids to take stage. And they were simply delightful! Their confidence in handling the computer, searching for the karaoke of their song and just getting on, was amazing. This in my view is another welcome facet of this evening where kids get an opportunity to perform in front of adults and build their own personality positively. And when a teenager sings with his mom in perfect harmony, the bond between them is so palpable!

Noteworthy among this group is the presence of a few couples who are keen to sing together. We look forward more to their duets which give double pleasure to listeners in some ways. One of them is their playful and naughty looks they give each other giving more meaning to the lyrics of the song! You know what I mean! All said and done, a few really good singers, men and women command more attention and give more joy to all discerning music lovers because of their sheer talent. This is undeniable!

And this brings me to an elderly old fashioned gentleman who attended this musical evening with his daughter. Most of us were meeting him for the first time. So very few knew that he was a keen singer. In due course, he was introduced and then he proceeded to sing. As he started, it struck all of us how well he sang! He sounded like a professional! Most expectedly, he was requested to sing one more time which he did gracefully. And I was very moved to see his young daughter taking a video of her father singing!

Postman's wife!

Postman's wife!

He was the regular postman in the area where he delivered mail, house to house. Very cheerful, smiling and immaculate in his bright clothes and a hat, he barely saw the names on the addresses. He focussed on the house numbers while dropping mail in the mail boxes. He hardly observed the residents who mostly were out to work in any case. But he was seen unknown to him by a few who were indoors, from the kitchen or study windows who thought he was very likeable, even handsome. It was an upscale locality and he could not care less as they say!

Our this postman met and befriended a woman in the park in the small town a few miles away where he lived with his two small kids. He had lost his wife recently, so his kids, a boy and a girl would always accompany him. The woman liked him for his openness and his cheery disposition. And he was handsome too! She found him very attractive and a nice person. At the same time, she rarely shared any details about herself. She was pretty secretive for reasons best known to her. He too did not probe too much. He found her rather serious in nature and guessed that she had sad memories. But he had gathered this much that she was unattached. 

As their friendship grew, he started liking her more and more. He suspected that she was a cut above him in social status. But she was very nice to him. He knew that he was falling in love with her. One fine evening, he gathered courage and proposed to her. Will she marry him? She took it rather sportingly and to his utter joy, she agreed. But only on one condition, she said, which was that they marry in another city after a month or so. Accordingly, after about a month, he took a week's leave. He married his girl friend in another city, had their honeymoon and then he returned with his new wife to the middle class locality of the town where he had his home.

He joined his duty In a few days in the same upscale area where he had his beat. One day while on his round of distributing mail, he found a new family moving into one of the houses. He casually enquired and came to know that the previous owner had sold her property about a month back. None of his business, rich people did it all the time, he thought! But he could not help overhearing some conversation between two women, one the newcomer and the other, a neighbour. 'You would not believe it! The previous owner, she fell in love with a postman, eloped and actually married him'! 

He came home in the evening and excitedly shared the news with his wife. 'You would not believe it! The postman who was my relief when we got married, the fellow got married to a rich woman in the locality where I distribute mail. Fast worker I must say. And he never told me! I must check with him. Wonder who was this crazy woman marrying a postman like me. And I never noticed her!'

 His wife smiled and replied enigmatically. 'You never notice anything! That is part of your charm. But think about the woman whom you call crazy. Maybe, she noticed him and fell for him. And love is blind as they say! Do not embarrass him or pry into his personal matters. Promise?'