Memory Down the lane....24 & counting... Star 4

Kumar

He is an ebullient, energetic, enthusiastic and an emotional person. He is unique in a way to our group that he was recruited from Delhi. I was under the impression for a few days that other than Tambaram batch, there will be no Tamilians in any batch.

When I met for the first time, he gave me Mysore pak, a favourite sweet of mine. When he came to know this, every day he called me to his room to have one at night. Though it used to be a prohibited hour of visit and supposedly a strict study hour (most people will be half asleep inside mosquito net before night roll call), out of extreme desire, I go to his room for having one, considering the risk is worth enough. His share of sweets was also given to me and he took pleasure in sharing those wonderful sweets with me.

Even this year in May 2011 when we visited his home he greeted me with Mysore pak thus completing a full circle. He is a very good writer, writes poems and stories at his will in a very short span of time. The creativity which lies beneath him is unparallel. Give him any topic, pat comes the poem or story. Really God send gift for him. He also used to write letters often in those days and make me feel that he is around me somewhere.

He was never posted with me anywhere and it was unfortunate in many ways, where I could not even meet him in the entire span of career. Only when I went to Delhi during final clearance, met him very briefly for about 10 minutes… That too he was busy leaving and was supposed to catch the train in a few hours and I enter the premises. Even then those 10 minutes was like heaven and we could share so much of news that was possible and promised to be in touch.

During Training days, he used to be captain of Volleyball team of our group for one side and opposite would be Anbu. The stiff competition that we all enjoyed every day and a talk about the match how it went lasted for the remaining portion of the day. Every exam used to be a fun time. He used to sleep and say everybody that he will get up later to study and ask one of us to wake him up during conversion. That “later” would not come at all. Yet he used to do well in exams. He is a very good organizer and a very responsible person in our group and works out the details to the minute.

Our hand written magazine “Hello” was edited by him along with Anbu and Sesha V. He is a fan of Pattukottai Prabhakar and Sujatha, and would finish their novels ahead of anything. He is affectionately called as “Thambhi” who is always meticulous in his approach.


To be continued....

Memory down the lane....24 & counting....Star 3

Anbuselvan

He is a simple and yet a powerful personality.  His sense of humour is unparallel laced with jokes. A teacher by heart and wants to change the world, spiced with anecdotes. He is a great teacher of Mathematics and had the privilege of being a student to him. He had burnt midnight oil for the sake of me and ensured that I cleared my Mathematics paper (AMIE). It was neither a one day affair nor a one off occasion, but a day in day out, of disciplined teaching for more than 3 months. I am indebted and will not be able to re-pay it forever.

A Man never shows his sorrow and has an amazing ability to cope with issues and pose a smiling face. His presence will be readily felt once he enters the scene. An absolute team man, who led his team along with him always and showed glimpses of his leadership. I was given an opportunity to assist as what you may call as a cashier or an accountant and I did this to the best of my ability and thoroughly enjoyed this stint. Of course this stint with him certainly had its own favours and fringe benefits!!!. For example, I can be with him always and go to any room during “study hours” and meet my friends. I was also given a portfolio of not so important entertainment in-charge of library and indoor games along with V Sesha and did not attend PT!!

He is affectionately known as “Silvan” or “Ambu” to many north Indian guys and we also called him like that. His skill in inter-personal relationship is another amazing thing and he always ensures that he is in touch with all. His letters were always an experience. In fact on one occasion he spoke and said that it would be nice to meet at Delhi in the pretext of job fair, which was a nice idea. Though we were not seriously looking up for job, we made it worthwhile to visit Delhi and met. When we were about to separate that evening, words were not spoken. Only eyes spoke and there were lot of questions…. Will we be ever to meet again? Will we be in touch again??. Though we both had no answers, we bade an emotional send off to each other. But rest is history that we met again that too every year. He is a master in the art of story narration and one can go miles to hear those witty stories. (Though of late, he is yet to keep abreast with technology..).

A keen learner, who was a novice in cricket once upon a time, started doing scoring the games for all of us and thus started learning the game. Today the interest and knowledge he possesses is phenomenal. Living in a town famous for its falls, though he has invited us to come, the time and opportunity has not come yet.


To be continued.....

Memory down the lane... 24 & counting... Star 2

Inbavanan

A great personality and cool like cucumber, hails from cool place. He is an affable person by nature. He is a jolly go guy, who takes everything in positive spirits and surges ahead.  He is a good competitor and unique sportsman in our group in the sense that he played basketball and was very good at it.  He represented highest form of the game right from initial training days, which was unheard of.

“Inba” as he is affectionately called by us had been allocated a different branch and he was in a different training mode. He happened to be posted to Chandigarh, where I had a very good opportunity to spend about 4, 5 years. I vividly remember, when I was at Mohali, he came for the first time with his family to our home informing that he is posted to Chandigarh… We have spent many family get together one on one every Sunday in the sense that we reciprocate our visits on alternate weeks. Later we had quarters just a stone’ throwaway. Thangavel used to be Vishnu’s playmate and on many occasions I bowled to them.

We have gone to many places together in and around Chandigarh and even many purchases have been together!!!. Not only at home, but in offices also we used to visit each other every day as my favorite canteen was at his place. His wife had fed me on many occasions and had never allowed me to cook when Vaishali was on vacation.

Above all, since we were in same place and eventually last posting before discharge all our final disposition of activities including pre-release course also took place together and this pre-release course period was the most enjoyable moment.

Another event, I would like to remember here is that we travelled together to Delhi for final clearance in a Tata Safari whole night and rested at his friend’s place. For all his talents, he got selected in a campus interview in a different trip to Delhi, (Probably the first to get selected!!!), where I accompanied him primarily to meet our friends.

To be continued.....