I am 42 today

I was born on this day 42 years ago. At 42, halfway between the cradle and the final amble,  feel like still having the best years ahead and the mind restless as ever, though occasional bout of uric acid reminds me, I have crossed some distance from the cradle.

Born in the month of Phalguna, my horoscope says, I am light hearted like the gentle breeze of my birth month. Out of all the many predictions, this is the one, coming perfectly true. In life, very rarely, I am not happy. Beauty, magnanimity and all good spirits of life still make me heady the way I used to be twenty years ago.  

As I scribble through the key pad to write this post, memories of my 34^th & 36^th B’day, once more making me feel nostalgic. In 2009, we were burning the candle at both hands with the Project construction and B’day celebration was the last thing in my mind. Suddenly, I received a call from Naba Da (Nabajyoti Bora - Presently working at Digboi Refinery as Chief Maintenance Manager) to urgently rush to the Project site. The project had a huge conceptual error (The part looked after by me) requiring entire underground civil work redoing and a high level meeting was urgently convened at site. When I pleaded to let me know the flaw, he somewhat sternly cut me off by asking to rush.

As I hurried to the site, I found the meeting was on. The General Manager  was not at the table and most important chair was occupied by our Chief Project Manager instead who asked me to have a sit. Everyone looked serious at the round project table when Debdoot and Naba Da came out with a B’day cake. It was some surprise!

I had no role on the Time, Venue, Menu , neither on Invitees,  for the evening as everything was decided by Nitish Da (Presently Dy. general Manager at Guwahati Refinery). The spontaneity and the camaraderie of the evening were incredible and left me with an indelible mark in my memory.  

I spent the 36th B’day at IiPM, Gurgaon undergoing a residential Management training program. We had a long weekend and with my good friends Ruchir and Ranjeet, I was off to Mathura and Agra. While coming back, perhaps, the romance of Shahjahan & Mumtaz was still working overtime at the back my mind as I missed to spot a sharp sheet of Iron in the garage while parking our car. I needed nine stitches to cover the cut on my head and stop the gushing blood.

In the evening,   I was feeling appallingly lonely, down and out. This had to be the worst day and ominous sign of the year to come,  I said to myself.  And then, I heard my phone ringing. Subha Jyothsna, who was a fellow participant of the same course, was at the other end.

“How are you feeling Kamaljit?” She enquired. “ This has to be your day to rejoice. I have ordered a cake and invited other participants to your room”.

On my 42th  B’day, with fond remembrance, I thank Dibakar Bhattacharjee Sir, Nitish Da, Naba Da, Son, Debdoot, Rakesh,  Sanjib , Rupak Laskar , Jyotirmoy, Burnwal , Abhishek, Arundhuti Bou, Swarnali , Doli   for that wonderful evening  Digboi tourist lodge on 21-Feb, 2009.  

And let me tell you, Subha Jyothsna Madam, the sweetness of that cake has lingered on in the last six years. On my B’day,  I still remember and talk to my wife about that evening at IiPM, Gurgaon and the kindness you and others showered on me. 

You can contact Kamaljit at kamaljitmedhi1975@gmail.com