LIGHT TIFFIN TO KARAIKUDI LUNCH

After the unceremonious exit from Aban's Bongaigaon site, I came back to my home in Chennai.  My parents were upset for some days and normalcy returned and consoled themselves saying no more roaming round Indian construction sites,  asking me to confine for a job nearer to Chennai itself.  I went back to my CA firm where I worked for 2 years before joining the construction firm.  A K Nahar was a Marwari chartered accountant who was very much pleased with me while I worked with him.  He asked me to join straight away.   Regarding the salary, he asked me how much you have been drawing when you left 4 to 5 years back.  I told him it was Rs 120/= then hoping he would increase a little bit.   OK Xavier, let us start from there and you will get increments soon depending on your performance.  The old office was consisting of two cabinets for the chief and his assistant, which was made to one room of modern furnishing and air conditioned.  While coming out of the cabin I allowed the door closer to shut the door automatically.  But it banged against the door with a thud sound.   He called me again in his cabin and gave me a stern advise,  please close the door very slowly because we have installed a expensive furnitures in the cabin.

His changed mindset did not allow me to go there again.  Next day onwards I started scanning through the Hindu situation vacant columns and started applying for all situations.  Where ever telephone number was given, enquired them directly.  Visited new construction sites in and around Chennai and enquired directly with my resume.  In most places I was chased away by the security personnel without even allowing me to meet the H R department for enquiry.  Ramakrishnan got a sales executive job in Mather & Platt, Egmore office and my visit to his residence at K K Nagar on Sundays and public holidays continued uninterrupted.  His elderly mother and father had joined him in his house and therefore food was not a problem thereafter.  Ideal Chettinad couple,  his father was a retired employee in Dalmia Cement factory.   Light tiffin has been upgraded to full fledged Chettinad lunch with  all types of non veg items.  Therefore a  full day schedule consisted of future plans,  card game with some old college mates in his neighbourhood- Munichami a civil engineer working with Housing Board, Nandanam and two unemployed Palghat  Iyers were the company.

From the Hindu paper I came across an advertisement for an office assistant with accounts knowledge in a fabrication workshop's office near Egmore.  I appeared in person where another Bengali business man interviewed me asking me to report his residence for joining the next day. Half a day in his residence cum office where my duty consists of writing petty cash book, ledgers and looking after his infant girl child whenever her mother is away in a boutique shop at Hotel Ambassador Pallava.  In the afternoon,  I had to report to the workshop at Saidapet where supervision work of turing and welding of machine parts of Automobile factories were in progress.  A month passed,  and I have not been given the salary even after 45 days in office.  The 420 work of the business man came to light one day.  The material for machining work purchased for the client has been hypothecated to a nationalised bank, but kept in sealed locker in one of the room in workshop. He has been using a duplicate key to unscrupulous lifting of items from the locked room and completing the order.  One morning  made a police complaint stating theft from the factory.  To make it look real a wall clock was broken and kept near the broken room.   When I tried to lift the item he said no ' your finger mark will be identified by the police'.

I did not go to that office thereafter nor bothered to collect the salary for days worked there.  My father was working as a casual labourer under the labour contractor T T Thomas at ICI construction site.  An ex service man with knowledge of Hindi and English had the gift of the gab who made friends whoever came across.  At that time one Mr Ramani was the store keeper of Humphreys and Glasgow,  the engineering consultants for the bulk drug plant.   He informed my father about a vacancy in ICI construction office the vacancy for a draughts man cum store  keeper,  purely on temporary basis.  Next day I came to site and was interviewed by K V Chary.  On undertaking that I would not make a claim for permanent post after completion of construction I was appointed in the construction office under the contract of C R Narayana Rao & Co.