1971-72---The period of rest and Rummy's Wedding

I had finished my previous blog at the stage where I had completed my final year exams and had gone to KGF to await the results.

In KGF, as usual I plunged into the normal activities of reading, playing games and watching movies. One of my KGF friends was Satish Kashyap who was studying to be a doctor.He had gone to West Bengal with a team of doctors to attend to the lakhs and lakhs of Bangladesh refugees who were streaming into India after the Pakistan Army began its crackdown in East Pakistan in March 1971.Sheikh Mujibur Rehman had been elected as the Prime Minister and was now in prison.

The atmosphere those days was thick with talks of war between India and Pakistan.

My results came in June and I had again got a single ordinance. I was shattered because this meant I would lose one entire year of my life.With a heavy heart I went to Hassan to collect my marks card.
I found that the subject I had failed in was "Theory of Machines", the one which I wrote when I was suffering from high fever.Ironically, I had secured first class marks in the other subjects which meant that I would be declared passed in first class once I completed this subject.

There was nothing else to do but go back to KGF and wait for the exam to finish in September."Theory of Machines" was so easy that it really did not require any great preparation.

Thus began one of the most enjoyable periods of my life.Rummy was at home making preparations for her wedding and my Munji was also fixed up for 26th Sep 1971.Nagaraj would drop by almost every weekend and he and Rummy would go off together into the garden for long chats.
Mummy would fret a lot during these periods hoping that nothing "improper" was taking place and would bribe God with a Rs.1 offering for every such occasion.By the time the wedding took place, this had added up to a fairly impressive amount.

My daily routine was standard. I would get up in the morning and Rummy would lovingly make me six toasted sandwiches with thinly sliced tomatoes and salt and pepper. This done, I would go off to Ooregum Hall at 10 AM for a round of snooker with Roland Benson. Back by 12 Noon and a hearty lunch followed by a nap.Leave at 3 PM to Ooregum Hall for tennis, pick up a couple of books at the library and back again at Nundydroog Club for Shuttlecock, table tennis and billiards and snooker again. God was in his heaven and all was right with the world.

The exam was held in September and I duly completed it and bade a fond farwell to Hassan. The town had looked after me well for 5 years and I had good memories.

Back home, I plunged into preparations for Rummy's wedding.
"Prajamata" was a Kannada magazine that was doing an article on various Kannada-speaking communities.They were to publish one on Babboorkammes and asked my dad for permission to attend Rummy's wedding and take some pictures.

Meanwhile, I had applied to DCM for Management Trainee Post.I was shortlisted and asked to go to Madras for an interview.However, the fact that I had an exam still pending disqualified me and that was that.

A month before the wedding, Annavaru ( mummy's uncle) died of a heart attack in Bangalore. He was a very jolly man and daddy and he mutually liked each other. They had played in many cards sessions and enjoyed each other's company.Dad and mom rushed to Bangalore in a taxi to condole the death.

Dad had arranged a taxi to take the wedding items to Bangalore.The plan was for dad and mom and Sandhya to come to Bangalore in the taxi and Rummy and I were to go by bus.

The taxi was on its last legs and the gear lever was actually welded on to the steering column. I had my own doubts whether it would last the 60 miles to Bangalore.

Any way, Rummy and I left by bus and went straight to Chubbadi's house in Bangalore.It had started raining on the way and there was a heavy downpour.We waited and waited and finally the taxi pulled up aound 6 hours after it left KGF.

It had broken down on the way and what's worse, the rain water had seeped into the trunk and into the suitcases containing all the silk sarees etc.The first thing we did was to unpack all the suitcases and hang the sarees and other clothes out to dry.

My Munji was to be held along with that of Thammayya ( Saraswathi's son) on 26th Sep ( Sun), 27th was the Devarasamaradhane, 28th evening was the varapooje and 29th was the wedding.30th was the Satyanarayana Pooje.The celebrations were spread over 5 days.

Sethuram and Seetha had come all the way from Assam and they lost their suitcase containing cash, clothes and Seetha's jewellery in Jolarpet.

Thammayya and I duly finished our Munji and Srikantiah ( Seethakka's husband) was entrusted with the task of teaching us Sandhyavandhane.He touched various parts of his body and we diligently followed him. At one point, his nose started itching and he scratched it and both Thammayya and me scratched our noses also!!

The wedding was great fun and we had a cricket match between the boy's side and the girl's side.For the first time in a long period, all 9 of dad's siblings were present.

The time came for Rummy to leave for her husband's home and I had a lump in my throat.She was just 19 and was so mature for her age that sometimes I didn't know who was older, she or I.

When we got back to KGF, my results had come. I had passed "Theory of Machines" with 64 marks and had an overall 64% marks and had passed in 1st Class.

I was debating various choices--- NITIE,a job or higher studies.

The political situation had now really hotted up between India and Pakistan . Refugees from East Pakistan were pouring in daily by the thousands and it was quite obvious that this situation could not go on any further.Both countries made feverish preparations to go to war.

Pakistan tried to pre-empt the situation by striking at our Air Force bases and India promptly declared war on 3rd Dec 1971.I twas a short campaign ending with the liberation of Bangladesh on 16th Dec 1971.Gen ( later Field Marshal) Sam Manekshaw and Lt.Gen J.S.Aurora were the prominent war heroes.

Priyan's brother Prem was in the Navy and flew sorties into Bangladesh from I N S Vikrant and was decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra.

Around January 1972, I saw an advertisement calling for Graduate Engineer Trainees from Akay Industries, Hubli and applied for the position.I got a letter asking me to come for an interview and I went.

Pramila's sister Putti was in Hubli and I went and stayed in their house.Their neighbour was Prabhakar Tatuskar who was working in Akay Industries.He gave me a brief picture of the company and its products.
Next day, I was interviewed by Mr.Sudhakar B.Suvarna Administrative Office and Mr.B.Vasudeva, Production Superintendent. Almost the first question they asked me was whether I knew anything about Akay Industries. I promptly repeated all that Mr.Tatuskar told me and they were very impressed aout my knowledge of the company.

I was told that I had been selected and was asked to await the appointment letter.

The letter duly came in Feb 1972 and I was told to report to work on 21st March 1972. I was not yet 21 then.

More in my next blog.