DAY 105 – In Bhopal

Friends,

The first born is VVS, very, very special. The delightful bundle that arrived in the afternoon of the 13^th of January, 1986 in the St Philomena’s Hospital, Bangalore was truly special. She kept all of us waiting for 10 days more than when she was due. We decided to call her Maya, for that’s what we are told the whole world is, an illusion. She meant the world to Beena and me. As she turns 25 years today I wish her, with Beena and Ajay, all the best during the years ahead. Children branch off and make their own nests in good time. Maya has with her Kiron, in far away Botswana. We understand our parents through our own life. I trust that she will understand her father sometime through her own life.

Hemendra Kumar is the Sr DOM of Bhopal Division. I fixed up to meet him in the office after the morning routines. I had wanted to get the Testimony of Visit from him and leave for a tour of the city. The interaction with this Engineering graduate from BITS PIlani lasted over an hour. He worked for a while with ABB before joining IRTS in 1998. Despite opportunities to travel abroad and work there he chose to serve Mother India. During the course of conversation he requested for my date of birth as numerology is one of his hobbies. He is deeply interested in the study of human behavior and psychology and recommended “The American Beauty” and “The Making of the American Quilt” as movies with a message. He made a few interesting observations after reading my palm. A man of many parts, such persons are a delight to interact with.

While waiting to meet Hemendra I met Rema, the Steno. She hails from Trichur and has been in Bhopal for over 25 years. She mentioned that most of the stenos in the railway office are from Kerala. Her own brothers and sisters-in-law are working in government offices in Bhopal. With such a large Keralite population she said she feels very much ‘at home’. There are many social organizations which facilitate regular interface among the Keralites in Bhopal.

The DB City Mall is among the biggest in Bhopal and offers a different shopping experience combined with entertainment and a wide choice of food stalls. Despite it being a working day the Mall was crowded, especially the food stalls. The Hypercity promotes value buys and its own brand of provisions. I found the prices quite reasonable given the ambience. I picked up some ready cooked chicken for dinner. The Chole Bhature i ordered for lunch was good and so was the Chikoo juice.

Hemendra deputed Om Prakash Pathak to accompany me to the Lake. What Pathak did was to use the available time optimally. Naturally the first visit was to the Upper Lake. The view of old Bhopal, the VIP road and the Mazhar on an Island in the Lake are sights to behold. The Bhopal Zoo is different in that one can drive through the zoo and watch animals in as close to its natural habitat as possible, albeit in an enclosed environment. While I had to be content with pug marks in Sunderbans and Corbett NP, and not even that in Kaziranga, I was fortunate to see three Royal Bengal Tigers here. Large numbers of migratory birds have made temporary homes on trees in the Zoo. What was interesting to note is that each variety had a separate tree; no two variety of birds could be found on the same tree – mohallas among birds? By the time we finished with the Zoo it was too late for the Museum of Man. The restaurant of MP Tourism near the Lake offers panoramic sunset views of the Lake and its surrounding from an elevation. The pink minarets with white domes of the Taj-ul-Masjid dwarf all other structures viewed from the restaurant. The Shan-e-Bhopal railway coach restaurant is unique and is the brainchild of Mr. Lohani, the then MD of MP Tourism and presently the DRM of Delhi Division. A passenger coach has been renovated and stationed in the ITDC Hotel. Inside the coach one gets a feel of being inside a moving train. There are many nuggets about the railways on the plaques displayed in the coach, both facts and jokes. For those who want an outdoor experience there are tables on the ‘platform’. The Jehan Numa Hotel is an erstwhile 19^th century royal residence. The Hotel has displayed many priceless photographs on its walls which reinforces the importance of Bhopal in the British scheme of things. The passion with which Pathak conducted me around made me feel I should have had an extra day in Bhopal.

DAY 104 – Ahmedabad to Bhopal

Friends,

I had prepared, on the basis of information from various sources, for a journey of 12 hours. When I crossed the Gujarat border into MP in just over three hours (260 kms), I wondered to myself why the time is overestimated. The 150 km journey beyond Dahod to Pithampur via Jabua and Dhar knocked me back to reality. The 5 hours on the road to cover this route was painful, tiring and car bruising. I was warned that the ‘Macheli Ghat’ is not very safe after sun down and that it should be done in day time. Day time it was but it knocked the day lights out of me. The transformation of NH 59 beyond the Gujarat border is to be seen to be believed. In some places the potholes are too deep even for trucks. This experience transported me back to some of the roads I had done in Assam and West Bengal. I manfully kept on at it thinking of the wonderful drive I had from Ahmedabad to Dahod via Godhra and the time I had saved on that leg. The worst stretch is the Dhar bye pass or the Ring Road. I thought I would get stranded on that section. I was amazed at how woeful the maintenance is considering the fact that MP promotes tourism aggressively. But the road infrastructure, at least on this stretch, does not support the talk. MP promotes itself as the ‘Dil” (Heart) of India. While traveling on such roads one’s Dil almost stops.

On the approach to Indore I stopped to check if there is ‘Mukhti’ (Freedom) from the torture as I had suffered almost 5 hours of it. A kind soul directed me via Pithampur to the NH3, the Agra-Mumbai highway. In a short while I got to the superb NH3, which indicated 210 kms to Bhopal. Via the Dewas bye pass I took the SH18 to Bhopal. I covered the distance in about 150 minutes. The last leg of the trip wiped off some fatigue of the previous. Overall, the distance of 620 kms was covered in slightly over 10 hours. I did not even have a cup of tea on the way. Biscuits and water from 6 am to 4.15 pm made me ravenously hungry by the time I reached Bhopal and checked in to the ORH in Habibganj. The quantity of rice and dal I consumed after ‘Celebrations’ amazed the boys in the ORH. I completed 19000 kms in the course of the trip.

DAY 103 – In Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar

Friends,

Rita Teaotia IAS is a batch mate of the Gujarat cadre and is presently posted as Principal Secretary Rural Development and Commissioner RD. She had suggested last evening that I try out the Heritage Walk that begins at the Swami Narayan Temple Kalupur. The Walk is organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and is run by volunteers. The program started with a slide show that gives an appreciation of the founding of the city by Ahmed Shah in 1411 when he was impressed by the aggressive rabbits along the banks of the Sabarmati that took on his dogs. The Walk is just a half kilometer spanning a couple of hours, but is highly rewarding in terms of culture, architecture, history and contemporary life. The volunteer who guided us on the Walk told us that it is one of the smallest batches that she has been with recently. The last two days saw groups of over a 100 people.

The Swami Narayan Temple at Kalupur is a work of exquisite beauty. The wood carvings are elaborate and aesthetically painted. The gate complex is indicative of the stresses the sect would have had to overcome to establish itself. The huge gates are studded with spikes to stave off attacks using elephants and camels. Some way down the route we saw how the threads for the kite festival are made – flour, glass powder, gum and color are mixed to form a paste. The thread is stretched out tautly from end to end and the paste is run over them and dried to keep the kite right up there even in heavy winds. The house of Kavi Dalpatram, the famous Gujarati poet has been maintained as a memorial with a false facade. During the walk one can see many structures to feed birds, some made of lime and mortar, some of wood, some plain, some ornate, many over a hundred years old. Many houses have bird holes in them, some kind of nest for birds. Today people leave fresh cabbage leaves for squirrels. The dome of the Calico showroom that collapsed in an earthquake is one of the ‘sights’ during the walk. The walled city of Ahmedabad has 11 gates and 600 ‘pols’. A pol is a gateway with a security cabin over the gate. Each pol is a community. The 600 pols had over 1600 temples. In contrast with the pol, which is a purely residential complex, the ‘ole’ is a commercial cum residential complex. The unique Ram Temple, with Shri Ram in a seated pose, the Jain Temple with exquisite carvings, another in a basement with the facility for elders to catch a reflection of the deity and rain water harvesting facility are all part of the experience. A feature of the architecture is the elaborate brackets that are often carved out of single pieces of wood. Little further down the Walk is a gulley where you see the British, Mughal, Maratha and Farsi architecture all together. En route, a huge pole with a weather wane type indication on top puzzled all the walkers. Apparently it showed the direction in which the elaborate sewage system flowed underground and housed the ventilation for gases; the sewage system that was built during the British even today adequately serve the city. The Fernandez Bridge is over 100 years old. The Mahurat Pol is supposedly the oldest residential complex in the walled city set up when Ahmed Shah set up a community here. Through the Manek Chowk we made our way to the Juma Masjid, a 256 pillared prayer house with 15 major and 52 minor domes, an exquisite blend of Hindu and Islamic architecture, built in 1424. The Heritage Walk ended at the Juma Masjid and I enjoyed every minute of it. The Walk is a community owned process; we even had a shop distributing glucose biscuits to keep our energy levels up.

I asked Sunil to take me some place for a typical Gujju breakfast. We landed up at Oshwal on IT Road. I was told that during the kite festival people have to collect tokens to enter the restaurant with queue a mile long. I understood why when I had the Fafda and Khaman with chutney, followed by Jalebis and tea. The chutney was exceptional. An elderly gentleman in the restaurant, when asked about the ingredients of the chutney, would only say that it has 15 special ingredients. I had many helpings of the chutney with the fafda and khaman. The latter virtually melted in the spoon, it was that soft. The Man Mandir garment shop specialises in kurtas. I looked around and discovered that the ‘Modi Kurta’, half sleeved kurta, is the ‘in-thing’. The CM, besides being an envied administrator is also a fashion protagonist, one understands. 

On a full stomach there was only one place I could go, the Sabarmati Ashram. The precarious condition of the Dandi Pul kept me away from this historical place from where the 241 mile long Dandi march originated. 110 kg may have tilted the balance of the bridge in favor of extinction! The more one navigates through the Sabarmati Ashram the more one realizes the old saying “Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man”. As Indians belonging to a generation after the Mahatma, the visit brings one closer to the Saint who we are fortunate to have as the Father of our great Nation. How morality, truth and non-violence ultimately triumph is the lesson we learn from his life and even his death. His life, truly, was his message. The Museum has many interesting photographs, writings, letters and other memorabilia. The building that housed the Mahatma and Kasturba as well as the one in which Vinoba Bhave and Mira stayed are attractions of the complex.

The afternoon began with a visit to the Calico Museum which is universally regarded as the second best Textile Museum in the world – frankly, I don’t know which one is the first. Since Ahmedabad is widely regarded as the ‘Manchester of the East’, I may just be right if I guess that the best is in Manchester, UK. The afternoon guided tour is all about Vaishnavism, Pichchvais and the themes thereof.

Rita had sent invitations to visit the ‘Vibrant Gujarat Exhibition’ in Gandhinagar. More than 30 countries are participating in the meet and so are 11 Indian States. The exhibition showcases the tremendous strides Gujarat has made in the recent past with particular emphasis on infrastructure development. The growth of educational institutions, ports, roads, hospitals, hospitality sector and tourist centres stand focused in the stalls. The feel good factor is palpable and it is reflected in the investments committed to the State. I had the good fortune of meeting Vipin Menoth, who was with the Cochin Port Trust, and who is now working with the Essar Group. He is engaged in Business Development for the Group in the Port sector. He is thoroughly enjoying his job and it showed in his conversation.

The Watershow in Akshardham is promoted as the first Vedic water show in the world. There are two shows daily at 6.45 and 7.45 pm. Entrance into the Akshardham complex in Gandhinagar is regulated by strict security requirements. The tickets priced at Rs. 50 are on first come first served basis and the show lasts for 45 minutes. The combination of fountains, lighting, music, special effects and laser together with a Vedic theme makes for a sensational display and entertainment. Even though the show has a religious theme it is quite clear that people have paid the entrance fee purely for fascinating entertainment.

Following the brilliant exhibition of fountains and laser I proceeded for dinner with Amitabh and Rita Teaotia in the Indus Hotel in Cambay Complex in Gandhinagar. I was meeting Rita for the first time after probation. Amitabh is a much sought after Landscape Artist. Besides his avowed profession I could discern that he is a gourmet. When the Chef came around to check if all was well he had a few suggestions for him. It was fun catching up with both Rita and Amitabh on matters of mutual interest and common friends. On the way back to the IPS Mess I confirmed through Sunil the route I have to take to hit the highway. Shankar warned me that the MP road would be a challenge.

DAY 102 – Jaipur to Ahmedabad

Friends,

I had promised Sudhir last evening that I would drop by at his house by 6.30 am for ‘bed’ tea. I was there on time as I could not sleep a wink in the night. The boys in the ORH provided hot water as confirmed the previous night. The splitting headache was certainly not the right companion for the longest leg I have undertaken during the journey. At little less than 700 kms I was a bit apprehensive as I started out. Sudhir stays in the new Jaipur area, which is extremely well laid out with wide roads, excellent street lighting and clear sign posts. Hence, with the directions given by Sudhir I reached without have to retrace. Sudhir and his Man Friday served me a hot cup of tea that masked the headache a bit. By 7.15 I was well and truly on the NH8.

I took the NH8 from Jaipur to Kishengarh, then NH79 up to Udaipur bye pass and linked back for NH8 to Ahmedabad. If I say that the road was excellent it will not be appreciated unless I mention the distance covered and the time used up - 680 kms in a half hour over 8 hours, which included three breaks covering 45 minutes! The wide roads, superb surfacing, good road discipline, regular sign posts and an early morning start ensured fantastic speeds. At times I deliberately slowed down as the odometer registered 120 kms plus.

Manoj Shasidharan is SSP Rajkot. I knew him as a student in Chennai when I was in the Railways. I only had to request for logistics support in Ahmedabad and the red carpet was laid out. I was provided a ‘must do/should see’ list too. He made arrangements for stay in the IPS Mess and detailed Sunil Nair as my ‘guide’ during the stay. Sunil met me en route to the city and piloted me to the place of stay. The IPS Mess is excellently located on the banks of the Sabarmati River. The premises were enlarged by reclaiming some of the river front through municipal landfill. In due course this property will benefit from the Sabarmati River Waterfront Project of the Municipal Corporation. Watching the sun setting with the peacocks and hens foraging their meal is in itself a calming experience. I decided to leave the sight seeing for tomorrow and try out typically Gujarati food for dinner. Sunil agreed to do the needful.

A few members of the Ahmedabad Kerala Samajam, including its President, Mr Mohanan Nambiar, came over to the Mess to welcome me to the city and to interact for a while.  It was told to me that the estimated Malayalee population in Ahmedabad is about a lakh. They had only positive things to mention about Gujarat, particularly the governance of Modi. What astonishes them is the fact that not even a man day of work is lost due to labour or political disturbances. They told me how Gujarat worked when the BJP had called for a nation wide strike recently. There are no posters, flags or banners of political parties or trade unions to be seen anywhere. When one of the Ministers of the present Kerala cabinet visited Ahmedabad he bemoaned the ‘lack of political awareness’ among the Gujaratis and blamed it for the non-use of democratic means of protest. The worthy did not appreciate that people are encouraged to work and make surpluses instead of ‘protesting’ and distributing poverty.

To get to Vishaala we drove through the Dilli Darwaza area (the market signifies the season – now the market is full of stuff for the kite festival) and Juhapura, which is referred to as ‘Mini Pakistan’ for the overwhelming Muslim population. The number of cars outside the restaurant indicated the popularity of the eatery. Sunil had done the reservation and hence we did not have to wait to be allotted a table. As we entered the restaurant I noticed the mounted photographs of Indian cricketers, who had visited the eatery when India played in Ahmedabad recently. There’s a lot happening at the Vishaala; it’s not just a matter of food, it’s about enjoying the experience. Sunil, Shanker (the driver) and I visited the puppet show where we witnessed a most fascinating show of folk puppetry. The highlight was the leaping snake which almost saw me back in the car. The folk singers kept us entertained while we downed the welcome drink. Then it was time for the main ‘show’ – the food. One is expected to squat on the floor in front of a low table. That was a challenge for me. I got hold of a short stool and made myself comfortable to enjoy the local cuisine. The plate was soon filled with Tepla, Bhakri, Rokla, Dhokla, Sukhdi, beans curry, papad, pickle and Phulwadi.  Small containers of cabbage and peas, kadi, salads, buttermilk, chutneys and butter bedecked the table. I started with teplas plastered with ghee and worked through the fine meal, leaving the kadi and buttermilk to be enjoyed by the others at the table. Extra helpings of tepla, beans curry and sukhdi fell prey to the enzymes in due course. Kichdi mixed in ghee was washed down with jalebis!  A bowl of ice cream and mukhwas (saunf) to freshen the breath were the last two in the long list of wolfed items. The restaurant has a Museum of Utensils, ‘live’ weaving of silk saris and stoles, sale of handicrafts and a display of the various awards the restaurant has won, and deservingly. The dinner at Vishaala was a completely new, mouth watering and enzyme arousing gastronomic experience.

We wound our way back to the IPS Mess after visiting the Manek Chowk, which is reputed to be the second biggest gold market, after Mumbai. This market transforms into a food court after 7 pm. The shops close and the frontage is used to hawk fast food – all veg. The place is jam packed even on a working day. I was told that the shopkeepers are paid rental for using the frontage of their shops after business hours. A crowded schedule is in store for the morrow.

DAY 101 – In Jaipur

Friends,

I have completed 100 days of the journey, a memorable century indeed. It is memorable for the wonderful people I met, the glorious places I visited, the educative and informative discussions I had, the renewed relationships, the great foods I enjoyed, the comfortable rest houses I stayed in, the cultural diaspora I got exposed to and revision of geography lessons taken in school. All this was made possible by an absolutely unique combination of friends, batch mates, relations and acquaintances. I thank each and every one of them for the unforgettable experiences.

I have mentioned in the past posts that the Indian Railways is my third parent and railwaymen are my extended family. Every visit to a railway environment provides an opportunity to live this out. Deepak Dave provided me with one such when he asked me over for the farewell lunch organized in honor of Vinay Mittal. The setting was perfect. The Kothari Farms is a sprawling landscaped farm house; the sun was out after many days of ‘rest’. Traffic Officers and HoDs turned out in large numbers to thank Mittal for his contributions to NWR and wish him a successful stint in SER. The Farewell function was also an occasion to welcome the new incumbent. Both were received by Deepak in traditional style by presenting them with a turban. Compositions were sung (it would be appropriate to say that they attempted this with all sincerity!) extolling the contributions of Mittal and a few speeches later it was time to feast. After the lunch, a group photograph was arranged. I got a couple taken too. The get together brought me face to face with many old friends after many years (such as Mahesh Mehta, the CSTE, who I was meeting after 22 years) and made new ones. The greatest joy, naturally, was to ‘catch up’ with three IRTS batch mates. GL Meena has grown so large that it was devilishly delightful to pose for a few pictures with him – it made me look and feel fit and ‘undergrown’.

The Jaipur Club is located on Railway land and hence, railway officers are automatically members of the Club. AKP and I decided to meet there after 7 pm for cocktails and dinner. When I was leaving for the rendezvous Sudhir rang up to say that he would be reaching Jaipur soon. I requested him to join us at the Jaipur Club. The premises are well maintained and the Club has good facilities, including that for squash racquets. I settled for a cold beer when AKP chose to have his Scotch. While sipping the beer the Bearer informed that Baccardi Black is available. That’s my favorite dark rum and I changed courses. The arrival of Sudhir added further spice to the conversation. When friends meet, especially after a long interval, time zips by. There is so much to tell and know. The large helpings of Chicken starters and Fish Amritsari supplied with the drinks precluded the possibility of a formal dinner. India’s victory in the T20 in South Africa sent us home in a good frame of mind.

DAY 100 – New Delhi to Jaipur

Friends,

I had planned to leave by 7 am to beat the morning rush on the NH8. As it turned out the fog was heavy and Ashok suggested that I postpone the departure by a half hour. I took the outer ring of Connaught Circus by 7.30 am and hit the road to Gurgaon. The development of transportation infrastructure for the CWG has indeed been terrific such as the metro rail and the roads. I got to the NH8 without a sweat, but the humungous truck traffic held up movement in many places thereafter. Coupled with the fog it considerably slowed down movement. Most of the holdups happened near truck parking yards and intersections, where flyovers have still not been done. The journey to Jaipur, a distance of about 250 kms, should not have taken more than 4 hours as the condition of the road is, by and large, quite good. Given the traffic snarls and the heavy fog I was lucky to reach Jaipur by a quarter to 2 in the afternoon. I did not have to stop for breakfast as the hold ups ensured enough ‘free time’ to partake of the paneer parathas and pickle that Suman and Ashok had so considerately packed for the intermission en route.

I was to have turned off at Dharu Hera for Alwer to meet up with Sudhir Pratap Singh, who was my roommate during our days of probation in the Railway Staff College, Vadodara. He joined the Indian Police Service in 1983 (Rajasthan cadre) but has remained a bosom buddy over the years. Sudhir was fond of parrots and wanted its company in the room that we stayed in the RSC. I would have none of it in the room and we agreed on the small balcony to keep the bird cage. One afternoon, when I returned to the room, I found that Sudhir had let the parrot free inside the room to help it ‘stretch its legs’, as he put it. The mess it had done seemed to have been designed to teach me a lesson, for the parrot had specially focused on my part of the room. Livid was what I was when I completed the survey of the disaster. Before Sudhir came back to the room the parrot was free to explore the outside world on its own wings. When I visited him in Alwer on 26^th January 1996, to see him taking the Republic Day salute (he is one of the handsomest police officers in uniform I have met), I was happy to see that he was taking care of a host of parrots in his lovely house.

I am not likely to forget the Xmas day mass in Vadodara in 1982. Sudhir came with me for the mass. We sat next to each other and he followed what I was doing during the service - standing, kneeling and sitting as the occasion warranted. When it was time for Communion I told him to wait in his seat and explained that this part of the Service was meant only for Christians.  He nodded his head, which I understood to be his acceptance of what I had told him. When I came back to the seat I found Sudhir missing. I thought he had stepped outside to do his bit of ‘ogling’. As I was taking my seat I found all eyes in the Church riveted at someone walking down the aisle. I looked up to see Sudhir, his hands folded, chewing on the Communion he had received and making his way to the seat next to me. I was aghast. The Xmas mass was over for both of us. Without any further delay and brooking no further stares we beat the hastiest retreat we could. When asked why he did what he did, he said he was bored waiting for me!

That is Sudhir for you. He is an extremely committed officer and has held various sensitive positions in the State and in Central deputations. The encomiums showered on him by the police constabulary during my visit to Rajasthan in 2008 showed how he addressed social concerns with a human face in a force that is generally harsh on its staff.  I had agreed to meet with him in Alwer, where he operated an NGO to look after destitutes. I could not do so due to the traffic and the fog.

On reaching Jaipur and ‘checking in’ to the ORH I called up Ashok Pavadia (AKP), my batch mate, who is posted as Chief Safety Officer in the North Western Railway HQ. He had not known of my program to Jaipur as I wanted it to be a surprise. The new General Manager of NWR had taken over the previous day and most officers were in office to greet and brief him about the functioning of their Departments. AKP sent me his car to visit the NWR HQ. The building looks magnificent and it is well laid out. Besides AKP, Deepak Dave (Chief Operations Manager) and GL Meena (Chief Commercial Manager, Passenger Services) are the other two batch mates in the NWR HQ. Deepak invited me to attend the farewell lunch being hosted tomorrow for Vinay Mittal, who has been transferred to SER as GM. He felt that it would be a good forum to meet up with other Traffic officers and HoDs.

AKP offered the choices of Hotel Ashok or a revolving restaurant for dinner. My obvious selection was the revolving restaurant and AKP ‘warned’ that the restaurant serves only veggie food.  I reassured him that I could set aside my cannibalistic taste buds for a day and get bovine! We reached the Hotel OM Towers in time to see most of the seats either occupied or reserved. We were made comfortable in a four seater by the courteous restaurant staff. It did not take me long to choose what I wanted to feast on. It was a Rajasthani Thali for me. AKP chose to be ‘less adventurous’, as he called it and plumbed for rotis and a paneer dish. While waiting for the food we enjoyed the fabulous revolving night views from the 14^th floor, where the restaurant is located. At times I lost my orientation as the movement was quite palpable and I thought that the ball bearings of the revolving mechanism requires a bit of greasing and attention!

The Rajasthani Thali was a ‘synopsis’ of the traditional food – Dal Bhatti, Ghatta, Missi and Kharta rotis, kair sangri, dahi bada, green salad, mix vegetable curry and Choorma. Dal Bhatti was the first to receive my attention. The kair sagri, ghatti and two helpings of rice entwined with the enzymes next. The rotis with the mix veg and the rest in the Thali vanished in quick time. Choorma was the final item ‘gulletised’. Through the meal we yapped and yapped and savored the live music, mostly ghazals. A couple of my requests were also honored. It was a fabulous setting and a great experience of local cuisine.

DAY 99 – In Delhi

Friends,

Ashok called up to enquire about my schedule in the morning. I did not hesitate even for a nano second when he offered to send me a few parathas for breakfast. Time hung heavily till the paneer-stuffed paratha arrived. The homemade paneer, as Suman told me later it is, in the paratha was unbelievably tasty. And when it is hot it virtually melts in your mouth. The mango pickle complemented it perfectly. The carrot halwa was the ‘icing’. With the stomach in good order I was ready for BN Shukla when he arrived to accompany me to the Northern Railway HQ, the 11^th Zonal HQ during the journey. Manoj Srivatsava, Chief Freight Transportation Manager of NR, has been one of the major supports in my travel through the northern belt. He had made arrangements for the ORHs in Dehra Dun, Chandigarh, Shimla, Palampur and Jammu. I was pleasantly surprised to know that he was following the blog as time permitted. After a few exchanges on what we ‘understood’ of India I met with the Chief Operations Manager and Chief Passenger Transportation Manager of NR.

Shukla had taken VRS from the Government of India in early 2005 and joined the Adani Group. I used to meet him regularly when he was posted in Karwar and I was with the Railways in Hubli. We had worked in CONCOR together on deputation too, where his innings in TKD will be remembered for some time to come. He is an officer with a “Can do, Will do” attitude. He is terrific at infrastructure building and is an excellent team builder. He is presently the MD of KRIL, the infrastructure arm of KRIBHCO. We headed to his office in NOIDA to appreciate the plans that his Company has in shaping the logistics future of this country. I met the Finance Director of KRIBHCO and discussed KRIL’s plans with Shukla’s team. The trip to NOIDA further brought home the terrific improvements that have happened to the road network thanks to the CWG.

I went to the CRIS office to meet SB Roy and Dharam Singh, my batch mate. SB Roy was in charge of the Domestic Division of CONCOR as GGM in HQ, when I came into the organisation to start the Division in the Southern Region. Beating a new path in a structured environment is not easy unless you have support from those who supervise your work. I had that in ample measure from SB Roy. I took the liberty of fobbing a lunch off him. In the meanwhile Dharam Singh returned from lunch with a precious memento. I had, with a few batch mates, attended the wedding of Dharam’s son on 11^th February 2005. I remember having taken a photograph then. He gave me a mounted copy of it today. I ‘discovered’ pleasantly another colleague from CONCOR working in CRIS now, Sharad Mathur, a brilliant IT professional. After spending considerable time in the CRIS office I went with Dharam to visit Boota Singh as I would not be able to attend the function he had invited for on the 9^th. We spent a lot of time there to understand the circumstances leading to the unfortunate incident and to provide Boota with a ventilation mechanism, which is often required in such situations.

I spent the rest of the evening loading up the car, as efforts to trace/meet two other batch mates in Delhi – KN Choudary and Amrit Mathur – proved futile. After arranging the huge lot of luggage in as organised a manner as I could, I went to Ashok’s house. Over a few shots of Old Monk I got a glimpse of the amazing entrepreneurship of Suman. She has been in customized ‘festive’ wear business for the past 11 years and has conducted many exhibitions. The room in her house where she interfaces with customers has an exciting display of elaborate work on special fabric. She sources the material all by herself and manages the workmen efficiently. All this does not mean that the home front suffers; it’s quite the opposite. The well maintained and done up flat is efficiently managed and the husband and children receive more than the attention required for a warm home. After the Old Monk was ‘rested’ we decided to go to Ignis in Connaught Circus for dinner. I chose to have a Hummus platter with Pita bread. The Lebanese food is light and easy on the tummy.