In my last article, I had mentioned that Vijaya used to visit Chennai every summer with child Usha and Baby Mohan. This continued from her coming to Nagpur as a newly married bride on 31st May 1965 till we left Nagpur for good on transfer to Bangalore in April 1981. Our first visit to Nagpur immediately after marriage is indelibly etched in my memory. There were about 50 people , mostly Vijaya�s and my close relations at the Central station to see us off , as Vijaya was the second person to go to North India after marriage (Vanaja was the first who left for Delhi after marriage in 1956). At that time there was a record number of about 60 people at Central to bid farewell to Vanaja. Every one was trying to give advice to Vijaya or weeping at the impending parting from Vijaya, who was easily the most popular girl for almost all the relatives. I was standing almost alone as the centre of attention was Vijaya and Vijaya only.
We arrived in Nagpur after a journey of about 24 hours in hot summer. In those days, AC Travel was a costly luxury indulged by the very rich or very senior Railway officers. We travelled by III rd class only. At Nagpur Railway station, we were received by Mr. Natarajan and Ramamurthy, my colleagues, and Rummy game partners.As soon as marriage was finalised, I had taken a small portion in Ramdaspet on monthly rent of Rs. 30/-. This consisted of a single room in ground floor and another room in mezzanine floor directly above it. Toilet was outside the house in one corner while bathroom was also outside in another corner.Vijaya and myself went to our house in a Cycle Riksha. Our luggage consisted of one suitcase containing Vijaya�s clothes, another containing stove and cooking vessels, and two huge beds, which completely covered us in the Riksha. Thinking back on the forty years of my married life, I feel that the first two years in that small portion with a meagre salary of about Rs. 250/-pm were the happiest as every small thing like going to movies once in 2 or 3 months, purchasing a new pressure cooker etc. was an excitement because we had to save sufficient money for indulging in such luxuries. Divya, Deepti and Akhil should realise how fortunate they are to get computers as birthday gifts and travel to Dubai or Jakarta for vacation, while their parents got such things as even new clothes only occasionally only.
As I had mentioned earlier, Vijaya visited Chennai every summer throughout the 18 years we were in Nagpur. In those days, there was no time limit for advance reservation in the Railways. On the school reopening day after summer vacation, I invariably visited St. Antony�s convent school where Usha studied, and Central School where Mohan studied and ascertained the closing date for the next summer vacation, and booked tickets for Usha, Mohan and Vijaya one year in advance. Every year, after seeing Vijaya and the children off at Nagpur Railway Station, I used to send telegram intimating their departure, though every one knew the date and train far earlier due to booking one year in advance. As Vijaya was travelling with a baby in hand (Mohan) and child in tow (Usha) alongwith lot of luggage like orange baskets, sweaters etc , one or two of her brothers received her at Chennai Central Station. During one year, Vijaya�s train had been held up at Basin Bridge Junction due to some technical problem. It was announced that the train may be held up at least for one hour. Vijaya is temperamentally very impatient for waiting at any place. While the other travellers remained in the train, she got down with the children, engaged a porter , caught an autoriksha and reached home within one hour of the train reaching Basin Bridge Junction. Meanwhile, Varadan who had gone to the Railway station for receiving Vijaya, was patiently waiting at the station. Her train finally arrived after a delay of 4 hours. To Varadan�s shock and horror, Vijaya and the children were not in the train. He searched from one end to another at least 4 times, and then everywhere in the station, but could not find Vijaya. As there was no telephone in his house, there was no way for him to communicate with his parents in the house. Finally, after about 6 hours after the scheduled time of arrival of the train, he reached home completely crestfallen, and almost in tears. He told his mother who opened the door for him that some misfortune had happened and that Gopalan and the police should be immediately alerted about the mysterious disappearance of Vijaya and the children. Vijaya, who had reached the house some full six hours earlier, had taken her food and was sound asleep inside with the children. When he learnt of Vijaya�s action, self pity at his own unnecessary physical and mental sufferings vied with the sense of great relief to know that Vijaya was safe and sound.
I shall now confine myself to some incidents involving my favourite
brother-in-law through the years. Varadan had to go to college quite early morning every day. Instead of asking his mother to make any breakfast, he preferred to eat the previous day�s left over rice, kept in water along with curd and pickles. All the others preferred to wait and eat the hot breakfast or food prepared by their mother after an hour or so. One day, he was playing and did not take his curd rice at the normal time. His mother then approached him and said, � Varadan, Are you going to eat this left over rice or shall I give it to the beggar?� Needless to say that Varadan immediately ate his favourite food,which no one else in the house was ready even to touch.
On another occasion, Varadan had to travel to Delhi for some interview. At the Chennai Central station, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his best friends and learnt that he was also going to Delhi. Varadan�s friend was in Ist class, as he was travelling officially, while Varadan was in IInd class. Varadan went to chat with him whenever the train stopped in big junctions. At Nagpur Junction, his friend was playing Rummy with his colleagues, and when Varadan went to see him, invited him to come into the compartment to take part in the game. When Varadan just entered the Ist class compartment, there was a sudden raid by the flying squad for catching ticketless travellers, who asked Varadan to show his ticket. When they saw found that he was having Iind class ticket only, they charged him Ist class fare from Chennai upto Nagpur along with a heavy fine. No amount of pleadings by Varadan and his friend that he just
entered the compartment could convince them. Finally, Varadan had to shell out the money. Not only had he to part with the entire amount he had brought withhim for stay in Delhi and return travel but had to take a heavy loan from hisfriend. After some years, when Varadan was in Bangalore, he went to Railwaystation to receive some one. As the time was very early, he came to the stationat the last minute and did not bother to purchase platform ticket, as normallychecking was not done at such early morning. Unfortunately for Varadan, therewas a raid for ticketless travel on that particular morning, and Varadan was the first person to be caught and had to pay a heavy fine.
When I was transferred from Nagpur to Bangalore in 1981, Varadan who was working in Cadburys, was also transferred to Bangalore from Trivandrum. At that time, Raghu (Amritha�s brother) was already stationed at Bangalore. Varadan and Raghu were great friends. So Varadan had written a letter to Raghu to look for a suitable house for him, stipulating the following conditions: 1. It should be an independent house with two bed rooms, attached bath and preferably with agarden. 2. It should be in Mallewaram area, which incidentally was the costliest locality in Bangalore at that time. 3. He could pay a very good rent of Rs.200/- pm easily. As the rents were very cheap in Trivandrum, Varadan hadabsolutely no idea of the exorbitant rents in Bangalore. In Malleswaram, youcould not get even a small shed for Rs. 200/-. After I had shifted to Bangalore,Raghu�s family and my family used to visit each other often. During our firstvisit, Raghu laughed and laughed describing Varadan�s stipulations for a house.Even recently, when Raghu had come to India, and was visiting Parthasarathy and Amritha, I also went to Parthasarathy�s place to see him. We had a hearty laugh about that long past event.
I had a Lambretta scooter which I had purchased in 1963. Varadan used to teaseme about this scooter which was about twenty years old. He used to tell everyone that Gopalan�s scooter knows the route to his office and no other route, andhe need not even lock it as it will refuse to carry any one else. One day thescooter which was parked outside my house had been stolen. I went to the policestation, and gave a complaint. Within one hour, a policeman came to my house toinform me that the scooter had been found. It was found abandoned about akilometre from my house. Probably it had developed some snag, and the thief hadto abandon it. Varadan was very happy that his prediction about the scooter hadcome true.After I had a heart attack in 1983, I wanted to sell this scooter which wasvery heavy. Like a fool, I told Varadan of my intention, and requested him tofind a suitable buyer. I told Varadan that Rs. 3000/- is OK for me. Varadanstared at me for some time, and without batting an eye lid told me as follows,�Gopalan, Rs. 3000/- is too low for your scooter. Probably, if you keep Rs.5000/- on that scooter, somebody may take it away."
I shifted to Government quarters in Nandini Layout in 1989. Varadan had come tohelp us in arranging the things in the new house. That house had a terrace whichhad to be climbed by a steep ladder. Vijaya, who like Raman was very active andhad a lot of Gundu Dairium( A Tamil word meaning bravado) quickly climbed theiron ladder without any railings and got to the terrace . From there, sheshouted, � Varadan, you also come and see this beautiful sight. We can see thewhole of Bangalore City from here.� Seeing the ease with which Vijaya climbedthat steep ladder, Varadan also started climbing it. After climbing 6 steps, helooked down and his courage failed him. He hastily climbed down shouting, I amthe only husband of my wife. What will happen to her if I fall down and break myneck. Now after about 15 years, when Varadan and myself recall this incident, weare filled with deep anguish and pain that the same Vijaya who climbed thatladder in 6 steps is now afflicted with a spinal cord problem, necessiating theuse of a walker and escort all the time.
S.Rajagopalan
June 2004
To be continued��. NEXT ARTICLE:-MY MARRIED LIFE(PART-IV) USHA, MOHAN AND PRIYA
PART III- CONCLUDING PART OF MY FAVOURITE BROTHER-IN-LAW
