Blog # 46 Dated: 16 June 2022 (See Blog # 74 for details contained in this Blog)

Dear, ……..,

Namaskar. In my blog published on 20^th May 2022, I had detailed how my boss Mr. N.Krishnamurthy  had forced me to consume hard drinks first time in my life. And then I had also mentioned how he appeared to have felt guilty about this incident and narrated it to his wife. She had talked to me over phone to apologize.  From that day, he was ever nice to me. One day he inquired about the educational progress of my wife. He was not happy to learn that my wife was not a graduate. (I was married for less than a year at that time) He called me and told me that he would like to meet my wife. He one day soon after came to our home in Chinkral Mahalla in the afternoon and gave a lecture to my wife to continue with her studies. Needless to say, that she did not heed his advice.

He continued pressure on me to improve. He said that if I work harder, I could progress better in life. It was he, who made me prepare and sit for my Engineering exams. One day he got an application form for sitting in Government approved Degree programme from Delhi and asked me to fill it and send it to Delhi. Those days the exams would be held every six months. I took the form but did not apply for sitting in the exams. When the results were declared, he called me to his room to ask how I had fared in the exams. I told him that I had not filed the application at all. He was furious and asked me to get out of his room.  He avoided me for some days and I would also not feel good to face him because he had caught me lying to him. When the next schedule was near, he got another form from Delhi. He asked me to fill my details in the application form and return the same to him the next day. He also asked me to get the bank draft for the exam fees with me. The next day, I went to his room. The form was completed in all respects with my photograph duly glued on it and enclosed with the bank draft to cover the fees for all papers.  He checked the form and asked me to seal the envelope. He asked his peon (Mr. Bala) to take the envelope and money (for postage etc.) from me. He kept me seated there in his chamber till Mr. Bala returned with the receipt from the post office. When I was seated waiting for the peon to return, my head was tilted down all the time. The boss was busy in his work looking and writing on the files on his table. He did not even once looked at me. He told me that after what I had done last time, he would not trust me. He said that if I was not kept seated in his chamber, I would stop the peon from posting the application. I was shamed beyond limits.

 I had to clear 11 subject papers to complete the entire course that would be equivalent to an engineering degree that was recognised by Government of India. I paid my first fees for all 11 subjects but appeared in only one paper. The passing marks for clearing one paper was 60 percent but if we would pass two papers in one exams schedule then it would be only 50%. This I did not know before the exams. The results were declared. I had cleared the paper with 65%. On the result day, I went on my own to my boss’s office chamber and showed my result to him. The result mentioned that I had absented for all papers except one and in that one subject I had secured 65% marks. I was declared “Passed” against the remarks column in the result sheet.  The boss saw it. He was both angry and a little pleased. Angry because I had again lied to him. Pleased that I had made a good beginning. After that in next three six monthly attempts, I completed all the eleven papers. He was the happiest man in my progress. When the final results had been declared he had already been transferred out of Srinagar but he had been following my progress. He would write congratulatory letters to me after each success.

Mr. Krishnamurthy had three sons. All of them were engineers. In 1970 when my salary was far less than Rs. 1000/- his sons were getting 35,000/- in Dubai. Mr. Krishnamurthy had a flat in Delhi and after retirement he was staying there. When I came to Delhi in 1986 on posting, he had learnt about it. One day, the Engineer in Chief in Doordashan (I was working in that office after transfer to Delhi) called me to his chamber. He informed me that Mr. Krishnamurthy had been enquiring about me and he wanted me to meet him. I did go to his residence. He had grown older (naturally) He spent half an hour talking to me and recounting the days that we had spent together. He enquired about the progress of my wife in education. He was sad to learn that the desired progress was not there, and added that my daughter should not follow her example. That was the last I ever met him. A few years back I made a feeble attempt to meet him but could not. I went to the place where I had met him last. I enquired from a few people around but they did not appear to have known him.  I wish that I had tapped the door of the flat (I remembered the location) and found out from the occupants about him. Next time I am in Delhi, I hope to do it. I have sweet memories of my association with him. I am a better person because of him.  

BYE.