Like most who pass out of IIMA, I also started out with the ambition to go up the corporate ladder fast and quick. My first job was at the Anand group in Nasik. I handled assignments in Marketing and Production in the early 5 years. The next five were at Chennai as Regional Marketing head. As expected the drive to succeed meant long hours on the road, dinners, parties which started to tell on my health. 

 

Somewhere in between, in 1978 got married to Usha and our son Krishnan came along in 79. Family life was a mess. Around this time, I took a call that so many personal sacrifices were not worth it and quit to join TVS where I did not last even 2 years. We decided to take a change in setting and took off to Muscat where I joined the Saud Bahwan group. The plan was to spend only 5 years but ultimately landed up spending 28 years till retirement in 2015. In SBG I retired as Director Spare parts Planning and Operations. The company handled franchises like Toyota, MAN, Hino, Ford, KIA, Komatsu, etc

 

Muscat was a very important phase of our lives as I first met late Swami Dayananda Saraswati there. The meeting with him totally changed my outlook to life and its purpose. I was no more going to run the corporate rat race. After all the winner is still a rat only. Under Swamiji's guidance started to conduct Gita classes in 1995 which I continued till 2015. This phase of my life brought transformation in all aspects of my personality — physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual. Usha who also had the same mindset was a great support and help all the time. We coordinated visits of Swamiji to Muscat regularly.

 

Our son after his graduation left for USA, where he is married and well settled with his wife Sapna and young daughters Sonali (6) and Sowmya (2). We get to spend time with them in Minneapolis every 2 years. Of course, the weekly talk on Facetime with the kids is thoroughly enjoyable.

 

With Swamiji's guidance we are associated with some Ashrams in India and help in whatever way we can. His lineage of Swami Paramarthananda in Chennai and Swami Omkarananda in Theni continue to be a source of inspiration and guidance for us.

 

We are now back in Bangalore. Enjoying the retired life. I do what I have liked to in the last 20 years – long walks, reading, satsangs, some cricket on TV, some share market, some Tamil serials. Also go to places by car which we have been wanting to see for last 30 years.

 

I continue to give lectures on WhatApp to some interested people every week on Vedanta. Keeps me grounded. By God's grace and blessings of our Gurus we are leading contented and peaceful lives.