A weekend at Bachelor Mess listening to Rabindra Sangeet

After seeing my name in Bengali print for the first time, it was but natural that I pursue this further to improve not just my standard of writing but also to gain acceptance as one who can express his thoughts in his mother tongue.
In the course of my regular duties, I would write – my mind was full of ideas and, coupled with the varied experiences that I was acquiring, I discovered that I could write a couple of pages and end up with a story of sorts.
I would then take it to two of my critics – they worked in different sections and were always ready to give it a look over and suggest changes. Some of the changes I would accept, some I would ignore. Yes, there would be arguments and counter arguments and it was fun. All the three of us were bachelors and that added to the fun.
I remember that one Saturday they asked me to stay over for the weekend in the Bachelor Mess. This was a building that had been built by HAL Nashik near to the factory and was meant to accommodate the male bachelors who had honed service.
Well – it was indeed a memorable weekend. One of the residents had a wonderful voice. He was a Russian language interpreter. After dinner he invited us to a session of songs. Therefore, I and other Bengalis trooped after him to the roof where he sang Rabindra Sangeet (songs of Tagore) – his stock of songs was fantastic and time literally flew.
Anyway, I did my writings in the factory and got them written properly on one side of foolscap paper once I returned to McKenzie Bungalow. Later, I set hem by post to the magazine. I had stated with one magazine and later got a second one added. Both were just names to me as I was to them –and, I decided that next time I visited Kolkata I would drop in on them and surprise them. (to be continued …)

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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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I go to Deolali for the first time

After landing in Nashik at around 3am, I walked down the road from the railway station with my eyes peeled for a hotel. It was the end of April and after walking some distance, I saw a two storied building with the name of a hotel. I climbed up the stairs and got a room – it was reasonably good one, at least for the night.
Next morning I walked down to the Old Distillery building – that is where HAL Nasik had its offices. It was an imposing building of the British era made of stones and resembling the interior of castles of yore – I expected a knight in shining armor to suddenly step out from behind a pillar to block my way.
I met the people of the personnel department and then the staff of the nearby medial department to clear the formalities. And then, after lunch, I was directed to my section.
It was nothing but one corner of a room where some dummy airframe structures were kept and the employees worked on them – some drilled holes, others countersunk the holes while others riveted the joints. They were all learning and, among them was their teacher. A very serious looking gentleman who had come from HAL Bangalore.
I was introduced to him and he asked me where I was staying. I told him and he directed me to another person who stayed in a nearby place called Deolali – it seems the place he stayed was rented by HAL from a shipping firm based in Mumbai. Well – he took me to his place, I saw it and loved it – the terms were super. The building was three storied and its total rent was Rs 422 which would be divided among the boarders. At that point of time there were around 24 boarders and I became the 25th.
Most of them were Malayalees and there was also a man of all seasons – he stayed in the outhouse with his family and did odd jobs for the residents.
I took a bus, returned to the hotel, paid off my dues and came back to McKenzie Bungalow in Deolali – why a three storied building was called bungalow was a mystery. (to be continued …)

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