The placement season was all too brief and the new suit, bell bottoms and all, could be worn for just one day. Mettur Beardsell it was and I headed off to Chennai. Placed in Chennai, Ahmedabad, Saudi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Delhi in six years, had exposure in diverse fields, and the good fortune to wed Padmini, in Delhi. Moved to Sanmar Chemplast group in Bombay branch, where we stayed six years and delighted to welcome beautiful Monisha and Mansi to our lives.

 

Then onto Chennai and Bangalore and then it was bye to India, into the Saud Bahwan Group, one of the largest trading companies in Oman, in Cars, Commercial vehicles, Trucks, Construction equipment, Projects, Travel etc.

 

My departure from India coincided with Saddam invading Kuwait in 1990 and all I got when I told anyone about going "abroad" were sympathetic looks and sardonic twists of lips! In the event, nothing untoward happened and we had a wonderfully happy and rewarding 23 years in Muscat. Children finished schooling there.

 

Monisha went to Carnegie Mellon for Engineering, got a Masters in Finance from Princeton, parallely also finding her life partner Mahesh, a Yale grad, they married in 2009 and both have been working in Finance in Los Angeles. Delightful little bundle of joy Ayesha arrived October 2015.

 

Younger Mansi did her undergrad from Stern School of Business NYU, went to Wharton for an MBA, working in Advertising & Marketing in New York.

 

Padmini had been in Travel business, a start up advertising company in India and worked a brief while in Muscat too before taking time off to take care of our children going into higher classes. Last ten years, she was engaged in an extremely satisfying voluntary service of educating and counselling children with special needs

 

Decided to stop working and retired as a Director and returned to India mid 2012, settling in Bangalore. Presently attempting to explore and enjoy life a bit more than before, and on my own terms & pace... walking and gymming, travelling lots on temple visits and holiday resorts, spending time with children, reading, tv, cricket, films, music, family and - thank God - several old and new friends, many of whom have similar love for good food, cocktails and single malts...and smile & laugh as much as possible!

 

Forty years have just flown by!! Jay Ho!!!