Nurungukal..2..contd...

     Our luggage was delivered a few days after our arrival in Pondy. My wife used this gap to procure a few more kitchen ware which I was avoiding. She was not fully satisfied with the facilities in the rented house. When our things were arranged there was not much space to move about. Her concern was about the child who was fast growing to the next mile stone, crawling. More over the accommodation was on the first floor, without much safety measures. I was once again on my heals in search of a safer shelter.

       I took over full charge of the ware house next day. As the capacity was very small, the procedure did not take much time.Actually it was only a shed, lacking all provisions of a scientific warehouse. From day one I was in pursuit to build up the capacity. It was a challenge and the Regional manager was behind me like a trainer pursuing his trainee. I slowly started learning the intricacies of managing a house and a warehouse, a dual role of a husband and manager.

       The LPG connection was my first priority. There was a hitch. I was not a ration card holder. Fortunately my official status gave easy access to get an audience with the Director of Civil Supplies Dpt. He was young, an ex-military officer, with a zeal to perform and show results. As Pondy was a small union territory, there was not much pressure of work and the officers appeared to be relaxed, unlike their counterparts in other states.  I started with an explanation of the activities of Central Warehousing Corporation and the need of a storage space in Pondy considering the potentialities in the agrarian front. He was inquisitive about our expansion plan and assured his full support. He was very receptive and considerate and gave a patient hearing. This gave me a sense of hope and encouragement to pursue my mission in Pondy. When I was about to leave I mentioned about my ration card. Without any hesitation he instructed his staff to issue it immediately as a special case and comply the formalities in due course of time which I did without much delay. I left his room ,satisfied and victorious......contd...

NURUNGUKAL....2...CONTD...

          When I was a bachelor, a transfer from a place to another did not bother me much. There were only  a few items to be packed. But the situation was different after marriage. The biggest problem was to ensure to carry the breakables like crockery and glass wares. Some of our relatives had gifted dinner sets, glass tumblers etc, which carried  a stamp of sentiments also. So at any cost they were to be a part of our future life. Some of them adorn our show case even now  and the rest became an essential part of the kitchen.  List of things  related to our child was quite large and they occupied at leas two big trunks. Fortunately my mother-in-law had given  two such boxes to pack the clothes of my wife. They became useful now. Kitchen wares, my collection of books, personal files, wooden cots, beds etc. etc. the list went on and on . It took nearly two full days to pack. It would have been an impossible task if I had ventured to complete the task  myself. The help rendered by one of my staff Mr. Chadayan in this regard is unforgettable. He did a splendid job and his expertise in such work became evident  when I opened the packages on reaching Pondy. Even the most fragile items remained in tact.

          There was a formal farewell function.  It was a routine  meet, when the colleagues bundled out  words in praise of the transferred official. A gift was presented, followed by a reply by me thanking one and all for their unreserved co-operation and expressing a hope  to meet them again .Many a time in my service I had passed through such routine farewell parties and I felt the sentiments expressed on such occasions were just momentary . But after a lapse of many years  since my retirement  when some of them call me over phone and recap the old days my heart  really miss a few beats. It is now I sincerely feel the amount of love and esteem they still bestow on me.It has become my habit now  to unwind some of the scenes which had occurred during those days  and to express a silent gratitude to those friends who were at that point of time so close to my heart.  Gone are those glorious days which can never come back, except in our sub conscious mind vague like  a distant silhouette in a misty morning......contd

Nurungukal...2...contd...

         About ten o’clock we reached Pondy. From the bus stand we went to the ware house in a cycle rickshaw. The peddler talked similar to his Madras counter part. Pandyan was cautious to fix the fare in advance. Mr. Ghani was in charge of the warehouse.. Both of us had the training together. He was an unassuming person. I had requested him to find out a house,but his attempts were in vain. Instead he gave us a tip about the possible localities, to get one to suit my budget. Without spending much time with him we went in search of a broker. Luckily Pandyan knew where such persons used to wait for their customers.

         A few streets away there was a joint adjacent to a tea shop. I do not know how he identified our intention. One gentle man from the crowd approached us and asked whether we were  in search of a house?. I was astonished. He might have been a good face reader or might be that because of such intrusions he was in that profession. He was lean, with a slight bend, dark, wearing a glass which was balanced at the tip of his protruding nose, wearing a white shirt with a soiled collar and black pants. He tucked a hand kerchief on the back of his neck, probably to absorb the sweat. As he gave me his hand to shake I felt the profuse moisture.

            After collecting details of my requirements and budget, he took out a small pocket diary in which there was many phone numbers, may be that of the house owners. Then the hunt started. I found him transparent and straightforward. He placed his cards openly and left us to take the decision. By evening we were successful to fix one and returned to Madras, after paying a nominal advance to the owner and a large tip equivalent to that of a month’s rent to the broker. I thanked him profusely. After my joining Pondy warehouse, many a time I had met him at the same joint, but he failed to pay any attention, might be because he knew that I was not any more his client !!......contd...

Nurungukal...2...contd...

        My transfer to Pondichery was sudden and unexpected. But  mentally I welcomed it. I was to hold charge of an up coming centre. The management had lot of expectations in me. And I took it as a challenge.My immediate problem was to find an accommodation. In Pondy I had no friends and to locate a rented house was  a difficult task. When I was pondering how to manage the issue, a helping hand came to my rescue. It was non other than Mr. Pandyan an assistant in the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Dept. He was working with us to supervise their transactions in the warehouse.

         Years ago Pandyan was living in a nearby village to Pondy town. His parents had a small farm. He had spent his child hood there. During our journey to Pondy he narrated  about his school days and how he was forced to shift to Chennai.

           His father was a peasant. He managed a home stead farm. The entire family was involved in the management of various operations. The cultivation depended entirely on the availability of  water from an irrigation system.  The water supply was often erratic as it was interrupted by the surrounding farmers who owned much larger area and were power full. Many a time Pandyan father had to face the wrath of his neighbours. The officials were less sympathetic to him as they were puppets of the bigger land lords in the area. In spite of these he managed to find a living. It was then the tragedy occurred. Pandyan lost his parents when they succumbed to a nasty epidemic of smallpox.  Many died in the village. Those who had better facilities managed to escape, but the poor were helpless. Although Pandyan was saved, the scars disfigured his face. More over it also affected his eye sight. He said the life after his parents demise was miserable as he had to depend on his relatives who were more concerned to snatch away the property. He some how managed to complete his SSLC. By that time he became a land less orphan. With the help of some social workers he managed to find a job in Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Dpt.

            He was about forty years old and a chronic bachelor. The deep scars on his face and the spectacles with thick glasses stood in the way of his marriage. Nobody ventured to seek the gentle man in him. He was one of the finest human beings I have met. He was always obliging to the needy, irrespective of their social placing. Many a time I have seen him volunteering to help those who are in trouble. He was known to all as Pandyan anna and in one way or other many were indebted to him. His face with a broad smile showing his sparkling teeth and  brisk walk in white shirt and pants still linger in my memory.

        By the time we reached Pondy he almost finished his story and drew much more closer to my heart......contd...