This is Mumbai.....

I will straight away jump many years and come to a time when I was struggling for a job in Mumbai. I came to Mumbai in 1976.



Stayed with my cousin brother, in Chembur. I am so indebted to him who, without any objection took me with him in his One bedroom apartment. Recently I was imagining if some cousin of mine comes to Mumbai,like I had come years ago and wishes to stay with me like I did with my cousin in 1976, would I have keep him? Probably not. Despite having a much spacious flat than the one my cousin in Chembur had, I would not. May be I am a mean person in my cousin brother's comparison...Anyway, I am very thankful to him for his generosity and big heart.

I came to Mumbai on the 12th September 1976. Started to go for work as a Trainee in Ambernath a distant suburb in Thane District. This job was managed with the help of my cousin. Worked there for about 6 months and shifted to another job in a lock manufacturing company in Sewree.

I was constantly on the look out for a better job. The job in lock company was not to my satisfaction, both monetarily and content wise.

After working there for about 6months I got an offer for job in a firm in Goregaon. I decided to take it up as it was in a chemical factory, me being a Chemistry graduate thought it would help me grow in my career.I resigned from the lock making firm. It was long since I had wanted to go to Kerala to my native place. But if I join the new job I cant get leave for at least a year. So I decided to go to Kerala before joining. Accordingly I asked Mr. Kamdar, the owner of that company to grant me permission to join for work after about a month by which time I can pay a visit to my parents in Kerala. He agreed. He told me to join duty on the 10th December positively.

I was sooo thrilled. I had almost a month to spend with my family and friends ..... I reached Calicut on the 15th November. This was my first visit to my home town as an employed and earning person. Though my income was so little I still bought everyone something or other. I was very proud to buy gifts with my own hard earned money. I bought my dad a shirt piece, a saree for my mother and a shirt piece for my second brother who was there with my parents. Bought something for my close friends in Feroke, who were all unemployed that time. I was a hero amongst them in those days.

All my friends wanted to be with me all the time. Though it was turning out to be a very costly affair for me , entertaining them , buying them smokes, tea, snacks whenever we all go out, buying movie tickets etc.,I some how managed. I told them the stories of my struggle in Mumbai to get a job, my day to day activities etc., They heard them all in silence. I could see a bit of jealousy in their eyes as I told them about joining a better job on my return to Mumbai after the vacation.

I started to get many requests from the parents of many of my friends to take their son also to Mumbai. I told them with great confidence that I can get them jobs without any problem if only they could manage to arrange for their stay. And that was the bottleneck really - then and now also. My parents were also very proud to see their son well settled or at least moving in the right direction in his life.

At last the day came for me to return.. All were sad ...so was I. But what to do...have to go... all my friends came to the railway station for seeing me off. I was a bit cheerful than other times as I was quite thrilled to join the new job. I reached Mumbai on the 8th December. Two more days...I will be joining the new job on the 10th.

On the 10th I reached the new office.. at 10 AM. Went to the reception and there I saw a senior official who also had interviewed me. I wished him Good morning and told him that I have come. Then he looked stunned and asked me what for...

For a moment I could not say anything. Then after few seconds I said I have come to join duty...I was sure he would recollect me. Again he asked me what duty..

That was it..I started to perspire in that winter morning..I narrated everything to him and told him I have come to join after my return from Kerala. He recollected but said without any guilty feeling that they have already appointed someone else for the post for which I was recruited. They did so, he said, as they needed someone urgently and could not wait for my return. I said you had my address and you could have sent me a telegram...I pleaded with all my logical points. I demanded to see Mr. Kamdar who was the owner. He, Mr. Kamdar, also came after a few minutes. He just said SORRY.

I was shattered..I had nothing else to do now. I knew no amount of fighting is going to make any difference. What is the point even if they take me in, if they want they can put me in to greater troubles. Basically they were people with no principles or ethics. Good that I did not join them...But what do I do. All those big big dreams of mine and the ambitions I had about my career turned out to be meaning less. My livelihood and existence are at stake on one side. On the other side what do I tell my parents who are waiting to read my experiences in the new company through my letters, my friends to whom I am a role model - I was a person, according to my friends who is very wise and takes only right decisions.

I just came out of that place and went straight to Dadar to Shivaji Park, a public park. Sat on a bench in a corner, away from anyone's sight and started to cry...cried my heart out, like a baby. I could not control my emotions . I had no one in Mumbai who can console me nor advice me. And I did not like going to any relatives. After all the decision to change job was mine. From 11.30 in the morning till 6.00pm I was in the park. Sitting and thinking what to do next. I did not get any idea.

Ok...let me stop it now..rest of the story will be told later.