Memory down the lane.... 24 & counting...Star 11

Seshadri YK

He is “Kamal Hasan” of our group. One must watch him when we call him like that. His big eyes will gleam and a smart smile on his lips. He is a style icon in a way. Whatever he did was style. Being another local hero of our days, having him in our midst was always difficult, obviously because of local commitments.

Being in “Flight1” he had this privilege of running (should I say dashed down) to mess first and grab his grub quickly and go for rest before others could even attempt having food!!! Unfortunately, since he was not even located in our premises, we could not have much of him. We could imagine only his past things.

Then there was a rare occasion when he came to Chandigarh on official duty. I was supposed to go on leave but had been forced to cancel the leave on national emergency. Sesha(YK) came and met “magudi” Thomas on the way. When they talked for few minutes, Thomas had informed him that I am there. Immediately Sesha requested him to take him to my house at Mohali. I also reached home only then for lunch and I was not even aware of this. While I was having lunch (all alone as Vaishali and Vishnu went to Chennai), he turned up at my entrance. I was surprised and happy to see him. He had lunch with me, specifically the curd rice he liked it and commented “Dhadhiyonnam besha irukku”. Really he was hungry and I offered him to take him out for lunch, which he refused and said that whatever is available in home is sufficient. Such simplicity and openness was amazing to me…

To be Continued...

Memory down the lane.....24 & counting....Star 10

Nithyanandam

He is the fastest man on earth.. (Can I say this??). Whatever, he does he would do it quickly, be it taking a bath or eating a meal or finishing some work, ahead of all of us always. I would say when we get up for getting ready for training session; he would be already ready after his breakfast. A man of words and perfection personified.  He is almost aggressive, but for a good cause always. When he gives commitment,  he will not listen to himself later (Am I sounding like Salman Khan or Vijay??). He was our real hero much before all these filmy guys.

Though he was not there with me for a major portion of life, but God has given me the opportunity to spend some 2, 3 years of life together with him and in that more than a year in the same house with him. He was everything for me. I need to highlight here and show my gratitude to him. There is no other way, I will be able to do justice for what he had done to me.

My stay in own quarters has come to an end and I have already stayed in 2 houses for brief periods. Nithya was not willing to take over a quarter considering the last 18 months of service and his family has been positioned at Chennai, though he has registered for. When I was facing the difficulties of frequent shifting, I approached him once and asked him knowing fully that he was not willing. But what a surprise, he just taken over the quarter for me to stay and in that sense, he offered me a shelter. I was not allowed to enter the house to share the initial works and he flatly refused that I should not step in the house citing that my health would deteriorate if I am present during white washing of house. He did it everything on his own, including the additional wiring that the house required and asked us to move in almost after a week. It was like a furnished house made ready exclusively for us. Such was the care and attention that he took in doing everything.

Nithya’s wife with Avinash came from Chennai during vacation and she has fed us with so many delicacies. What a nice and tasty way she prepares food. During final days, when we finished all formalities like visiting Delhi for final clearance and job fair etc, time has come for packing things. I am a novice in doing such things and in every posting one or other had helped me in doing such things.

This time it is quite different. Nithya was scheduling my packing as to how to pack, when to pack etc. He did packing single handedly for me with very minimal support from me. One should have seen the packing to see how he has taken maximum care to ensure things go in proper condition. The things have been dispatched to Pune to my parents and since I was searching for the job, we decided not to open the packing.

Finally the packing was opened at Mumbai after almost 4 months from the date of packing and I was surprised to see that everything was intact. The truck people who came at Chandigarh for taking the consignment and the people at Pune who delivered it and again the TCI packers & movers who came to reload it at Pune and deliver it to Mumbai have been surprised at the professional packing!!. They could not believe it…. The times that we spent with him at Chandigarh will remain evergreen. The association with him at the very beginning and at the end of career was a sheer coincidence….

To be continued....

Memory down the lane....24 & counting....Star 9

Manikandan

He was an original local hero of our group in training days. Apart from the very initial period, he used to go and mingle with local friends in every available opportunity. He was one guy along with others like Anbu, Kumar who arranged money to go on our first posting for all the East gang. He is famous for his local chennai language and when he spoke that kind of language, I was amused to listen to him.

Because of his local commitments he was not taking interest in exams. But what I heard of him later in other units that without his technical advice, a servicing would not progress a inch further. Such was his domination, knowledge and technical expertise. Even before he could reach Chandigarh on his posting, his fame reached before.. 

There was lot of demand and pressure for him to secure in their respective areas. He came to Chandigarh at the twilight of our career and he had a plan for extension. Most of the days he was very busy in his works and very rarely we met. However, I could meet him on 14 Jun 2009. Thereafter, meeting him remained elusive.

To be continued...

Memory down the lane....24 & counting....Star 6

Jayakumar

He is another most respected person by everyone and only myself call him always in singular like “Vaa” or “Po”. He was there with me always throughout training. He was in my same flight, and the only tamil friend. Personally speaking, we had that unspoken bond which cannot possibly be described. He was there always for me and so do I.

We have spent every exam, every class and training together, even shared sleeping in class together!!!! (When he sleeps I will not and vice versa). The days spent with him at Gandhi and Shivaji – 6 are more memorable. A highly intellectual by nature and this aspect can only come if one moves with him very closely (because he is an introvert) and has definite opinions in every issue. We can always discuss with him on any topic and he used to respond in a logical way. He is a suave, soft spoken person and a no-nonsense guy who reads a lot of things. 

My association with him was short lived to the extent of Training centre till Jun 1991 and we never met each other after that till 2009. Almost after 18 years, when we met again at Chennai, we didn’t have words to share. How can you share all those 18 years in 8 hours?? However, we were very happy to be in each other’s company on that momentous day – 14 Jun 2009….. and thereafter the next year on 22 May 2010. Unfortunately, I could not meet him on 22 May 2011…  Men proposed, God Disposed….

To be Continued....