A Blog begun years ago as a stroll
on the Funny Side of Serious Street, highlighting India's problems. Revived now, adding memories of old Bombay - including excerpts from
Dreams of One Country.
This true story of fifty years ago reflects on unchanging attitudes in India.
My father passed away when I was 27. An early huge hit in my life. He had given us, his children, so much love. Worse, he died from hygiene negligence in a public hospital. It wasn't a major operation. The surgeon - Arthur DeSa, the most reputed in Bombay then - did a good job. But the infection introduced by an unsterile spinal anaesthesia paralyzed my father and ended his life after two tortured years.
We were living in my father's government quarters and were told to vacate the house. Getting a flat on rent in Bombay was difficult.those days. We had to buy a flat where we could pay for it in instalments over several years. A girl classmate of ours in medical college (my wife's close friend) said her cousin was building flats for sale near Juhu beach. The girl was from a well-educated family and knew very little about her builder cousin. But she asked him to help us. He agreed. All the money I had was the 14,000/- left of my father's provident fund after deducting the loans my dad had taken. The builder wanted an initial 11,000/- in cash. I said I would give him a cheque. He said that without the initial cash payment the deal could not go through. So I drew the money out of the 14 I had in the bank. My wife and I went to his house in Juhu. Seated in the drawing-room with the builder was his mother, a white-haired lady in her eighties. Her young grandchildren were playing around. The builder asked me to give the money to his mother. She counted the notes, nodded, called a servant and spoke to him. Then the servant dragged a huge metal trunk into the drawing-room - one at least as big as the trunks you see on railway platforms, which belong to jawans (soldiers) on the way to a new posting. From her waist the old lady gave the servant a bunch of keys. The servant opened 4 padlocks on the trunk and lifted the lid. The trunk was packed to the brim with 100/- notes. I assumed the old lady had a knee or other problem that made her immobile. And that was why the trunk was dragged out into the drawing room. The lady dumped our notes in the trunk. It was locked up again. The key-bunch returned to grandma's waist. The servant dragged the trunk out. Then the old lady got up and walked away. She had none of the physical disabilities I had imagined.
.
Obviously, showtime was over. I realized the drama enacted by her and son was merely to show-off their trunk-load of 'black' wealth. At that age she still craved to show-off. Another example, indicating that this utterly time-wasting, meaningless pastime is nothing new in India. Though, today, there's more opportunity.
A True Bombay Grandma's Tale
This true story of fifty years ago reflects on unchanging attitudes in India.
My father passed away when I was 27. An early huge hit in my life. He had given us, his children, so much love. Worse, he died from hygiene negligence in a public hospital. It wasn't a major operation. The surgeon - Arthur DeSa, the most reputed in Bombay then - did a good job. But the infection introduced by an unsterile spinal anaesthesia paralyzed my father and ended his life after two tortured years.
We were living in my father's government quarters and were told to vacate the house. Getting a flat on rent in Bombay was difficult.those days. We had to buy a flat where we could pay for it in instalments over several years. A girl classmate of ours in medical college (my wife's close friend) said her cousin was building flats for sale near Juhu beach. The girl was from a well-educated family and knew very little about her builder cousin. But she asked him to help us. He agreed. All the money I had was the 14,000/- left of my father's provident fund after deducting the loans my dad had taken. The builder wanted an initial 11,000/- in cash. I said I would give him a cheque. He said that without the initial cash payment the deal could not go through. So I drew the money out of the 14 I had in the bank. My wife and I went to his house in Juhu. Seated in the drawing-room with the builder was his mother, a white-haired lady in her eighties. Her young grandchildren were playing around. The builder asked me to give the money to his mother. She counted the notes, nodded, called a servant and spoke to him. Then the servant dragged a huge metal trunk into the drawing-room - one at least as big as the trunks you see on railway platforms, which belong to jawans (soldiers) on the way to a new posting. From her waist the old lady gave the servant a bunch of keys. The servant opened 4 padlocks on the trunk and lifted the lid. The trunk was packed to the brim with 100/- notes. I assumed the old lady had a knee or other problem that made her immobile. And that was why the trunk was dragged out into the drawing room. The lady dumped our notes in the trunk. It was locked up again. The key-bunch returned to grandma's waist. The servant dragged the trunk out. Then the old lady got up and walked away. She had none of the physical disabilities I had imagined.
.
Obviously, showtime was over. I realized the drama enacted by her and son was merely to show-off their trunk-load of 'black' wealth. At that age she still craved to show-off. Another example, indicating that this utterly time-wasting, meaningless pastime is nothing new in India. Though, today, there's more opportunity.
*
Tail Lights
1. India Illuminiscopic:
Check out Dreams of One Country on Amazon.com. If the novel's Revolutionary Theme - the March to a New Ek Desh India - appeals to you, you can download it on any device: I phones, pads or computers. In the 21st Century story youth lead India's people to unite as Ek Desh (One Country), to strive together and build an enlightened and truly modern nation
2. Man's Toughest Job! (from Tipsy Tweetlines)
Look at history, past and present. Obviously, the toughest job in the world for man is to add an 'e' to human.
Check out Dreams of One Country on Amazon.com. If the novel's Revolutionary Theme - the March to a New Ek Desh India - appeals to you, you can download it on any device: I phones, pads or computers. In the 21st Century story youth lead India's people to unite as Ek Desh (One Country), to strive together and build an enlightened and truly modern nation
2. Man's Toughest Job! (from Tipsy Tweetlines)
Look at history, past and present. Obviously, the toughest job in the world for man is to add an 'e' to human.
***
No comments:
Post a Comment