None wanted 5L

I didn't permit Neha to drive car on Delhi's roads. Casually, she would drive to her office in my presence and I would take car back home. However, looking her interest, I kept aside 5L for an i-10 besides other wedding expenditure and let others knew of my intention. After 7-8 months, we visited US to meet them. One day, Neha and her mom were busy in shopping and Nimish and I were sitting idle in a mall. Here I informed him that all elders, including his mother, knew that I am holding some 5L as our humble contribution with blessings for their car whenever they might plan. He turned down this idea the next moment politely saying, 'Papa, you have already done all well. Now, it's all over. We are not going to accept that.' After one year, when an interest of about sixty thousand was accrued, I tried to see their reaction by transferring it to Neha's account. She immediately became suspicious and called me that she was going to return that. We persuaded that we wanted to bring some LED TV to their new home, but couldn't fearing if you would like it or not. On Prisha's first birthday, we again tried to convince them to let us put the amount in her name under some Sukanya Scheme for 21 years. इस पर भी काफी बवाल मचा तो नयन धीरे-से बोला, 'अरे, कोई नहीं ले रहा तो 5 लाख मुझे ही दे दो!' So, not only I transferred the amount in his name, her mom too did it with another 5L commenting, "Make it up to your own wedding expenditure.. Our responsibilities are all over now!"

दिल है कि ..

Life doesn't go on conditions with "ifs" and "buts", but 'dil hai ki..!' It always come to my mind, if I had been in NDMC -- would have throughout been in Delhi in Govt flats with no transfers as in Airlines. Had I joined All India Radio, Indore, I would have retired as a Dy Secretary.. would have my many publications by now as against what I was looking for petty translation work @ 50 paise per word in my recent years. At both places, retirement age was 60, against 58 in AI, and both would give a pension of about 40 thousand! Now, in the name of my pension, I am just getting nine thousand per month as interest on my 15L saving under senior citizen investment scheme. Thanks to kids who advised to not mix-up this amount in wedding expenditure. Earlier, it used to be twelve thousand when interest rates were higher. Sometimes, keeping in view son's wedding, we think to look out for a 3bhk apartment at noida extension (by contributing mine 15L, another 15L wife to withdraw from her PF, and 20L son to take as loan) and give this flat on rent of about 15 thousand as my new pension!  However, God is not favouring this plan for the present.

27वीं सालगिरह

.. So, with this sunset, we have completed 27 years in this house at Paschim Vihar - shifted on April 8, 1991. While searching a house, we were told to try near St. Mark's school; but we were unable to find the school itself. Many times, we used to come up to Jawala Heri market and return without success. Atlast we reached this block and finalised existing flat.

- So, there was no role of some Super power this time assisted you always in difficult situations?

- Of course, it was there!..

उन दिनों यहां फ्लैट का रेट एक लाख पांच हजार था। पैसा-पैसा कीमती था। मेरे 25 हजार इंदिरा विकास पत्र के रूप में फंसे थे जिनकी मैच्युरिटी अगले साल थी। मायूस-से हम एक पुलिया पर बैठे थे वापस चलने की तैयारी में। सोचा, पास ही एक प्रॉपर्टी डीलर से और मिल लेते हैं। शाम 6-7 बजे मच्छरों ने नाक में दम कर रखा था। डीलर एकबारगी अपना रजिस्टर खोल कुछ बताने लगा पर मच्छरों से तंग आकर कभी दिन में आने की बात करने लगा। इतनी देर में एक मकान की एंट्री पर मेरी नजर पड़ गयी और उसके अलॉटी का पता (कुछ,1590, देव नगर, जैसा) मुझे याद रहा। अगली छुट्टी पर वह पता ढूंढने पर किसी ने कहा, उसके लिए गली नम्बर पता होना जरूरी है (वहां 15 गलियां हैं)। मन में आया, गली नम्बर एक से ही शुरू हो जाते हैं। बस, पहली ही बार में सफलता। सीधे-सीधे कहा, 'आपके मकान का रेट एक लाख पांच हजार है। बिना डीलर के एक लाख में देते हो?' वह बोले, 'चलो, एक लाख एक हजार।' मैंने जेब से पांच सौ का नोट निकाल कर थमाया, 'न आपकी, न मेरी। एक लाख पर बात पक्की!'