Abhijit was back in town. Aunty has passed away after a long illness. He messaged me pretty early, and told me he would keep me posted. We could not meet that day but I dropped in at his house the next day in Nallakunta. I remember coming here in the 1980s and its changed a bit since then- mostly houses built over the nala.
His sister Indrani's name was on the gate - didi to him and us. Met Abhijit who looked a bit wore for the wear, travel and grief, but he was his old cheery self. We decided to head out for breakfast at Minerva at Himayat Nagar.
On the way we talked about his Dad and his Mom. They had both come to West Bengal from Bangladesh, his father's family had to give up lands and flee. In Calcutta they began life again - Abhijit's grandfather was a doctor if I remember right. Abhijit's dad got a job rather early in life in the LIC of India and was posted to the boondocks - Hyderabad, a thousand miles away. Meanwhile his mother's family had settled down near Siliguri. The alliance was made and the young couple came to Hyderabad. Abhijit's dad probably set up the first LIC office here.
The young couple lived in Koti first he said and then moved to a house in a lane next to Nizam College. Abhijit's mom, Kamala, did not finish her studies though she was a keen student and loved reading. She inculcated the habit of reading in Abhijit and Didi surely - buying them books at a book store opposite Lepakshi. She would bribe Abhijit with a comic if he read a book! She would take them to museums, to all the historical places, and its no wonder that Didi did her Masters in history from Arts College. I told Abhijit to write about it for his kids, maybe on a blog. He liked the idea.
But then Abhijit was admitted in All Saints in his 1st class or perhaps even earlier. He remembers an interview by Brother Britto who was impressed by his English. Did joined Rosary Convent. Then she went to Reddy College and perhaps Nizam College and then Arts College. She knew all about the history of Hyderabad and would be the self-appointed tour guide for the family. Didi never married, got a job in the LIC (where she had joined as an intern and was offered a job and that's it - she spent all her working life in the same office near Sarovar Hotel).
Didi never married. She loves to travel says Abhijit. He studied chemistry in Roorkee and then went abroad, married Merilyn, who is a bit of a genius he says. They have two children David and Sara and he now works somewhere on the West Coast - California.
We went to Minerva, ate some puri and dosa (he said he was starving since he woke up early). Then we decided to drive down to school and we did. We got off and watched some kids playing cricket, got two old students to click our pictures. We drove down Abids looking at FD Khan Bulchands, Bata, second hand books and so on. Then we drove back to Nallakunta.
We figured we'll meet soon before he leaves. Struck me just now - that was the first time since 1982 when we passed out, that we both visited the school together. Crazy life. Just so glad I met him again. Hopefully we'll catch up longer one of these days - tomorrow or day after! There's a lifetime to catch up!
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