SIX DECADES LATER - 711

         SIX DECADES LATER 

PLACE : KHARAGPUR- W Bengal 

YEAR : EARLY 1960 S 

Two things are bound to flash into one's mind when the name of Kharagpur is mentioned . 

First one , without a  doubt is THE  INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY which came to be established HERE as the First of it's kind in India .

Second , Kharagpur  finds its place as an Important Railway Junction in SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAY , where trains from Howrah to Bombay , Howrah to Madras  or Howrah to Midnapore and beyond separate. It also boasted of the Longest Railway Platform at that time .

HGR resided in Bungalow No 281, while SRM resided in Bungalow No 283 . Both their Fathers add to that SRM s Grandfather were Senior Railway Officers.  Being Neighbors , the  access to each other's house was almost as easy as walking from one room to the  other . Both HGR AND SRM spent a major part of their time in each other's residence .

Each Bungalow had a huge Garden space where Fruits and Vegetables grew in Abundance . 

HGR Gardner who went by the name of Thulsi Ram ( Thulasi Ram to be exact on this side of the Vindhyaas ) had almost Magical Powers in his hands  with whatever he Planted / Grew  or  Took care in HGR s Garden .

Cabbage , Cauliflower,  Carrot , Nual Khol , Ladyfingers and Spinach Grew in abundance .

Fruits were even more interesting . Banganapalli Mangoes , Guavas , Leechees , and Fig were of special attraction to both HGR and SRM. A few bruises here and there while climbing the trees to pluck the fruits were the least of their concerns . 

As kids , they grew up in each other's company and to that of the their  parents who also considered them as their own .

Good things as they say never last for ever . HGR s father was a lot senior in age to SRM s father.  He Retired as the Chief Personnel Officer of South Eastern Railways while SRM s Father after more Service went on to become and Retire as THE GENERAL MANAGER OF SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAYS. 

While HGR went to Mumbai for Higher Studies in Textiles and Worked  for a while in Mumbai ,  found greener pastures down South and Settled there and raised a family .

SRM on the other hand completed Studies at Kolkata and Chennai and Settled at Surat in Gujarat .

All contact with each other was lost .

PLACE : AJAX , TORONTO , CANADA 

YEAR : EARLY 2024 

HGR was at his Son's place at Ajax in Toronto , Canada when one fine morning in Early January 2024 ,  he received a call from his Niece Lakshmi who resided at One of the Retirement Complexes for which Coimbatore is now so famous for . She had got acquainted with a person who also resided in the Retirement Home and who also reportedly stayed  for a while at Kharagpur.  She wanted to know if HGR  could send pictures of his  Parents to see if they also knew them .

For some strange reason which can't be explained , HGR  had a Group Photo in Black  and White and in an almost tattered condition due to ageing in his possession which he always carried wherever he went. In the Photograph His  Mother was the Chief Guest of a Function in Kharagpur.  This was taken in the Company other Ladies and their Kids . This was pasted on the Front inside Hard Cover of a Diary which held  important information and Travelled  with HGR to whichever part of the world that he went. 

Absolutely delighted to at last find someone who had connection with Kharagpur,  HGR sent the copy of the Photo to his niece in Coimbatore .

His delight was beyond words when he learnt that the Group Photo was almost entirely of the Two Families that I had mentioned earlier . SRM was also there in that Group Photograph . The couple residing  in the Retirement Complex were actually the Uncle and Aunt of SRM . HGRs  delight increased Manifold when he learnt that SRM was now settled at Ram Nagar in Coimbatore. 

Phone numbers were shared and contact was reestablished . All that happened during the course of the last  Sixty Years were relived . A promise for an early meet after HGRs return to India was made .

PLACE : COIMBATORE 

YEAR : SEPTEMBER 2024

THE LONG AWAITED DAY HAD FINALLY ARRIVED . SRM s ARRIVED AT THE RETIREMENT HOME WHERE SRM s UNCLE AND AUNT AS WELL AS HGR s NIECE AND HER HUSBAND RESIDED . FOR WANT OF WORDS , THE EMOTIONS OF THE MEET CANT BE DESCRIBED.  

LAST 60 PLUS YEARS WERE RELIVED AND PLEASANTRIES EXCHANGED .

A SECOND MEET AT SRM s PLACE AT RAM NAGAR WAS FIXED . THE LUNCH ON OFFER AT FRIENDS CATERING WAS A DELIGHT . A NEW FACET OF SRM WHICH HGR NEVER KNEW CAME TO LIGHT . THE ARTWORK AND PAINTINGS WERE ALL A COLLECTOR'S DELIGHT AND BEYOND DESCRIPTION , MASTERPIECES MAY BE THE APT WORD .

THE GANESH VISARJAN IN THE EVENING WITH MANY ARTERIAL ROADS GOING TO BE OR BEING BLOCKED HASTENED HGR s DEPARTURE TO THE RAILWAY STATION WITH 

PROMISE TO MEET AGAIN SOMETIME SOON BY BOTH ALONG WITH THEIR LIFE PARTNERS 

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