This life has been lived with the sole objective of enjoying the journey of life. This attitude was in no mean measure fostered by my father, who never said no. He sent me to study at IIT without visible means to support that adventure. 

 

Post IIT I fixed my eyes on a wages target of Rs 1000+ as just recompense for my so well-educated labors. Only the Tea estates, in back-of-the-beyond offered such wages. Yours truly accepted in Sept of 1971, and pure natural environs promptly added 26 Kg to my frame. 

 

3-years later I decided to join you all at IIMA. I was called for an interview in Calcutta, and I landed sans my certificates and any identity. My trunk (steel) was stolen from the roof of Siliguri - Calcutta bus while passing thru the mangroves near Malda, as gleefully advised by white-clad cops at Lalbazar PS. 

 

Sam Duggal recalls me smoking a pipe and saw my carpet which reinforced his own decision about coming to IIMA. 

 

Post IIMA a job and marriage to Poonam followed (Krishnan will recall intense discussions on this topic - his barsati in SDA). The role of a "grahasth" began in earnest. Two sons followed. 

 

Thru the haze of 'joint' induced haze, I heard Pulin decry my 'spectator mentality" in the wee hours of a morning during one overnight session. Since then one has been trying to experience this in all its hues. It has been fun. 

 

In the real world, lead the turn-around of many loss-making businesses - 7 in India and 2 in Dar es Salaam (hate losses!). Have worked in Projects, Tea, Electronics, AutoComps, Durables, Tractors, FMCG, Plastics, Metals, Mining, Construction and Contracting, Banking and Insurance (Gen and health), at exec and Board levels. 

 

It was therefore easy to enter Sanyas ashram, when I turned 65 last year.