Chapter 8.
Pritam Singh Ahluwalia
Jaydee Parekh
Madan Kamra
The years rolled by and my parents started to think in terms of my marriage. Mama Narinder Singh also counselled me not to delay it too much. My argument was that I was not making enough money to support our existing large family, leave alone taking on the expense of raising a family of my own. Mama ji clinched that one by countering: but the girl who comes she will also earn, naa?
There was a proposal for a match from Harbans Singh who lived in Poona and whom Papa ji knew very well. The former had a niece, Sukhjit, daughter of Pritam Singh ji. She had finished college, and post graduate in Teaching; a bright student and so on. Papa ji seemed to know the family tenuously. Photos were exchanged. Meanwhile I was thinking of doing my Masters and the only possibility was to appear as External candidate at Nagpur University. Papa ji arranged for me to stay with Pritam Singh ji. It was also agreed that Sukhjit will make a visit to Nagpur around that time so that we could ‘see’ each other. To cut a long story short, the ‘seeing’ was done and Papa ji trooped over to Nagpur. We got the ‘Shagan’ on 13 April and returned to Bombay. We solemnised the engagement at our place on May 1, 1960. The same day that the erstwhile Bombay Presidency was dissolved and State of Maharashtra was established.
I had spent a month at Nagpur preparing for the Exam and writing it. I had seen from close quarters what a large hearted person S. Pritam Singh ji was. His mother was keeping house since part of the family was in Gurdaspur. His mother was bent old, but a pert, kind hearted and loving lady. I was reminded me of my own grandmother. I had lost my Bhabi ji to sickness winter of 1942 when I was barely 6-7 years old. I had also built a good bond with Sukhjit’s brother Harjit Singh who was working in the NCC establishment. There were lots of similarities between our two families: Large family, many children, 3 generations together, Father in sports business, Harjit a Steno, Mohan Singh had completed Apprenticeship in Indian Air force, the very career which was denied to me. They had other brothers n sisters back home whom I met upon our marriage. More of this story in next Chapter. Meanwhile to return to my Career:
Soon thereafter Madan n Jaydee delivered on their indication that they had better things in mind for me. I was given a temporary assignment in Management ranks as Public Relations Assistant – Tours. I promptly wrote to Sukhjit saying that it was the good effect of our linking together. Little did I know that she was to be my good luck charm and would bring me so many glad tidings over the years. Sadly, it was to be at her Father’s cost, since his fortunes started to wane.
Now Tours was an interesting assignment and took me into the world of education n Refining. The job involved taking around the Refinery, the Engineering students, and general public who asked for it. The load of engineering students was particularly heavy during summer vacations. On some days I would go around the refinery three or four times in hot sun. My anti dote was a cold coke and a whole lemon squeezed into it in our Cafeteria. That is where we would take the visitors for a soft drink, before escorting them out of the Refinery.
My predecessor in that position, VM Vartak taught me the basics of the Refining Process with the help of a short movie. I accompanied him on a few tours. Surprisingly I had no difficulty in understanding and explaining the rudiments of distillation and fractionation to students of Chemical Engineering. So much so that at the end of the Tour, invariably a student or the escort professor would ask me as to from where I had done my Chemical Engineering. They were surprised to learn that I wasn’t an engineer and whatever I knew, I had learnt on the job.
Obviously the Management was pleased with my work and I was promoted a member of the Management Staff on Oct 1, 1960. I promptly sent a copy of that announcement to Sukhjit with the words “Sukhjit – Congrats. Raj “
In course of time the Management built a large Hall near the main gate to seat the visitors and show them the Movie. Also by that time I had got a working model of the Refinery built and did preliminary explaining and Question/Answer session there. That simplified the work of going around.
Next year, I went back to Nagpur to write the Part II of the MA Exam. On the eve of our Marriage, as I stood at his doorstep with the Marriage Party, Pritam Singh ji whispered to me that I had passed the exam.
More of him and our marriage in the next Chapter.
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