Wrapping Up

Hi everyone, this time it is Manju and Satyendra Misra with the final blog of this series. 

We can not believe one full year (and more) has passed since our first batch left Australia and now we are back in Melbourne. We are fortunate to be entrusted with the responsibility of writing the last blog, which wraps up our experience over the past one year.

We begin where Aarushi handed over the blog-baton to us.

Aadya in a formerly white kabaddi shirt

School sports featured heavily in our household throughout November and December. And the highlight was that 13 year old Aadya made it not only to the Delhi Public School's Under 19s Basketball team but also represented Haridwar city in an open-age intra-state championship in Dehradun. This happened just two days before we were due to leave. Had we stayed longer I have no hesitation in saying she would have represented the state for the national championships. She was also in the school's Kabaddi team and ended up being one of their best players. She would often come home with thoroughly muddied clothes and even lacerations on the face and body, but grinning all the same. 

We also managed to solve a year-long mystery. Through the year there were cases of clothes gone missing from the hanging racks on our terrace. The penny dropped when I saw a monkey proudly wearing a skirt around its waist on a nearby tree! Monkeys used to descend in hordes terrorising the neighbourhood munching away whatever was available ranging from guavas on the trees to leaves and flowers. They were seen to lift the lids of water tanks on terraces for a free bath. Talking of wildlife, it was not uncommon for wild elephants to roam the roads at the outskirts of the city and occasionally leopards would snatch a quick meal of street dogs, which were available in plenty!

As we started thinking about the move back, we were dismayed at the amount of stuff we had collected over our stay in Haridwar although we had rented a furnished house and borrowed lots of kitchen and other household items from Shibani’s parents. As we were limited in what we could take back, we had to give away many things. For example Das babu got a slightly worn Polo Ralph Lauren jumper unaware of its designer label value! Also after a lot of deliberation, we decided to hire a taxi to Delhi in addition to driving our car. We were pleasantly surprised to find the taxi was in fact a spacious mini bus. However we had collected so much luggage that the mini bus was overflowing when we finished packing! 

Rishabh's friends who came to see us off

We bade good bye to Haridwar on 14th December 2014. It was a teary farewell from our neighbours, our household helpers and Rishabh, Aadya and Aarushi’s friends who braved the winter rainy morning to come to our 

house.

When we were planning to go to India, Rishabh and Aadya were most unimpressed with the idea. They asked why are we doing this. I explained to them - To make new friends in India. They were still unimpressed, I said you will experience an intensity in friendship not found anywhere else. Sure enough, at the end of our stay the kids actually wanted to stay longer and promised that they will return to Haridwar in a year. They say they will go by themselves if we don't go!

Ravindra Kale on the Har Ki Paudi bridge

Speaking of friendships, I was very happy that Ravindra Kale, my friend and colleague from the Kalpakkam days came to see us in Haridwar. He was my boss for some time but became more like an elder brother. His wife was a gentle and caring soul. She tutored my brother Mahendra when he was preparing for IIT entrance examinations. She passed away few years ago, may her soul rest in peace.

Saurabh and Shibani went to the nearby Radisson blu Hotel for a quiet dinner on their wedding anniversary on 1st December. To their utter surprise they bumped into their friends from USA, Professor Sidharth Gautam and his wife who were staying at the hotel, oblivious that we were in Haridwar! Many would say it was sheer coincidence that they could meet but if you start calculating the probability of such a meeting, it would be next to zero.

Our friends in Ranchi

Meanwhile Manju and I went to Ranchi in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand to wrap up the sale of some assets. We stayed with Prakash and Manju Shrivastava who were one of the first people we befriended when we landed into Perth in 1989! They normally live in Perth but also own a beautiful flat in an upmarket area of the otherwise crazy city of Ranchi. They shuttle between their two homes through the year. We had a wonderful time with them.

Hemant sitting on our "beautiful" sofa

Saurabh’s childhood friend Hemant Dwivedi also visited along with his family. Although a tough and senior police officer now, he is as affectionate as he was when we first met him as a teenager. He has two beautiful daughters, who immediately became thick friends with Aarushi.

People ask me what was our overall experience living in India, to which I say it has been a bitter-sweet experience. Mostly sweet because of some amazing and loving friends and relatives, who came to spend their precious time with us. Even though my desire to have both Manju's and my brothers come up and spend some time with us did remain unfulfilled, Manju’s sister Mridula and my sister Anita more than made up for their respective brothers’ absence! The whole year was a lovely culinary experience, many wonderful dishes made from inherently tasty products of the Himalayan soil. Our household helpers made sure we did not have to worry about daily chores and could concentrate on doing things we liked.

On the minus side, there is a tendency among some people in India to try to take more than their share of the meagre resources available. Thankfully such people are not many but irritatingly very visible. To them their time is more important and they have to be at the top. It reflects in the Indian traffic, it is just crazy. There is scant respect for authority and rules, which remain on paper only. The only traffic rule is to protect yourself and your vehicle from others’ dangerous driving. The day Indians start caring for each other, India will reach unimaginable heights in the world.

It is now time to say our thanks to the many people who made our year so special.

Rishabh's class as taken on his last day of school

With Shri KC Pandey on the last day of school

I start with the Delhi Public School in Haridwar, its Principal Shri K.C.Pandey, his dedicated and affectionate staff, and their friendly students. Shri Pandey 

Aarushi in her nice school uniform

supported us both during our planning stage and later during our stay there in ensuring the children were admitted WITHOUT any donation/capitation fees whatsoever and in providing excellent opportunities to our children in academic and sports areas. 

The teachers were simply wonderful in accommodating the children, and making them feel welcome. In fact there was many a moist eye even amongst teachers on the children's last day at the school.

Aadya and a few of her friends on her last day of school

Many thanks go to the untiring, ever smiling Anamika (Gudiya). She is Manju's niece and was also our travel agent through the year. She helped us at every step in arranging our travel and accommodation during our extensive travels throughout India and even to Australia for Saurabh. She would phone us whenever we reached our destination even at the middle of night to make sure we were not inconvenienced.

Aadya, Madhavi, her son Arinjay (sportingly wearing
Aadya's "girly" hat because she dared him to),
Aarushi and Shibani

Thank you Madhavi not only for being a dedicated Kathak dance teacher to Aadya and Aarushi to whom she taught some excellent Kathak moves but also for being a good friend and guide for everything we needed in Haridwar.  

With Rakesh and his family

Thank you Rakesh Pathak for being such a warm family presence throughout the year for us, and also for always being present at Haridwar railway station whenever we took a train from or to Haridwar, even at odd hours. He always ensured we got VIP treatment with the Indian Railways. Your input efforts to delicious Litti-chokha parties and in directing Cheeni were unforgettable. 

Shristi and Aarushi (9th
cousins?)

Abhiram and Saurabh
(8th cousins.. we think!)

Abhiram, our warm thanks go to you too. You and your family were one of the main reasons in our choice of Haridwar. We were quietly confident that Abhiram’s school would have accommodated our children if Delhi Public School had refused for any reason. 

We would like to take this opportunity to pay our respects to Bhabhi ji, Abhiram’s mother who passed away in September after a prolonged stay in Hospital. It was a difficult time for everyone but at least we could be there to support the family at such a time. In particular, Shibani provided much appreciated medical guidance to the family. We are also glad we got to spend a good amount of time with Bhabhi ji through the year, and that she was able to join us in celebrating Saurabh's 40th birthday where Manju thanked her for her invaluable assistance during the delivery of Saurabh and Shubhra at the Chingalpattu District hospital 40 years ago! 

Vikram and his son and frequent visitor, Dherya AKA Maanu

Our neighbour was the very friendly Vikram Sharma, who lived there with his parents, wife and son (Maanu). They ran a grocery store attached to the house, which was easily the best thing that happened to us all year. It was so convenient that even if in the middle of the night we ran out of sugar or salt or whatever, our helper Cheeni would simply knock on their door and sure enough, they would oblige. That is India! 

And last but not least we have to thank Shri Jitendra Chauhan the home owner for letting us stay in his spacious furnished house. Although he mostly lived in Gurgaon near Delhi, He was always there whenever we had an emergency, (which by the way were plentiful). More often than not, the Air conditioners stopped working, or the water pump misbehaved, or we ran out of bottled cooking gas. The list was endless but we must praise Shri Chauhan who tried to give his immediate attention to our complaints.

And finally, thank you dear reader, for faithfully reading these monthly blogs and supporting and encouraging us along. 

Saurabh's hope in the opening blog was fulfilled - the year did end up being an unexpected party, and we are glad you experienced it all through our eyes.