From Deolali to Ojhar to manufacture MiG fighter aircrafts

The work in Nashik was far different from the type of work I had been engaged in Kanpur. That factory manufactured the HS-748 transport aircraft at the rate of one every year. But, Nashik was geared up to manufacture fighter aircraft at the rate of 30 per year. Moreover, the HS-748 was of British design and origin and the MiG was of Russian origin. Therefore, in Kanpur it was easy to interact with the specialist Engineers because English was the link language – in Nashik, we had to rely on interpreters. Some of them were Russians and some were Indians.
Anyway, the trip to the factory was a long affair.
I stayed in Deolali and the factory was in Ojhar – a distance of around 25-Km. Therefore, transport was provided by HAL and its fleet of buses would arrive at the scheduled stops to pick up the employees. Shift started at 7am and the buses would be there by 6am – the journey took around 40 to 45 minutes.
Most of the passengers in the bus would go to sleep, some would occupy the last seats and play games of cards and, as for me, I would read. I had discovered a fantastic outlet of books – it was a bookshop and the owner would allow me to take out one book every day. That was my pastime – I would pick up a mystery books and read half of it on my way to the factory and the second half on the return journey.
It was a good arrangement – I paid him a monthly fee for services rendered.
As for meals – I would take my lunch in the canteen and, for dinner, I would go to a joint managed by South Indians. It was Vijaya Lunch Home, the hotel for most of us who stayed in McKenzie Bungalow. The charges were reasonable – for Rs 30 per month, we had one mutton dish, one omelet, chapattis plus rice. There was no restriction on the quantity of rice and chapattis. (to be continued …)

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