41. We had not even finished our schooling, Athimber got transferred to Devlali, a place near Nashik. Since I was in the last year of my school education, it was decided to retain the family in Bombay till end of that academic year. Poor Athimber! He had to manage his life on his own and on all weekends he would come down to Bombay to be with us. Those days, travel was not so easy. He had to walk about 2 kilometers to Ghatkopar Railway Station and take a train to Kalyan and from there he had to travel by another train to Deolali. Travel was always by lowest class only and trains were always crowded. On many occasions, he had come home very tired due to tiresome journey – throughout the journey, just standing. Now a days, luxury buses ply, even taxis ferry passengers. Throughout his life, he had not tasted a luxurious life. If at all he enjoyed anything, it was a sumptuous food, sweets especially milk sweets and fried vadaams. So Akka ensured that there was vadaams readily available. Before onset of summer, she would buy all ingredients and prepare all varieties of paapads – including potato chips, the ones which are chipped, boiled, dried and stored and then fried as when needed. Her speciality was wheat vadaams, preparation of which was equally a tedious and tricky one. The semi processed stuff should be pressed while it was hot, only then it would come in proper shape. Once the boiled batter has cooled down to room temperature, it is very hard to press and continue. Akka’s deft hands knew how to handle things rightly. “Strike the iron while it is hot” holds good here also.
42. After my board exams were over, we all boarded the train to Devlali. Our life took a different turn. Life at Devlali was easy and cool for Athimber. His office was also close by. And he could come home for lunch which could never be thought of in his Bombay life. With every transfer, it was a case of hunting proper school for children. Babu, Gita Mallika and Ramesh, all got admitted into St. Patrick Convent School. Mallika, who all along studied in Tamil Medium school, had suddenly to cope up with all in all English medium school that is – even talking in the school should be in English. It was a tough job for her and I automatically and naturally became her teacher. It was her quick grasping power that came to my rescue and proved to be my saving grace, or else, I would have been branded as a poor teacher.
43. It was indeed a thrill to look for one’s own hall ticket number in the newspaper to find out whether the candidate had passed or not in the board exam. Such thrills do not exist now as the school gets the list and they put it on their notice board. Of late, even this is redundant as all results are published on the internet even before the school gets the list in printed form. I had the privilege of such a thrill to look for my number in the news paper. I was declared pass in my first board exam. What should be the correct age for writing the board exam, I do not know. In March 1960, I was, just little short of 14 years of age and Athimber saw that I had no problem with my age coming in the way of writing the Board Exam. For Bharathi, it was really a very big problem. She was underage when she wrote her board exam and that required a special permission from educational authorities. I think she was eleven or twelve when she did her matriculation.
44. At Devlali, there was no college and even if there was one, I might not have got admission into it. While Athimber put me in a Typewriting Institute and made me learn typewriting, Akka made me learn embroidery from one of her Punjabi friends. It is here that all of us became cyclists. Athimber was our guru. In those days we needed to have license for every cycle. Similarly for using radio also it was essential to have a license. After coming to Devlali only, Athimber purchased one radio, mainly to listen to news of the then Madras which later became Tamilnadu. Akka and Athimber were keen on listening to classical music available only on medium waves. More often than not, it would be with lot of disturbance. Babu and I had a fancy for Hindi songs especially for Cibaca Geet Mala programme which later became Binaca Geetmala. Radio Ceylon was a popular Radio Station. Athimber never objected to our using the Radio nor playing film music. This was not so in Madraas where I stayed earlier. Listening to film music was considered an objectionable offence there, for which a punishment of 108 sit- ups was minimum. In Devlali, there were two theatres Cathay and Adelphie. In Cathey which was closer to our house, we were getting Hindi movies and the matinee show screening old Hindi movies was at a very cheap rate and in Adelphy, it was only English movies. On few occasions, both Akka and I had gone to Cathay to see some good old Hindi movies. The timings were quite ideal – least disturbance to anyone. We would go after Athimber’s lunch was over and return back before Babu Gita et cetera came back from school.
45. Strange are the rules of Nature! Sometimes friends turn into close relatives and sometimes relatives become closer than friends. One such example was Mahadevan, a distant relative who became our family friend. A distant cousin’s sister in law can in no way be counted as a relative, not even a distant relative. But Mahadevan’s wife’s elder sister Padma was my father’s cousin brother Ananthan’s wife. The Vellore connection worked the wonders. Forget about being relatives, Mahadevan who was serving in Air Force, were staying closer by to our house and Akka being the magnet for all those who came into her contact, so there were frequent visits and we developed a close bondage. Their only daughter Mala was too shy and highly reserved would not mix with us all. Our togetherness was not cherished by our destiny. The small little girl Mala fell sick and did not recover. The parents were unable to bear the rude shock. Mahadevan sought for transfer and left Devlali once and for all. In one of our family gathering, we met them and came to know that God blessed them with one more girl. Though we were quite sad about one door got closed permanently for them, we were somewhat consoled in knowing about the other door that got opened for them. The little girl Padmini was now their heart and soul.
46. Some good events also took place during our stay at Devlali. Devlali had fetched us one more feather to our clan. Chandru was born in this small town. Bharathi had delivered her second baby Kaushik Bala at Kolar Gold Fields and Chandru was the third one. With Bharathi, Sowmya, Bala and the baby, and adding to them, we five brothers and sisters along with our parents, the house was virtually full. Bharathi after a brief stay went off to her place that is Kolar Gold Fields where my borther in law Venugopal was working. – no no, not in the very Gold mines, but in the hospital attached to the Goldmines.
47. Devlali was itself a small town and it required lot of time and labour to reach when somebody wanted to travel from Madras. Similarly Kolar Gold Fields, which was known as KGF, was again a small town which made the journey more tedious as there was no direct train route from Devlali to KGF. Alighting at junctions and getting into another train in another platform with luggages of various sorts and added to that a big Tiffin carrier stuffed with varieties of food – as we were not accustomed to buying food from outside – We had undertaken rail journeys in such manners only. And of course adding to that, no coolies! For our parents, Self Help The Best Help was the motto throughout their lives.
48. A few years rolled by in Devlali and can our destiny keep us cool? No. Athimber was shunted. This time it was to Puna which is now known as Pune. But again as Luck would have its sway, Babu was at the threshold. It was his turn to write the board exam. So family could not be shifted until he finished his matriculation. Athimber had to carry on alone in Puna and it was not well connected with Devlali – neither by rail nor by bus. Unlike to and fro travel between Devlali and Ghatkopar it was not possible to undertake frequent travels between Pune and Devlali. Quite likely, he could not have afforded it also. As it is, maintaining establishments at two places would have eaten away whatever meager savings he possessed. Even though we stayed in office quarters at Milne Lines in Devlali, in the event of his transfer to Puna, he had to pay higher house rent for the very same quarters. We as children never knew anything about financial crisis going on at home and the tight measures taken to overcome that.
49. Babu finished his HSC level of schooling and very soon we moved to Puna. We got accommodation at Yerawada. On the one side was Lohegaon Airforce Station and on one more side famous Central Jail and little closer to it was the Mental Hospital. On an earlier occasion also Athimber was staying at Puna. Gita was a baby then. My grandfather, I was told was too possessive and would not appreciate his son to work at far off places. That may be because, Athimber had gone off to Persia on account of World War II on a military assignment.
50. On his return from warfront, Athimber had picked up some good jobs. But my grandfather did not allow him to continue. Lack of communication, uncertainties of war, boiling tension of freedom movement in the country, lack of money power, his own failing health, loss of life partner – all these factors put together made my grandfather very sensitive and he was sending telegrams over telegrams to my father to resign from whatever jobs he had and come back to take care of him. Finally, that is what my father had to do. Instead of himself staying with his father, Athimber took his father with him and moved to Puna. But my grandfather did not live long there. He succumbed to his fever. I remember Akka mentioned once that Athimber had a special liking for Gita, because it was only after her birth that Athimber could hold on to a permanent job.
51. After a long stint of more than a decade away from Puna, he was back into the same city. Babu, being the first one to enter college, was admitted in Wadia College. Gita and Mallika were put in Dastur Girls High School and Ramesh in St. Ornellas Convent School. Strangely, even I was taken to a college. Athimber took me to St Mira’s College for Women where he could get me admission at three fourth concession. The college had just started and it was the only college for women and the rest were co education. Our tenure of stay at Puna was not for long. It lasted for two years only.
52. In Puna, Akka had her paternal cousin by name TNG Rajan. They were staying at a far off place Wanorie and we at Yerawada. So only on certain occasions we could meet. I do not remember the occasion now, nor the reason, but I had stayed with them in their house for a few days. There was one more relative who visited us at Puna. He was Rajappa, who happened to be, my mother’s sister in law Sundari Manni’s cousin.
53. The exams were fast approaching and Babu was laid down with fever and red eyes. Athimber was upset. But Babu had his own ways of coping up with odd situations. His friends would come home and read out lessons for him while he would be lying on the bed and memorizing them with his eyes closed. What mattered most was the result and that he procured well. In those days graduation course means it meant one year of Pre University (PUC) course and three years of degree course (B A / B Sc.) Even I finished my Pre University course. I always thought and that could be due to Athimber’s loud thinking that in our house Babu and Mallika only excelled in their academic pursuits. But occasionally even I scored very well and was getting “A” and “A+” for my Essay writing in English, Economics etc.
54. For me, the College education is not confined to mere academic pursuits. Its greatest offering is the gift of friendship. Some are lucky to have bosom friends and “friends forever”. I was one such lucky person. My friend Mallika, better known as Ooty Mallika is the gift of Mira College to me. To this day (and of course even beyond tomorrow) we remain close friends. Life had shunted us out here and there but we still hold our threads of friendship tight.
55. It was time again for another transfer. This time Athimber was asked to go to Jabalpur. On preliminary rounds, he found that Jabalpur was a very costly place and on top, no proper schools. So he chose to leave us behind in Puna and he kept trying for transfer to another place. Whereas frequent transfers were quite common for him, when he wanted one, it did not occur. Every month he would remit money by mail transfer (And occasionally by DDs) and I used to go to State bank Of India at Main Street and keep enquiring. That was my first encounter with bank. Coming home safely with money in tact was another ordeal. There was also one “Booth Bangla” on my route from Yerawada Bus stand to our colony. Touch wood! Nothing happened to me till day. But in my recent visits to Yerawada, I find the very Booth Bangla missing. So my presence had cast some bad omen on it and hence the very bungalow got perished over a period of time!
56. When we were at Puna, there was a wide spread famine in the country and we were not getting essentials in required quantities. Varieties of coarse millets which included horsegram also, were supplied. Sometime it was maida, sometime it was wheat flour and very less quantity of rice. Whatever was available, Akka used to make delicious food out of it, even if it was not familiar to us. None of us was fussy or troublesome. Much later in life, I understood that these very coarse grains and grams are more nutritious than those we eat daily. In our childhood days also, when there was no rationing out of essential food grains, Akka was giving us Ragi or wheat porridge as morning drink. Switching over to Tea Coffee etc. was at a very late stage. As for me, I took to Tea, only after joining Reserve Bank of India, and that too, a few years thereafter. But at home, it used to be the same Kanji, our daily drink for all of us.
57. One day we received a telegram from Venugopal stating that Sowmya was being sent to Puna with an escort who was on his way to Bombay and that we should fetch her from Railway Station. The telegram though sent much early, was received on the day of her reaching Puna. Akka and I rushed to the Railway Station to receive the small girl. There was no trace of the train. Upon enquiry, we learnt that the train was likely to come after about 4 hours of delay. Such long delays were quite common and the irritable part of it was, neither we could go home and come back, nor wait at the Railway Station itself endlessly. So we decided to go to Mahatma Phule Market and get vegetables and fruits so that waiting time could be used up ‘fruitfully’. We went in a hurry and came back in hurry lest the train might make up the delay. Normally trains running late, arrive much later than what had been announced. But to our bad luck, on that day, the train had already arrived and the escort man was virtually frowning at us. He dumped the girl in our hands and rushed off as his train to Bombay was almost leaving. From the railway station itself, we sent a telegram to Venu Athimber about safe arrival of Sowmya. Let it reach whenever it may reach. For the pains taken by him to send the girl to us, it was necessary. Venu Athimber had actually taken Sowmya to Bangalore and saw that she was seated comfortably in the train to Puna. She was put into the train there and we collected her here at Pune. Trains running late, delayed receipt of telegrams were quite common in those days. Long distance trains coming before time was only unusual.
58. A similar incidence happened some years later. Same story! Same Sowmya. She came to Nagpur to be with her grandparents. This time, she had taken her younger brother Bala also with her. Both the children were sent with a couple coming to Nagpur. Venu Athimber had come to Madras Railway Station to see them off. The telegram he sent from KGF much before sending the children to Nagpur was not received by us. The letter he had wriiten also did not reach us. One day suddenly some strangers came asking for our address and then to our great surprise we found the two kids standing aloof with a blank look. My father was very happy to receive the kids and he simply admired the bold step taken by parents to send the kids alone with some unknown strangers, because, the couple who brought the kids safely to our house was neither our relatives nor friends. Later, and that too because of this incidence, became our friends. Next day at office I got the much awaited telegram. The telegram meant for me was at first wrongly delivered to another girl by my name. She came running to me and was already in tears. Sending telegrams were generally resorted to, only to convey some sad news and hence she was upset. A bombshell might explode! When I told her the telegram could be for me as I was to get one, though belatedly. I asked her to see who sent it from where it was sent. Then she became alright and much relieved. Yes, the telegram was what I had expected. It was from Venu Athimber. The post card also was received a few days later. A real comedy of errors.
59. Reverting back to our Puna life, my father was striving hard to get a transfer out of Jabalpur. Apply apply no reply! Finally, he got it and it was Nagpur. We children were reluctant to leave the familiar place and our close friends, and move on to an uncertain city about which we had less information. But life has to be carried on whether we like it or not.. Athimber had already gone to Nagpur and fixed the house and came back to Puna for packing up.
60. Does anyone say, “Changes take place only in the lives of people”? Even cities, places and roads get their name changed. In that order, Puna became Pune, Bombay became Mumbai and Madras became Tamil Nadu and the Madras city became Chennai at different point of time. Reverting back to Athimber’s undaunted efforts, he went around schools and colleges where his children were studying. The school principal of Dastur School was very reluctant to give Transfer Certificate to Gita and Mallika and openly admitted the loss of two very good students. Athimber was narrating this incidence to Akka very proudly, so we all came to know about it. T.C. for Babu Ramesh and me were also obtained so as to continue education at the next place.
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