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 34th & 36th
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
