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....

Memory down the lane....24 & counting.... Star 5

Arumugaswamy

A smallest person, who hails from my grandfather’s place, has earned the highest stature and respect from one and all. He is soft spoken with a great knowledge on plethora of things. He was never posted with me anywhere and whatever interaction that I had, was restricted to initial training days. He has been with us during studies of AMIE Sec A and had grasp of subject. But for his health during those days, he could have come out with flying colors.

We have discussed many things during training days and he has this uncanny sense of humour which always goes unnoticed. “Samy” as he is affectionately known has helped us immensely in the final days when he was posted in Delhi. We all had an opportunity to be with his family as well and had a great time. In fact this particular event everyone would have experienced, I believe, except for Thirumalai Selvam, B Kannan and V seshadri.

He is a banker by profession, who has helped me in getting my arrears by promptly providing the inputs, which in my opinion is a great help personally and cannot be explained in words. That was the time when my arrears were getting delayed though all got it much before and I was to repay some loans which I took it for upfront payment of my home.


To be continued....

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.....

Memory down the lane...24 & counting.... Star 1

Kannan B

He is a smart, good looking, ever smiling, soft guy. I became friend even before training. I remember on 20 Sep 1987, when we all assembled for filling in forms during a break we happened to chat and it turned out to be that he was from 1986 batch (me - 1985 batch) from the same PSG Tech. Forget about service and these 24 years, we became very close the same day…. and it continues…

The training days, were very fond memories. We were not separated for a moment. We travelled together back to Coimbatore after 6 months of training, returned together for technical training and made it sure that we returned together during conversion as well. In fact we (B Kannan, Sriram & me) were the last set of people to arrive by Kovai Express. During first posting though we were separated we did ensure that we completed Sec A (AMIE) during conversion.

Luckily, we were posted together post conversion… We were put up in same room and stayed together and it was he who ensured this. How many mornings and evenings we might have studied together. There was a healthy competition among us and definitely no jealous attitude. One was always supportive to the other. He attended my marriage as well.

One particular incident which I would like to recall here is before Kannan’s marriage, which is etched permanently in my memory. Though I might have narrated to a few people, I would like to put it on record now. This will be there as long as I live.. We (Vaishali, me & Kannan) were travelling together from Kanpur to Coimbatore by Cochin – Gorakhpur Express. I was not keeping well though I was prepared to travel. I was suffering from Asthmatic attack during travel. Though I had taken tablets twice or thrice (I do not remember), the breathlessness associated with it did not subside. Seeing my condition, Vaishali was perplexed and she lent all moral support that she could, as she was also new to me (Yes.. this incident was within 3, 4 months of marriage). My Friend, My real hero swung into action as soon as the train reached Vijayawada.. Though the train did have a stop of 10, 15 minutes, he ran almost 10 platforms, went outside to a medical shop to fetch an inhaler. Imagine the rush during the time. (it was probably night and peak hour time).

The train was about to start and we were obviously worried that he has not reached. More than my suffering, I started worrying for him. The train was just chugging off slowly from the station and he hops into the train and gave my SOS (Save our Soul). After having two puffs of medicine, I became totally normal. GOD, Kannan was my savior who saved me literally from the crutches of pain and agony. He even did not think of the consequence if he would have missed the train. He proved the idiom to its worth that “A Friend in need is Friend indeed”.

Even our marriages were not widely dispersed. He married within 6 months of my marriage in Jan 1995, which we attended. He has ensured a couple room in a hotel for us in Pollachi. We invited Kannan and Hema in a traditional way at Kanpur. I had my maximum dinner almost every day at his place when Vaishali had gone to Kumbakonam for delivery. Hema and Kannan was my moral support during this longest separation… How am I going to repay them??

Even today, when I write this, those sweet memories are overwhelming. The moment he was posted out from Kanpur, I felt sky shattered on my head. I could not take this, though I know for sure that it was unavoidable. The tracks of life have changed and it was something like a derailment. We were in touch, but it was few and far in the later stages, obviously due to the distance, time, commitments. But then, we rejoined through technology post retirement and the bonding is up and running again all over…..

To be continued....

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

A Real friend is one who walks IN when the rest of the world walks OUT

Don't walk in front of me , I may not follow
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead
Walk beside me and be my friend

A hug is worth a thousand words. A friend is worth more 

 A thought flashed across mind..... This is an attempt undertaken to showcase and portrait all my friends individually as I perceived and written all those fond memories associated with everyone as far as possible.

This attempt took a non-stop effort of 3 hours each day for 2 days. What better moment can it be apt than to present it to all of you in September? This week 24 years before, we were all filling out forms and enrolled ourselves.

The words are straight from heart and I thank Almighty for providing me such good friends in my life on behalf of HIM to represent.

The words may be less or more about anybody, but whatever it is, I value every one of you at par.

The beauty of this write up is that I did not think much as to what to write about each individual. It came like a flow, without any interruption, implying that you all have made such indelible impact on me..

When I finished this one, felt emotionally overwhelmed and certain lines made me shed happy tears…

Let us be like this for ever....


A series of blogs to follow on every individual......