He sang Rabindra Sangeet and looked after buildings

Here is the sixth unforgettable character in my life …

I met him in the hospital – I had gone for my monthly medical checkup, he had come for some other ailment. He was happy because he would be taking his son the next day to the American visa office – the boy was preparing for his MS in Engineering in an American University. It was good news.
My mind went back to the seventies when he had arrived from Calcutta, ostensibly to escape from the Naxalites. He had a diploma in civil engineering and possessed a wonderful voice, suited to Rabindra Sangeet. He got employed in the Civil engineering department and had to look after the maintenance of buildings.

Within no time, he became a favorite of the Bengalis and assumed a permanent role in the festivals like Rabindra Jayanti, Saraswati puja, and the Durga Puja. He even participated in non-Bengali programs because one who can sing can do so in any language. In due course of time, he married a local girl – she was ambitious, she also could sing and dance. The pair was a made-for-each-other couple. As luck would have it, she got a job on compassionate grounds in the same organization after her father’s premature death.
They had struggled in the initial stages and their son has made them proud now. He has retired from service and, once his son completes his MS from an American University, it would be still more feathers in their caps. My friend is an example of how Lady Luck can shower her blessings, if she wants.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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TV and close association with Gods and festivals

Indians are a God fearing lot and, no matter how liberal we may project ourselves to be, the fact remains that we are still haunted by superstition. We still have full faith in God and know that he will always stand by our side and deliver us from all evil. That is why the set on practically every TV serial will have a space devoted to God.
This in-house temple will be a place where all family members will assemble – not just to pray on regular festivals but also to pray for a death-bed member of the family to recover. He (or she) might have been involved in a serious head on collision on the road. The accident would have been engineered by a member of the family who is not on good terms with the victim or who feels he has been wronged.

The spot of red on the forehead of the victim would signify the seriousness of the injury. And, the prayer sessions in front of God would prove that God can perform miracles, doctors are not really necessary. Once in a while, the prayer venue would shift to an outside temple – or even a temple in the premises of the hospital.
So much so for praying to God on selfish motives. There are other occasions to pray and celebrate and that is during festival times and, in the Indian calendar, there is no shortage of festivals.
Regular and large scale festivals mean Dussera, Diwali, Holi, and Ganesh festival and others include kite festival, karwa chauth etcetera. And then, there are the marriage rituals right from the pre wedding song and dances to the actual marriage ceremonies. On these occasions, the stars of the glittering world of TV grab the chance to showcase latest fashion trends and the online business of the products soars.
That is what TV is all about – enjoy and let others enjoy, let business flourish, let there be smiles on people’s faces. As an ad of a popular two-wheeler goes – why should boys have all the fun? Let the fun not be restricted to only a few. (to be continued …)
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Hospital keeps following me – it gets me for third time in three months

I, like any other normal person, hated hospitals. The strong smell of disinfectants, the nurses going about with grim expression on their faces, the doctors who do not know how to laugh - all of these have negative effect on every one.
I was no exception but, as it turned out, I had to get admitted in the hospital for treatment of disease connected to the heart. Yes, it was hereditary and, hence, the doctors did not want to take any chance. And, to add to my bucket of woes, my GM wanted to ensure that I remained fit and effective. It was a selfish motive but, it did have its plus points because the doctors took special care for me.
However, after being in the hospital twice, I felt that my diagnosis was complete and I started on a regular dose of medicines that were meant to ensure a trouble free life. But, God willed otherwise.

It was a party in a hotel – the occasion was to meet the family of a prospective bride for my son. The contact had been through letters and they hailed from Raipur. And, the head of the family was known to one of my local friends.
All of us met in a hotel in Nashik City and, agreed to let the youngsters go out and try to discover each other’s likes and dislikes. They came back after half an hour or so and there followed a session of some hot and spicy snacks peppered with discussions in a light vein. We exchanged smiles and parted company.
But, by the time we returned home, I was once again in discomfort. And, it ended with yet another visit to the hospital and an entry into the ICU – it was the third time in less than three months. (to be continued …)
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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ICU beckons me for a second time

My first visit to the ICU was for a duration of a fortnight. I was kept under 24-hours observation by the monitors installed in the cabin, my physical movements were restricted, my taste buds went haywire with new concoctions dreamt up by my wife to ensure that I got used to a diet of minimum cholesterol, fats and all the ingredients that do not make for a happy meal. It was a real mental and physical torture not just for me but for my wife and son as well because, in a family of three, one cannot continue to have two different sets of menus at all times. I had to accept it all with a smiling face but, internally, I was determined to find a way out.
Anyway, Man proposes and God disposes and the same happened to me.

It was a month after I was released from hospital. I was gradually returning to normal when it happened again. I had done some marketing of vegetables and fruits and met my doctor there. He enquired about my health and I gave him the thumbs up. Both of us were happy and, after returning home, as I sat down with a cup of tea, I suddenly felt uncomfortable. I was experiencing breathing problems.
My son was not at home so my wife ran to our neighbor and he immediately took me in his car to the hospital and it was a repeat performance of the earlier instance. Knowing my past medical history, the duty doctor admitted me immediately and that was that.
I once again cursed my luck and resigned to my fate. I had stopped smoking, I had moved away from mutton because red meat is loaded with cholesterol, similarly, eggs were banned from my diet. I tried to argue with my wife and convince that the message of ‘Sunday ho ya Monday, roj khao andey’ means that eggs are safe. But, she was not convinced. (to be continued…)

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