At 60 - No regrets - Memories

In about a weeks’ time, I hit 60 and can now earn higher rate of interest. This seemed like a good time to just think back on some – random thoughts – as they came to me. Here they are.

Do not ask me why – from a young age I was keen to study in Glasgow university. Never mind I did not even know where it was or even what University meant. I actually wrote in books my name and below that Glasgow University. The only explanation I can think of is that I likely confused it with Glaxo the popular baby food, but the university bit is still a mystery.

Both grandparents, an uncle and an aunt, couple of cousins were all Doctors. Watching my maternal grandfather create concoctions in his back-room pharmacy as he ground them together in porcelain bowls was fascinating. The line of patients in the front room never seemed to end. I scurried to and fro between the rooms transfixed, carrying messages, medicines to patients, and kept busy. Both grandfathers dressed impeccably in full suits, a hard hat, were tall and while one was a live wire active in movement, the other was slow and deliberate. As I hit 60 and recall my maternal grandfather then 65, I am nowhere near his physical and mental fitness. At 65 he drove a Jawa motorcycle wherever he needed to go. One day as he speedily turned in style on to a road, he saw in front a speeding bus coming straight at him, literally. Another few seconds he would be crushed under. The man in a flash stood up on his motorbike, let his hands go, pushed the bike forward with his feet and flipped backwards to come back home with bruises and nothing more.

I wanted to be a doctor and nothing else I decided. The maternal grandfather did not have any such confidence and was rather clear in his predictions. I would grow up, stick my leg out and trip the Chief Engineer as he walked past and get suspended. Worse I would kill everybody on the road with my driving. He prefixed these predictions with choice SOB words. I now understand his angst. I found it hilarious to trip people as they walked past in a hurry and I drove this small metal car around the house like a maniac but had superb control and never banged into anything. But it created huge scare with all inmates.

Years later my desire to be a doctor still intact I was confident that with close to 90% marks I would get admission in a medical college. But having studied in 10 schools and 4 states I did not have any domicile anywhere and so ineligible to apply except as a “outsider”. As I purchased the medical college admission form the clerk asked me my marks and to my proud answer he asked – are you a brahmin? When I said yes, he replied that nobody would give me admission with such low marks and took back the forms. That was a reality check early in life.

Soon after I met my close friends’ father, a very wealthy, influential person at his home. It was maybe 8 in the morning. When he heard about my desire, my marks, and my problem he ordered his driver to get the car ready and said that he would immediately drive me down to Manipal, 10 hrs drive away, get me admitted in the medical college there. The catch – normally you paid Rs. 2 lakhs then and still waited a year for admission. He said he would pay the money; I would start right away. My parents threw a fit and as he my father said – even if I work for the rest of my life, I will not be able to repay the money. This gent asked – who asked you to repay? Parents prevailed, did not join medical college.

Demanding money while she ignores me !!!!

In 1971 GR Vishwanath scored a brilliant century in England and when my father commented about it, I said – Who cares. I got belted for that insolent answer and since then developed a keen interest in cricket for decades. While I have lost the ability to follow the game anymore the only time and subject me and my Mother-in-law of 34 years speak about is cricket. If my father had not belted me then, I would have had 34 years of nothing to talk with my Mother-in-law.

Cricket became a passion and staying under the watchful eyes of then Vice Chancellor of Bangalore university Dr. H. Narasimhaiah I used to have passionate arguments with him on many subjects  right from science to god to godmen to cricket. He tolerated me, encouraged me and when I insisted on going to the India England cricket test in Bangalore by which time India had already lost 3 tests, he felt I was wasting my time to go see India get beaten yet again. Argued vehemently about the glorious uncertainties of cricket and finally permitted to go, India won the test. Just as I was entering the hostel gates, his car arrived, he stepped out and seeing me said with folded hands – Please do not give me a lecture. They do not make such people now a days.

Even as a Dr. Narasimhaiah took on a Sathya Sai Baba accusing him publicly as a fraud godman the same Dr. Narasimhaiah made us get up at 5 AM to sing religious prayers before starting the day – never mind we the younger lot actually slept through it all. Never once in all the heated debates with Dr HN about Sathya Sai Baba did he put down or belittle the Baba. He questioned the methods, the beliefs from a scientific point of view but did not question the opinion or belief anybody had in the godman. Nobody told us what was right or wrong, we were supposed to make our own judgements by debate, discussion and dissent and nobody held anything against you. More importantly nobody ever made it seem like Us and Them. You could be BOTH. You could argue about and disagree about any issue, but it never became adversarial or personal. 

For decades I hated films, never saw them. If my parents went to a movie, I would be playing outside the cinema hall with the attendant or whoever. Till a young aunt needing an escort enticed me to go see Deewar starring Amitabh Bachchan. I was again hooked and for close to a decade after that I saw every Amitabh movie first day first show. Partly the reason was that a classmate’s father/brother were Policemen and he managed to use influence for tickets, and we paid for them. One fine day we found that the cops would take those tickets from the blackmarket touts and sell it to us!!!!  

One hilarious incident I recall was when Sholay the first 70 mm film was released. Walking past a theatre on the day the movie was to be released I saw a line mile long in the front all along the road of people waiting to buy a ticket. I suddenly saw that the line for the front row seats – Gandhi class as we called them – had just a dozen people. My bird brain jumped with anticipation and I stood in the line to buy a ticket. Just before my turn came the chap behind me asked if the movie was good. Sholay ? Good? how could he even ask this question I told him. He then named some Telegu movie and asked wasn’t that what was being played in the morning show?  I had made a big boo boo and left without buying the ticket.

As I emerged in the front, I saw a chap I knew, right at the entrance gate and at the head of the mile long line who asked if I was going to the morning show. As I went nearby to tell him my boo boo 2 things happened simultaneously. The Sholay ticket booking counter opened, the crowds surged, and a policeman grabbed me by the collar. Even as the crowds screamed the cop told me that by NOT standing in line, I was creating problems for him and smacking my butt with his stick he pushed me into the line and towards the ticket booking counter. The crowd roared even more loudly since they knew I was never in the line. The cop did not understand and in the confusion, I purchased a ticket and ran for my life at top speed – that is how I ended up watching Sholay – 70 mm first day first show.

The LINK to the second part of this blog is below.  

At 60 No regrets Politics and Teachers