The Keralites in RAPP had no chance to see a Malayalam movie. There is a very old theatre at Rawatbhata, it may not be old but had that look, outside the project area, where we used to go every now and then. The children were not interested, preferring to play with their friends, and we enjoyed seeing something on the screen. We still like movies.
I had an idea. Our front side neighbour, Jatwani knew the owner of the movie theatre. He persuaded him to show a Malayalam film on Sundays at 10 AM. It was a grand success, the house was packed to capacity and the routine continued for some time. I don’t remember how it stopped.
At that time, my wife’s nephew Vasudevan came in search of some work. He got the post of a manager in Heavy Water Project canteen, followed by his brother Ranjith. He too got stenographer’s post, in the same project, on daily wages. We all had a jolly life, going out for a walk in the evening after meals, talking and walking along the roads, aimlessly. In the end, we would sit around, eating ground nuts and sipping black coffe, before going to sleep. We seven souls managed to live in a hut that was our quarter.
On Sundays, we would go in a bus, without any destination in mind, carrying a pot and rice for cooking food in the jungle, collecting dry brances of trees, lying on the ground, and placing three stones in a triangle, making our hearth! It was all fun.
Once we felt very thirsty. There was no dwellings anywhere, as it was forest . Suddenly an awla (gooseberry) tree was spotted. The boys climbed up and started throwing the berries down, to be picked up immediately. And lo! We did not feel thirsty till we reached home.
Narora Atomic Power Project was coming up in Bulandshahar district in U.P. My daughter Sudha and Ranjith went there for attending the written test for selection of lower division clerks. We stayed there, as Sarvan Singh’s guests. He was our neighbour and was transferred there. The quality of the soil surprised us. The Sardarji grew potatos in his court yard, enough for the family! Tomatos, chillis, coriander leaves, added for flavour, were also there. He had no need to buy vegetables. Nothing grew at Rawatbhata which is a wide expanse of granite, with small patches of soil, devoid of all fertilty.
We all took bath in the holy river Ganga. It was Budha poornima day, I now remeber. A small barrage is there.
Ranjit was selected, but Sudha failed. She was working as daily-rated teacher in RAPP School, immediately after completing plus two stage.
Vasudeavan, who is B.A. in Samskritam, got a job as teacher at Lakhery,where there is a cement factoy and a host of peacocks, a few stations north of Kota, and thus our company broke up.
Ranjith is now Chief Administrative Officer, Kakrapara Atomic Power Station.
At that time, my wife’s nephew Vasudevan came in search of some work. He got the post of a manager in Heavy Water Project canteen, followed by his brother Ranjith. He too got stenographer’s post, in the same project, on daily wages. We all had a jolly life, going out for a walk in the evening after meals, talking and walking along the roads, aimlessly. In the end, we would sit around, eating ground nuts and sipping black coffe, before going to sleep. We seven souls managed to live in a hut that was our quarter.
On Sundays, we would go in a bus, without any destination in mind, carrying a pot and rice for cooking food in the jungle, collecting dry brances of trees, lying on the ground, and placing three stones in a triangle, making our hearth! It was all fun.
Once we felt very thirsty. There was no dwellings anywhere, as it was forest . Suddenly an awla (gooseberry) tree was spotted. The boys climbed up and started throwing the berries down, to be picked up immediately. And lo! We did not feel thirsty till we reached home.
Narora Atomic Power Project was coming up in Bulandshahar district in U.P. My daughter Sudha and Ranjith went there for attending the written test for selection of lower division clerks. We stayed there, as Sarvan Singh’s guests. He was our neighbour and was transferred there. The quality of the soil surprised us. The Sardarji grew potatos in his court yard, enough for the family! Tomatos, chillis, coriander leaves, added for flavour, were also there. He had no need to buy vegetables. Nothing grew at Rawatbhata which is a wide expanse of granite, with small patches of soil, devoid of all fertilty.
We all took bath in the holy river Ganga. It was Budha poornima day, I now remeber. A small barrage is there.
Ranjit was selected, but Sudha failed. She was working as daily-rated teacher in RAPP School, immediately after completing plus two stage.
Vasudeavan, who is B.A. in Samskritam, got a job as teacher at Lakhery,where there is a cement factoy and a host of peacocks, a few stations north of Kota, and thus our company broke up.
Ranjith is now Chief Administrative Officer, Kakrapara Atomic Power Station.
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