My Journey to Jalandhar

I remember clearly to this day August 12th 1990 I saw an advertisement for an Engineer in the Hindu Paper while I was in Sunabeda the place where I was born and was to spend a good part of my life including my schooling and I applied for that company amidst a big NO from my parents since there was this terrorism problem in Punjab at that time. But keeping everything aside I applied and on September 13th I started upon my journey to Jalandhar. My dad came to Vizag to see me off - after reserving a ticket in the II class compartment. I disembarked on September 14th and went of in search of a Hotel that was the first time I ever came to Jalandhar. I came upon the best hotel in Jalandhar city the Kamal Palace reserved a room freshened up and went on to attend the interview.

I was selected. I joined the company on 10th October 1990.

My journey in Punjab started. In 1991 I met Monica the girl who made my life went steady with her for almost 8 months and we were engaged to get married on May 10th 1992.

March 25th 1992 I resigned from my job at Jalandhar and took up a job at Bangalore. Married Monica on May 10th 1992 and went back to Bangalore. We were there from May to November.

I still recall our neighbours were mostly students and we used to play cricket outside our house every evening me, monica and the students. One student was from North India I do not remember his name but there was a cook by name Krishna who used to cook in his place and at times used to cook at our place just for the heck of it.

November 1992 I resigned and off we went to Ludhiana. My wife took up college life again and her friends used to come home and we used to visit them. One girl by name Sukhi and another Lekha. Sukhi was a very pretty girl she was a sikh girl where as Lekha a Bong her father a SAIL officer.

After 2 years and 8 months I took up an assignment at Jaipur. This was the first company in my career wherein the employer invited my wife for a two day trip along with me to visit Jaipur and the CEO Mr. S.D. Mathur and his wife who lives in 1 Bani Road made sure we fell in love with Jaipur and would certainly work with them. This company was in the making.

That was in 1995. Vanshaj my elder son was born that year in December. He was born in Jalandhar after a couple of months we brought the frail boy to Jaipur after which we had almost six months of a torturous stay as Vanshaj never kept well those six months. I finally in consultation with my better half found a job in Jalandhar and resigned from my job at Jaipur.

Jaipur was one place where our friend circle started. Devendra Sharma - a nice well spoken gentleman married now. I still remember his parents very - caring and gentle. B.P Singh (the Rajput) - another wonderful person to be with but never ever heard of him after I left Jaipur but do have hopes of meeting him sometime. Rajesh Sharma - He his wife and two children I meet them when ever I go to Jaipur. He is one who became very attached to Vanshaj and Vanshaj to him. Vanshaj used to always call him Jaresh when he was small. Rajesh hails from Karouli thats where the Red Sandstone quarries are in Rajasthan and they are called the Karouli stone.

During our stay at Jalandhar we stayed at 5 different houses in the 5 year 15 days of stay. the first house we stayed for one month as a makeshift house where we never slept even one night. It only held our luggage. From there we shifted to Jain Colony to the family of Jathedar Jaimal Singji where we had one room a kitchen and an attached bathroom. There was an attached bathroom which was a link to the family of Jathedar Jaimal Singh. The family which consisted of Jathedar Jaimal Singh, with his wife, their son Amarjit Singh and his wife and three children - Jasmandeep Kaur the eldest daughter, Amandeep Kaur the second daughter and Simarjeet Singh the youngest child and the only son. Jasman and Aman used to come home to clarify doubts in mathematics and the two girls and my wife used to chat and chat endlessly. That was the first time I came across such a wonderful family that has become a part of my own world. That was the beginning and I never ever imagined that this family with whom I stayed only for a year would become an intricate part of my life at that time.

They decided to sell off their house and we had no option but to move when they sold off their house with a promise to us that they would be most pleased to have us back once they had their own house.

We shifted to a Jain family house in the first floor. Where we stayed for two years. Vanshaj Joined pre-nursery here and that was where he learnt the first few lessons in life. We were just two blocks away from Monica's parents house.

When Amarjit Singh my ex-owner built his own house in Guru Gubind Singh Nagar Colony and one fine day Jasman, Aman and their mother whom to this day for some odd reason we call didi called upon us and told us to shift we did, to once again become a part of their family - Ties grew into strong bonds and to this day we maintain the bond the relationship that took us years to build.

Although we were there with them for only an year I remember every detail there.

Of Jasman there are many things that need mention - oops Jass sorry that I forgot to put in earlier - this little girl now engaged on the 27th May 2007 in Jalandhar - had managed to convince Vanshaj then in IInd grade that he ought to be a chemical engineer to be eligible to get married and lo when I was home from work Jasman and her pretty young sister pushed Vanshaj to me. Vanshaj came upstairs and said confidence fully boosted, "Papa main chemical engineer ban na chahata hoon", when asked why a chemical engineer - the beans was spilled. The pretty pair laughing practically fell on the floor.





















Jasmandeep Kaur - before marriage

We moved to the last house in Jalandhar where Sushrut was born and the movement from Jalandhar then began - the quest to search for a new place a new land far from the wonderful list of friends we had gathered - there are many whom I have not mentioned. The most remembered are the only ones I have mentioned in my pages.

The quest in Hyderabad will take on a new chapter in my life.

Sent by a girl

Something Great:

Geographical Comparison of Women

Between the ages of 18 - 21 a woman is like Africa, she is half discovered, half wild..

Between the ages of 22 - 30 a woman is like America, Fully discovered and scientifically perfect.

Between the ages of 30 - 35, she is like India & Japan, Very hot, wise and beautiful.

Between the ages of 35 - 40 a woman is like France, she is half destroyed after the war but still desirable.

Between the ages of 40 - 50 she is like Germany, she lost the war but not the hope.

Between the ages of 50 - 60 she is like Russia, Very wide, very quiet but nobody goes there.

Between the ages of 60 - 70 a woman is like England with a glorious past but no future.

After 70, they become Siberia, Everyone knows where it is, but no one wants to go there.

A poetic angle

What is that hits a person when he or she looks at a post is what intrigues me and never ever could I figure that out.

Any ways thanks Shoma I dedicate this post to you. Your post: teachersmusings.blogspot.com is a wonder. Hope to get the creative skills at writing as wonderfully as you. especially the last poem on that little girl - superb.

I would certainly be proud to have you as a friend. I am into poetry a little bit, love long walks, trekking, hiking, listen to ghazzals, and love places. I am right now in Germany. I love cooking and that is my recent passion cos we dont get Indian food so easily in this part of germany hence the new found passion.

Each time I receive an email from Shoma or more nicely known as Soumana Dutta there is a little more I learn from this person's life - a truly wonderful friend. Posts are especially intriguing and talks about her adventures - a good place to learn more of the Jaipur abode of kings and kingdoms. I wish in some stage of life I get a chance an opportunity to go specifically and meet that wonderful person and her lovely family.

What if is always the question I ask my self but her blog has made me look at things in a more positive angle. Always has a pep to life ways - How Shoma? Any way Kudos to all your efforts.

MAY GOD ALWAYS BE WITH YOU.

Any time you need a friend call me.

Umesh

My poems

SOME PASSING THOUGHTS
As I sit here,
I remember,
The spring time’s rhapsody,
Petals of yester year,
Have gone away softly,
Some collecting dew drops,
Of those sorrowed moments,
Gazing skywards as I search,
Through the pages of my life’s work,
Lilting and pausing,
Memories of yet another dream,
Passing …………….yes! Hoping,
Not another nightmare it be,
Harmonious moments, though,
Only a few I’ve had,
Days many have dawned since,
Collections of sounds and smells,
Preserved; passionate and strong,
Loved ………………..Ah!
Now it’s all past.
Those long days lonely,
Dusk beautiful dusk,
As village children,
We once roamed,
These lovely roads,
Those winter fires,
Smoking leaves ………………
Snaking streams, terrains bare,
Together hand in hand,
Through the village ways,
A jolting shock,
I once received,
And realised, yeah!Who am I, but me.

OF THE FOUNDRY FURNACE

Beaming afar they shone,
The furnaces and the cupolas,
In the factory serene
With brightness of gold in the furnace
Where in their depth the splendour lay
Intense it feels with a fiery glow,
A short and tremulous motion, caused,
A fountain of sparks into the air,
Like light reflecting from particles of dust.

REMEMBRANCES

Flashing signs,
Neon lights,
A face in the dark,
Passing by,
Hues and shades,
Of red and black,
Appears……………
As a passing flash,
A mortal,
He sits and watches her,
A beautiful face,
Well lit,
Proud at heart,
Cares a damn,
Who is he?
But another man,
She pauses,
He gives a smile,
A scornful look,
She retaliates,
A minute later,
Reverberations………………,
Of an unheard slap


AMNESIA

Delve slowly on this un-trodden path,
Marshy, forgotten,
And slowly lost……………….
Shadows cast,
Faces drawn
Names dissolve,
In a smoky mist …………….
Then it feels as though,
All is lost.


REBIRTH

Through a valley silent there,
Flows a stream slow with care,
Sheep and goats graze in summer,
On meadows God’s once did create.
Magical they are and seem to be,
Music of the rushing streams,
Clouds moving on majestically,
Mountains stand tall and stand on by.
The stream pauses on reaching a cliff,
It turns and twists before a thought comes,
Finally leaves everything,
And is ready to plunge,
Down headlong to the rocks below,
Then takes a form entirely different