27Th May 2009 was the day on which an era came to end. My father, who had been fit and fine with no known illness, breathed his last at around 7:35 AM. on that fateful Wednesday morning. It was an end of a wonderful and loving person, to whom I knew. Being the elder son I had the privilege to live more with him as a child, youngster and as father.
He was primarily employed with MHADA as civil engineer. When he finished his engineering, he was called by MHADA and he joinedin 1964. He started his career in a city called Aurangabad, in Maharashtra State. Later he was transferred to Nashik. Where we lived for the next 11 years. Though I was born in Bhuj, Kutch, but came to Nashik, when I was just 7 months old. we lived there for 11 years, covering almost enitire period of my childhood there.
We lived in a building of 2 story, built by MHADA. Those were the days when the people were free and had very little or almost no stressful life. It was absolutely peaceful life. The life in Nashik was the same as that of any place in Kutch, Gujarat, in those days. Perhaps that was the reason for him to settle in Nashik. Home and office were hardly 3 minutes walk. Office used to start at around 10:30 AM and all used to leave by 5:30 PM. No travelling hiccups and no time consumption.
In the evening people would walk down to the city bazaar, known as Main Road Bazaar, from the colony, where we lived. Papa had a cycle. We both used to go to the town together in the evening. He had one condition, that I must finish my studies to go with him to the town. Infact there used to be very little or almost no homework in those days. So he would insist that I should anwer all the maths tables, he would ask. Usually I did go out with him.
I remember his obsession with Maths. He loved Maths and would insist that I also do the same. But I was not that good in Maths and that irritated him, which resulted sometimes in good Methipaks (beatings). But he loved me and it was his love that irritade
In those days T.V. and such gadgets were not part of the life. We just had luxery of a Murphy transistor radio. We had no owned house as yet at that time. Actaully he never bothered to own a house. Such were the days that in those days people would go for a house in rare cases. People, perhaps, as like my father, had no extra money in those days. I remember he used to borrow money from one of our family friend, known to me as Ramji Kaka(Uncle). He used to send some of the money from his salary to back home to my uncle's home in Madavi, Kutch, who was his elder brother and had died when I was just 9 months old.
People would go to the banks of river Godavery, when they would feel that they are free. I can not forget the cool breeze at the river bank. Godavari river is believed to be one of the most auspecious river after Ganges, and hence Nashik had its importance differently from religious point of view. Papa, Mom and myself would go to river bank and sit there. Then go for an eatary, where I would eat Bhel. I remember the Bhelwalla who prepared a sweet Bhel for me, called Nanna Farishta Bhel.
Dad was very strict in his principles. (Once I had asked him, does he feel let down, when he saw other of his collegues, who were making money?, he asnwered that they might have had bunglows and properties, but he had a sound sleep of million rupees !) In those days I felt dad was little more linient with the people, from whom he could extract money or more precisely, can take bribe. I remember One known to me as Khara Uncle. He was a small time government contractor, and very lion hearted man, lived in Pune, Maharashtra, Dad had a very good relations with him, he would come once in a year to Dad's office as we was contracted to look for monsson treatment ofr building terrace, under control of MHADA.
He used to ask Dad to buy a television set. Which Dad always deferred. Actaully he was short of funds. Uncle would suggest that he wanted to send the T.V. set consting Rs.5,500/= in 1980, to our house, but Dad always thought otherwise. At last Uncle won and a t.v. set came to our house. But then he told us that he would need to pay those money back to uncle and for that he would not celebrate one diwali with new clothes. He did keep his word.
Later on he realized that there were few neccessities, which needed to be fulfilled. So while buying a refrigerator, we started a savings account with V.G.Paneerdas & Sons a consumer durable dealer in those yester years. In which we paid a fixed sum. After few months or even years, we accumulated good amount of money with V.G.P. and then we purchased our first refrigerator. He felt ashamed of buying things on installments.
He was very much interested in reading news papers. He had one routine, visit a local public library everyday, read different newspapers. Newspapers were not purchased everyday in those days, the way now we do it. It used to be a luxury of sort to buy the newspapers. I was so obsessed with the idea of going together with him that I aways overlooked the my plight in the library as I had to sit like a duck for almost an hour or two and wait for him to finish reading newspapers.
It used to be a hell of an experience for me, as I used to sit on a bench, while he would go from one reading desk to another. (It used to be a desk, where you could read the newspaper, standing.) Very lately I got an idea. To read some children's magazines for myself. But that used to happen seldomly, as those magazines were published monthly and I used to accompany him almost daily. So once I finished reading those magazines, at the most within 3 days again the same wait used to begin. But then I still insisted on going out with him as I loved to ride with him on the bicycle. I will never forget the joy of riding on that bicycle with Papa.
We had a good family friend, Ramjikaka. Papa had been very close to him. They both used to meet each other almost on daily basis. he one day advised Papa to enroll me for nursery. There was the only Gujarati Nursery in those days.
I was so obsessed with him that I was not wiling to go to nursery and even the school. I still to
this date remember the first day of the nursery, when he left me with the teacher, Ms. Jayashree, and I cried for long. I saw him leaving me in the nursery from the first floor balcony, he was smiling and left on the bicycle. I cried and cried for long, then Ms. Jayashree took me to the hall where there were more than 50 other children, playing. That made me forget him for a while and I was happy to see him again after 3 hours, he picked me up and took me home. Later on to make me interested in going to nursery he enrolled me for a school bus. I still remember, I used to snooze inside the bus and for twice or may be thrice, I fell down inside the bus when the breaks applied. Father would console me when I used to get down from the bus.
Papa would wait in the afternoon heat to receive me at the MHADA colony, when I returned from nursery. Since Mom was very strict, Papa did a soothing job. So I was always very happy to see him collect me at the bus stop. I had the habit of hiding behind him, initially from mother and then from the world of relations and social responsibilities, till he left for eternity. With his presence I never felt responsible. I was proudy and so confident about him, that I never imagined that I have to live without him one day and then forever. I took pride in having a complete family with mother father, brother, wife, son and daughter.
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