This is the last part. There is so much he didn't write about. Perhaps all the typing tired him, perhaps he was just a private person. But I value every word he wrote more than anything else in my life. I love you daddy. Even though you have gone, your legacy lives on, in our hearts and lives. And in Aloka.
First Job
In 1955, I joined the medical dept of JK Govt and was posted to Srinagar hospital. Everybody had left Srinagar by this time and I was alone. I was put on night duty. I had a small dog I left it home when I went to Hospital. The dog cried the whole night and on my return the landlady was full of complaints. Naturally! (Computer has been set right last evening so I am trying to write further.)
The dog would cry the whole night so I had no option but to carry it to hospital on my cycle. On the route all the street dogs would start barking and run with our cycle. It was quite a scene but I gradually got used to this funny scene. I worked in the hospital for 8 months and was transferred to the Mobile hospital. In this outfit, I had to tour in remote rural areas near the border where no medical facilities existed. We would camp at a place for a month and move to another location. I was able to see all the beautiful areas in this job. Many times Bhapaji would accompany me and pose as a senior doctor and ask the patient about his problem and then order me to write the medicine.
Marriage and Kids
Baoji had moved to Gurgaon as postmaster as he was nearing his retirement. He built the LJ house and settled after retiring. These days I was working in Medical College Srinagar. I went to Delhi during vacations and suddenly I was married to a girl selected by Baoji and Bhapaji. It was Feb 60.
After finishing the house-job Chandrama joined me in Srinagar. Both of us
decided to move to Delhi as job opportunities were limited in
Kashmir. End of 60 we returned to Delhi Chandrama joined Lady
Hardinge and I CGHS. We lived in LJ for over 10 years produced 3
children one after another. Anu was born in Lady Hardinge, Arun at
Holy family and you at Ganga Ram hospitals. The hospital was decided
by Dr S Ghei, Raj’s classmate and friend. You children kept us very
busy. Then we moved to Moti bagh.
Puja - Dad used to fondly mention his & Mohan Chacha's stint with a Dry-cleaning shop which they had opened near the river bed during their school days. The two of them ran it successfully for a few months. They wld wash the clothes in the river and sprinkle some white petrol later to fool the janta. They had to shut shop and flee when an influential figure’s XL suit shrank to size S!!
ReplyDeleteEvery time I collect clothes from the dry-cleaners I have this feeling –am I being duped
LOL, I recall that too vaguely. Just tells us that the mad genes were not limited to mom's side of the family only. Hard to believe though that dad was capable of such antics. He was so serious and proper, no?
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