The Economic Times edition of today:
Monthly Archives: September 2008
The Freddie Brown Stands
The Freddie Brown Stands
Class of 1981 Silver Jubilee 2006
Class of 1981 Silver Jubilee 2006
All those who made it to the silver jubilee reunion of the batch of 1981 must have felt that same twinge of anticipation as I did when I set out for BCS on the morning of the 9th of November, 2006. I had arranged to stay at Khalini and walking up to School brought an avalanche of memories back. Engrossed in my own reverie, digesting the veritable changes around me, I reached the School gate whereupon I found a handful of ‘men’ and ‘women’, with kids in tow, gathering around. Not one of them seemed familiar and yet these were the ‘boys’ with whom I *must* have studied! Of course, upon formal introductions my mind was rapidly flashing back to whatever my 25 year older grey cells could clutch at in terms of visage and other points of reference vis-à-vis the ‘boys’ now around me. Sanjeev Chauhan (C) was perhaps the one who had altogether changed except for some of his mannerisms which I could only conjoin with much later. The least toll of the passage of time was, I thought, on Rajan (I) with Anirudh Singh (I) coming in an admirable second. However, quite a few thought that JS Dhanoa (L) was one who seemed to be instantly recognizable despite the intervening years since we departed from School. The biology of ageing seemed to have affected everyone else, at least that’s what I thought, in one way or the other and with varying degrees: Yadvendra Singh (L) had a shiny pate to show for it.
A special Chapel Service had been arranged for us and just as I was immersed in thoughts from the past, I was asked to read the morning lesson. Boy, was I anxious? [In all this, I managed to occupy the Hedy’s seat, about which I was reminded by Roach Sr] I felt as nervous as I used to when I had to do it way back then. However, I did manage to render a commendable reading or so I was told! In between the singing of psalms and hymns in walked Rajbir Guron (C); yes, he was recognizable, but just so. Amidst, all the singing, the musical tones of the piano and the organ seemed all too familiar! It was Mr Dayal, after all those years he still played as remarkably as ever. We were lucky to hear Mr Dayal’s rendition again since he has already retired: he was there as a stop-gap arrangement pending the recruitment of a regular music teacher.
Following the chapel service was a tea session in the dining hall. Amongst other things, ‘Chaddha’ was pushing those ‘bakery biscuits’ onto our plates reminding us that they were quite the genuine article of the yesteryear’s (I for one never fancied them then and found them as dreary as ever!). Subsequently, we went around the campus: from Mrs Modi down in the Remove dorms (who somehow seemed to remember most of us) and back up to the 1st flat via the 3rd and 2nd flats. We then went to see our respective dorms in the main school. Mr Peter stringer (L: 1947 batch) was with us reliving his stay in the Lefroy house dorm for the short duration that we looked things over. The bathrooms were cleaner by a mile compared to our times, or as Parmeet Sawhney (I) insisted, they were ‘swanky’! The whole school seemed to have been refurbished and burnished as compared to the time-warped ‘school’ in my mind. In between all these activities were interspersed photo-sessions and asides with some of the current crop of Cottonians who accompanied us on the campus tour.
We congregated back in school around 4pm when Parmeet, Ashwini Chaitley (R) and Yadvendra played tennis with some of the current boys and got the better of them. However, an attempt at basketball with the young Cottonians had most of the OCs panting for breath since they were no match for the fit youngsters. Almost all the attending OCs including MS Thakur (L), Manoj Jreat, Pradip Verma (L), Trivikram singh (I), Rajdeep Jain (R) plus the others mentioned elsewhere herein, were motivated to their rusty best by the charged environs: the young boys were lustily cheering “OCs, you can do it”!
Another break, and we were all back in the evening at 8pm. In the absence of the Headmaster, the Senior Master played host at his lodge where dinner was served with drinks and Chaddha’s “especially” prepared baked beans whose recipe he promised to part with next morning to the “maym’s”. Though Harish Janartha (R) could not come for the morning’s proceedings, he joined the OCs for dinner. Two OCs who couldn’t make it (despite being residents of Shimla) were Pramod (C) and Jaswant (I) Chauhan.
Colonel Dewan, along with Peter Stringer, was very enthusiastic (amongst other things!) about an elegant poster he had commissioned, that every OC would definitely want to own. There was all-round concurrence with the endeavor. The Senior Master presented memento’s to the OCs and their better halves (those that were there). The day also happened to be special for another reason; it was the birthday of Yadvendra’s daughter: yes, we did have a plum cake for the occasion! Another impetus for a spin down memory lane came in the personae of Mr. & Mrs. Advani.
Having stuffed ourselves with whisky (with due apologies to the teetotalers; at least one of the OCs insisted he was one) and food (yummy!) we all parted, only to return the next day to for the Sport’s Day celebrations. Sport’s Day was declared open by Sanjeev Chauhan and closed by Guron coupled with prize distributions by all the OCs in between. Having culled so many memories in this short interval, all of us departed with promises of keeping in touch: the veracity of which only time will establish.
Vineet Ghildyal (Lefroy: 1973-1981)
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Dear Mr Robinson,
I, on behalf of the 1981 batch, thank you for holding the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the class of ’81. I would especially like to thank the Senior Master for welcoming and honouring the OCs. A special thanks to the School Staff and the School boys, for the hospitality shown to us. I immensely appreciate the efforts made by the OCA towards organising the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the class of ’56 and the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the class of ’81.
The service at the Holy Trinity Chapel was purely nostalgic, awakening our childhood, that had been lost in the daily rigmarole of life. The Basket Ball match between the School boys and the class of ’81, made us travel back in time, which could not be suppressed by our protruding bellies and receding hair lines. Since most of us met each other after a span of 25 years, it was a very rejuvenating experience, and the Silver Jubilee Celebrations was the triggering catalyst to go back to school and experience our gone by days once again. No words can express how we felt meeting each other with our extended families. I am grateful and honoured to have met Mr Peter Stringer an OC of the class of ’47, it was a pleasure that he joined our celebrations and encouraged us to keep it going.
I, on behalf of the class of ’81, congratulate the School staff, and the boys, who have till date upheld the dignity and the prestige of our school. We were honoured and grateful to be a part of the Annual Sports Day, and extend our heartiest congratulations to Mangat, for his record breaking performance in athletics, and wish him success in future endeavors. I, wish all the school boys ‘Best of Luck’ for their Annual Examinations, and may they repeat the same record breaking feats in the field of academics as well. I would once again on behalf of the class of ’81 and our families, who had accompanied us, thank the Senior Master and his wife, for the warm hospitality shown to us by them. We look forward to be in School time and again!
with regards
Rajbir Singh Guron
1972-1981 (Curzon House)
The names of all those who attended the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of 1981 batch are as under:
Ashwani Chatly
Rajan Chaudhary, and Family
Sanjeev Chauhan, and Family
J.S. Dhanoa, and Family
Vineet Ghildyal
Rajbir Singh Guron, and Family
Rajdeep Jain, and Family
Harish Janartha, and Family
Manoj Jareat, and Family
Parmeet Sawhney
Anirudh Singh, and Family
Trivikram Singh, and Family
Yadvinder Singh, and Family
Mohinder Thakur
Pardeep Verma
Class of 1956 Golden Jubilee 2006
CLASS OF 1956 GOLDEN JUBILEE 2006
The following 22 OCs from the class of 1956 ( we were 28 in school ) contributed Rs.10,000/- each towards the Golden Jubilee Award for the all-round Best Cottonian of the Year, besides booking themselves in for stay at Eastbourne Hotel :
Curzon: Ashok Batra, Anil Sikand , Ashok Sopory
Ibbetson: *Amarjit Singh, Chhattar Singh, Gurpratap Singh, I.S.Walia, N.D.Mehra, *P.Nanda, R.K.Malhotra, Satinder Singh, S.S.Ahluwalia, *Subir Basu, *V.Nayar
Lefroy: *Ajit Singh, Inderjit Singh, *Y.B.Bhatt
Rivaz: A.S.Dulat, S.Sondhi, Surinderpal Singh, Vijay Singh, V.K.Stokes
The ones shown with an asterisk were unable to attend, though most regretfully, on account, differently, of back injury, death of near relation, and unavoidable international commitment.
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Dear Mr. Robinson
This letter should have been with you a few days earlier : a letter carrying the grateful thanks of the Class of 1956 for your wonderful cooperation and support, all the way, in helping mould our Golden Jubilee Reunion into the magnificent event it has really been. The Special Order of Service ( bearing our name ) in the Holy Trinity Chapel, the lavish High Tea, the detailed round of the School Estate ( inclusive of Rifle Shooting ),the Cricket Match with Special Rules (no LBW, no run outs and five extra overs! ) The Inter – House Music Extravaganza ( well done boys ! ) and the Grand Finale in the shape of the HM’s Dinner, embellished with the lovely Souvenir packet ( those fabulous etchings of nostalgic school buildings ) will live with us all the way through. While thanking you personally Mr.Robinson, we should like to thank, also, all the members of the School Staff, as well as the Class IV friends who played their part in making our Golden Jubilee so colourful and memorable. We should like, also, to recall some of the landmark events of this spectacular Reunion which, too, indeed, could only have been possible with your spontaneous cooperation and support :
1956 GOLDEN JUBILEE AWARD for the BEST COTTONIAN OF THE YEAR
The Award, in its parameters, as well as in its distinguished status, will work as a silent, yet forceful, motivator in raising the all-round performance of all Cottonians, and, in so doing, will help enhance the image of BCS in the comity of Public Schools in the country. Apart from seeing one’s name go up on this extraordinary Honours Board, the Silver Salver and the accompanying Cash Award of Rs.5000/- would put some more extra shine on the metal of motivation
The Silver Salver.
The Class of 1956 carry the pride and satisfaction of having raised the Corpus of Rs.2,20,000/- between themselves to finance this outstanding Award, through annual interest accrual, and undertake to swell it further, should inflation so require. The First Winner, the Golden Jubilee Winner, of the Award for 2006, should be in the process of evolution !
GOLDEN JUBILEE GREENS
The Granite Stone on the way down to REMOVE, while commemorating the Tree Plantation carried out by the Class of 1956,seeks to splash the message to present and future Cottonians, to Green BCS, Green Shimla, Green India. In short, to value the urgent need to prevent denudation of this valuable natural resource and to protect and promote the greening of their environment, wherever they happen to be.
Distribution of BLANKETS to Class IV Staff
This has a message too : In the midst of your jubilation, remember to remember your foot soldiers. They, and their welfare, come first : Always & Everytime.
So, that’s it Mr Robinson. In the forge of your Headmastership, and with your active participation and support, the Class of 1956 have had the privilege to set a road map for succeeding Jubilarians to follow. May they do better, for in their so doing, the biggest gainer will be our beloved Alma Mater, the School of Bishop Cotton.
Last year, we had all dreamt a dream. The dream has come true. Our renewed thanks to yourself, to Mrs. Robinson, to all the members of your Staff, and last, but never the least, to all our young Cottonians.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Most nostalgically,
Gurpratap Singh :
For, and on behalf of the Class of 1956
Class of 1954 Golden Jubilee 2004
THE GOLDEN JUBILEE OF THE CLASS OF 1954
23-26 SEP 2004, BCS, SIMLA
50 eventful years have mellowed the Class of 54- a class of 29 boys for the Senior Cambridge. The fairytale reunion coincided with Speech Day from 23-26 Sept 04 in School. Most of the class had left at the age of 16 & returned at the age of 66. This nostalgic trip down memory lane has to be experienced to believe. The camaraderie , exchange of bear hugs , meandering down memory lane, reminiscing the mischief , canning , studying under quilts for the final winter exams, attending the mark reading in the Irwin Hall and the HM announcing “29……, 28….., 27….., these boys have failed ….” & Then the Silence ! Irwin Hall hissed with relief !! Sanawar matches, “bogs”, naked showers etc, chipoo’s tuck shop with “Aloo- tak” & the numerous trips to town to see movies/Aucky & Chelsie girls!! When we had mumps & there was no town leave, it was always a mystery as to how Aucky also acquired mumps.
The school looked splendid , dressed as it were. The School put out a red-carpet treatment and the Class of 54 responded gratefully. The events commenced with a Three Act English Play “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennassae William – perhaps the best play in the last 10 years, followed by drinks at the HM’s Lodge. The Class of 54 hosted a dinner thereafter. The Chapel Service next day was outstanding. A special prayer was said for Surinder Singh from the Class 54 who after making all reservation was admitted to a hospital. The school Padre blessed and prayed for 9 of our classmates who are no longer with us. A plaque was erected between the Vestry and Altar in the School Chapel, given at the end of the article. At the High Table Lunch, momentos were presented to the class of 54. The most outstanding event was the NCC parade , Mass P.T. display followed by a Torch light display. Thereafter, the HM hosted a dinner at the Lodge for the visitors. At the dinner, all the Old Boys, specially the class of 54 kept saying “……better than our times….”.
The next day was Speech Day followed by dinner at Clarkes hosted by Toti Aggarwal. On Sunday , the “oldies” were not upto Golf at Naldera , but attended the lunch hosted by Col Dewan at Baldian, Simla-7, along with other OCs of Simla.
We are now planning to meet again 2009-2010 at the age of 70-71 for the Sesquicentennial of the School and the Centenary of the OCA.
Thank you Headmaster & thank you Bishop Cotton!
Those who attended from the class of 54
Paul Tonk, Dr. Sumanjit Singh(Germany), Dr Daljit Singh(England), Col R Dewan, Harkishen Singh, V.K Aggarwal, Brijesh Narain, R Gupta, A.S Gill(Malaysia), Kamaljit Singh, K.B Khanna, Maj. Vijay Singh Mankotia, B.D. Irani(Switzerland).
Those who could not attend due to various reasons after making all reservations
Maj. Balwant Singh, Surinder Singh, Brig H.K Dhawan , Ranjit Puri.
Greetings were sent by
Pratap Sharma( Bombay ), Inderjit Chadda( New Zealand ) , Prabala SJB Rana( Nepal ambassador to UK ).
Other OCs who attended
I S Bath(R 48-55), Andreas Kirschner II(R 46-50)(Germany), Napinder Chahal(C 43-51), Ripudaman(L 48-52), G.S Dhingra(L 1943), K.C Anand(R 48-56), Bharat Inder Singh(C 51-59), Anup Singh(I 54-60), Mr. & Mrs. Advani(S 50-76), Anil & Geeta Sikand( C 47-57) , Peshi S Nat(I 61-71).
Not to Forget
D Singh(Cecil) who turned up for Lunch two weeks after the event at Baldian at Col R Dewan’s Residence, stating that he was not sure which class he was from, having joined 2 classes ahead of us and finished 2 behind !!
Our Contribution
The Class decided to raise funds for the School Museum .
I am also requesting other members of our class to send in whatever they like. Your cheques / bank Draft should be crossed to OCA( India ), payable at Shimla. We are hoping Ranjit Puri may send a matching amount ! So please “Shugh up”! and donate in some measure what we have taken from the school.
“What You Give; You Take Away. What You Save, You Leave Behind !”
We would like to thank Kirschner II , Anup and Kidoo Bath , though not from our class, for participating and donating. We hope the others will also. Thanks also go out to Paul , Kidoo, Mukherjee(I 54-65) for donating a lovely golfing momento and to Anil Dev(my son-in-law) for donating a sleeve of golf balls and Golf-Line magazine to the golfers.
We were honoured by the presence of Mr. and Mrs. A Advani. Thank you!
It was wonderful to be together again, old friends met at their alma mater ; recalled their childhood days, sang the School Song, & once again the world is young!
In Honoured Memory of our Classmates:
R.S Ahluwalia (I)
Kay Cursetjee (R 48-49)
Kanwaljit Singh (L)
Sqn Ldr A S Kullar (I), VrC
Narain J Malkani
Sohinder Singh (I)
Vijay Ratan Sud (C)
Suresh Kumar (I )
K. Lt Col Jatinder Talwar.
May their souls rest in peace.
Erected by the Class of 1954 on their Golden Jubilee Reunion 2004
Col. R. Dewan
R,1947-1954, Staff 1990-2001
The next break – SECURITY
The next break – SECURITY
…this isn’ta continuation of the motorcycle diaries..or the contemplation of the loneliness of the long distance runner….who beat all others to find his freedom to be a free sprit….nor is it another chapter after the Christmas letter…
But one has to start from somewhere; from someplace where he left off..and bring it all up once again….
so here we all are once again…..with me at the outset of spring…back in Sweden.
-we had a number of meetings at the OCA (U.K.) chapter
-a big do at the OCA (Chandigarh) chapter
-then the annual OCA (India) luncheon at the President Bodyguard’s mess on 11th February; the golf match was postponed because as usual ladies got the better of us men..Cottonians and Sanawarians…..
-even some short bitter interchanges……
I have been on the road…a ziginare…a gypsy…a gitano….living off my small handbag……Karlstad-Paris-Brussels-Antwerp-Delhi-Simla-Amritsar-Pisa-Livorno-London-Weybridge…..this ain’t no brag at the number of places I visit so ye may feel envious of this fortunate traveller…no this is about living on the edge from one day to another…..would it not be peaceful to look across the lake and see the last ripples of the dropped pebble die out and peace return…yes finally that warm secure feeling….
Secure feeling.
Secure
Security.
Really important…Security.
Our good ole’ friend Mr Thesaurus would make security synonymous with…safety-refuge-sanctuary-protection…
….I feel real secure when I walk with my two gorgeous children…side by side…..not a fear in this world..completely secure…
…do you feel secure when your wife comforts you and assures you that a new dawn will be better than the previous one…
…do they feel secure that the sentry with night vision will spot every slow move of the enemy and snipe it down as you hunker in and try to gather strength to fight another day…..
-do we all feel secure that our brotherhood will survive the ravages of time and come out unscathed to live up to our dreams and goals……for BCS.
or do you feel insecure when a ‘so called friend..’ is so slick and craft that he or she enjoys that feeling of making you so…because this person was born and bred that way….and the only sense of security that he or she ever knew was just that….total insecurity?
Welcome to the Jungle my friends….we do not have time to live with insecure people who haunt us that way…yes we may try to change them,…but if they do not or influence you….just swallow that bitter pill……..chuck that bad pebble across the water…let it shimmy across and finally plop…for eventually the ripples will die and your peace returns…we have no time……for those…we know how secure we can be with those who genuinely care for you and wish you so…..
…as I had to do during a violent mid-atlantic storm; I jettisoned the dead ballast…all that insecure insignificant weight that reduced my speed, my quest for perfection and then I journeyed on…….into a calm beautiful night…..staring at the full moon like a lover….
Vivek Bhasin
lefroy
1961-1970
Rock’s Head
Rock’s Head Vivek Bhasin (Lefroy 1961-1970)
2009 will be the 150th Birthday of our great Alma Mater..
My Brother Sharat related to me. one late evening…early morning as we drove back from a vino tasting session at the Chileno Ambassador’s residence, how BCS has its unique standards….we are a very elite unit….it was definitely British Royalty and most definitely Indian Royalty..Us..Yes us Cottonians, who were the chosen few to enter those lofty gates….it was definitely not the merlot or the pinot grigio that was playing tricks with him or me…..we both just knew what a great bunch of monsters we all are…..Jeev..Arjun, Benjamin, Dulat, Sujan, Elisabeth Hurley’s dad-in-law, Raja Vir Bhadra, DC, Tarsem, Marshall, Popi, Lord Slim at the House of Lords, Gay, Krit, Krishna, The Sly Gang….Peter, Ken, Father, Harry, Texan…you, me…WE ALL.
The rest of all those other alma maters were shaped to be like us…Es un veradero mis amigos.(It’s the truth my Friends)
The other day I received a call from a young musician..his emphasis was on Rock….how does one draw the fine line between patriotism, progress, bollywood, holly wood, Radio Mirchi, Barista, Pizza express, Burger King , MacDonald’s (what a great add…..from Burger king…’Eat like a King, not like a Clown…’…the airwaves are splattered with good desi stuff…like bumper to bumper…..the next will probably be ‘ Log jam, spend the night in the car and send a flying kiss to your wife and kids at home….’ There will be no movement….
John Whitmarsh Knight will have to help me out on this one….I do not seem to be getting there..between the straight and narrow. A bollywood actor I met one evening in London was wearing the most ill fitting trousers…worn out heels really ghussoed’…but his one liner…’India Rocks’ was the only sensible thing he said…
2009 is also the 40th anniversary of the biggest jam that was ever held at Yasger’s Farm….Woodstock….in upstate New York (now I just love the name of that school but no I do not think I could hike to Mussorie…)…IT IS TIME THAT WE OPENED THE DOOR and created an exclusive niche…played Classic Rock….xcuse me while I kiss the sky…..but it is time a small transmitter be fixed on the roof of a dilapidated spire and the coaxing voice of a Disc Jockey whispered into the ear of every single soul here at home. If we are what we are, we have to beat the West and ‘High Energise all’. I am not trying to market Plant, Page, Bonham or Jones, or for that matter Townsend, Daltry, Moon or the Ox, or Grace Slick or Steely Dan, Grand Funk, Cooper, Clapton, Metallica, Alterbridge, Purple, Soundgarden, Killswitch Engage, Manson, Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, Micheal Schenker, The Verve, Smashing Pumpkins, Mastadon, Heroes de silencio, Soda Stereo, Rata Blanca, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Simple Minds, Bowie (ooph…all in one breath)…for only then we can be heroes….HFT.
India Rocks….India shines…..along with our greatest identity of being Indian lets beat the others at their own game. Because when you combine Bolly and Holly and Zakir Hussain, John Maclaughlin with the likes of King Crimson, Janis Joplin and Freddie Bulsara….the finally curry is going to be deadly.
Rock Hard-Stay Straight.
The Fourth Day after The Full Moon
The Fourth Day after The Full Moon-it happened on the 29th of October 2007
Yes, it was all well planned …as has been over thousands of generations. A fast by married women who dedicate their lives, their loves, their bodies their everything for everlasting love for their man; their husband..toiling in the fields, sweating in the engine room and groping through smoke tube boilers, and those executive husbands, flirting with their female staff in posh new offices. Regardless, the women of yesterday was told to be just that…..a loving and faithful wife…..comfort your man even of he comes home drunk as a skunk with perfume on his neck and lipstick on his collar. That fourth day after the full moon, all those beautiful women go back into the past; dream of that first night and dress up so too.
My wife felt obliged to do it once some 25 years ago on the Ridge in Simla. Just once. I was there again 25 years later, a few weeks ago. This time I was alone; dressed in my own splendour; my Kulu cap, my pashmina shawl, my hand woven waistcoat. And plenty of time. At 2115 hrs the white loom to the west of Jakku hill signalled the arrival and suddenly that full moon, that ball of white gleaming cheese swept across and moon beamed on those 1000 women….it was an amazing sight as a shiver ran down my spine! The necessary chore; looking through the sieve, with candles alight and dropping holy water on to mother earth. The men looked on with complete boredom.
I suddenly felt so damn alone.
But I was back in my own kingdom; my Simla, my place, my school, my life and my journey.
I went to school and met Headmaster. He looked well, confident, content that the school was back where it was and should be. Right on the top! Boy have you seen the moon beams sweeping over the second flat? That silver flat…and heard the boom of the boys singing from the rafters at us OC’s…..’we sing of days now past and gone….to those who’ve yet to come’…..Sukhdev, Homer, Sharat and myself experienced that total feeling in 1995……We three represented the Class of ’70….Sharat as always a wonderful and true brother was there – support me as I will always, him.
Oh Yes, I walked into the room of John Whitmarsh Knight….Jonny ole’chap…I salute you…just as that Ozzy band AC/DC..said….to those about to rock..we salute you. This knight is more than a true friend; he is part of Bishop Cotton School’s soul. May God Bless him always.
To play a four ball at Naldhera with Four illustrious OC’s is yet again and honour and a privilege….Deep Anand, General Verma, Col Wendy Dewan (he was christened.. ’The bandido’…and the 4th illustrious OC..? (must have been me)……Four of us, plus four caddies, plus a minder, plus a bearer in arms….10 of us, an entourage…and a 100 monkeys. A mind boggling experience…(I let the seniors win)
..I suddenly feel so damn alone, again. But whenever I do..I think of something special; someone very special; and a secure wave envelopes me.
If you guys, you Cottonians wish to see the fourth day after the full moon; make that effort to go up to the Ridge…with the white cheese a-sailin…..Christ Church bathed in splendour and those exquisite women..your wives, your lovers, your girlfriends……you may see me there too. The last of the lonely cowboys…but always a Cottonian.
26th November 2007
Vivek Bhasin
Lefroy 1961-1970
The run of Virgo
..I just received a flash …a tinkle on my mobile…. and the message came across….
‘Good Morning, my love; hope you have a wonderful day’
The power of relationships in yesterdays world; feelings, thoughts and trains of emotions are sent across the globe in milliseconds..From Australia to England, from Japan to Canada, from Delhi to Weybridge….and back again.
Some many years ago…a small expression of emotion..’I love you, I miss you, I yearn for you’ was written lovingly on a note, sealed with a kiss and sent on its way…by hand, by horse drawn carriage, on an old rusty steamer..through the sea of love towards the love of her life…as he slogged thousands of miles away in the coal mines….deep inside the heart of the earth. He wiped the sweat off his brow and looked at the stamp on the letter; the nearly forgotten writings ..he knew it was from her….she had promised to wait..as long as it would take…..dated 15th August 1923……he opened the same… it was the 15th of September 1924……by the time he had absorbed her note and his heart longed to reach out and touch her softness…he knew he must get back with a fresh canary in the cage….but at least one small line…’I love you too, my complete darling; we shall be together again…very soon….’’ If the Captain remains sober through the voyage, does not run his ship aground; navigates the South China Sea, the Straits of Malacca, the Suez, Gibraltar and the English Channel; she will eventually receive his note of comfort…another 15 months later…. Yes our love is true, steadfast, secure and safe.
But in our world today…relationships remain as strong as the delicate thread that ties them….expression of love and sincerity move across the airwaves every second….an emotion of today becomes an emotion of grief a few minutes later….desperately trying to make it up..just wishing she was there and he was there to hold me and comfort me…..it would all make sense again…..impatiently they wait for another connection…and strain their necks and scan the ground… as eagles soar…watching each other’s move, each other’s step, each other’s breath……wishing they could be everywhere, with everyone, at all places, at the same time; breathing together…..holding each other until November’s rain….until a shiver runs down their spines and they have butterflies in their stomachs…knowing that delicate thread may suddenly snap…and all what remains is emptiness, hollow, dark dreary nights and the fading notes of their swan song….
Time is a great healer…
wounds will heal, but scars remain…..
..there are no messages in bottles that drift across the oceans as she waits on the beach at sunset….no postman who may appear at sunrise on his rusty bicycle…bringing home to him, her love and affection……her perfume.
Just make sure your battery is charged……one way or another…..
In the age of Aquarius…I saw a full moon rising…in the world of today, nothing lasts forever.
Vivek Bhasin (Roll no: 123)
Lefroy House 1961-1970
Passing the Baton
Passing the Baton
The Olympics in Beijing seem to have broken all records….be it in the absolute spectacular opening, the number of countries participating, the number of new records in Swimming and Track & Field or simply the meticulous way the entire event is being handled.
The way the teams have passed the Baton.
Blood, Sweat & Tears is what it takes. For they say with no pain there is no gain.
Blood Sweat & Tears was also the name of a Band in the 60’s…that’s when we the Class of 1970 were at School, our Bishop Cotton School. The song that hit the charts was ‘Spinning Wheel’….What goes up, must come down, spinning wheel gotta go round, ride a painted pony let the spinning wheel spin…! The wheels of life are always moving, in motion we were born and then through crab and crawl we stood up and trundled and walked..then jumped and skipped and ran…short, hard, the mile, the marathon…..The Life.
The years just keep moving on. Nothing waits..the only thing permanent is change…
Correction! Some things do stay the same…..possibly a little worn a little more soft and smooth, a little more polished but still the same. The stone corridors to the left and right of the Dining Hall. A zillion footsteps have passed them over….crawling, pounding, hammering, running…..from the halls to the lockers…..from the dorms to the box rooms, from the class to ‘Choru the darzi…’ …(as your shorts caught caught on a sharp point of the divider from Satish Kashyap’s Globe Geometry Boxes….yes this sly gang had placed it so that your best Sunday Suit Trouser too got caught)…..from the halls to chapel, from the first flat to the Linlithgow dorms….and then on to Chipu’s halwai shop and on to the short cut, to town. And so when I go back home, to School I need to transit the corridors and feel the stone, yes feel the stone and wonder where the foot steps of our brothers have taken them…? From there to the town of Simla, then the Railway Station and through 103 tunnels to the far reaches of India, Australia, Canada, South Africa….and God knows where else!!!
But new younger souls keep entering and walking though those corridors……the seniors moved away, the juniors moved in….the young ones just arrived……polishing those beautiful stones….never perfected but always working towards it.
The last time I was there… a few weeks ago…..walking on the first flat and admiring the beauty and tranquility of the late afternoon monsoon rain, I moved towards those corridors….Outside the Lefroy House Boxroom, I felt the floor on to my knees…stooping lower I placed my better ear right against the polished stone and holding my breath I listened….yes I just listened. I could hear it all….Those voices of my class…..the voice of Goldie, the voice of Mr Paul, the voice of Mrs Malvea, the singing in the bogs, the singing of hymns in the chapel…..the school song…… It was only then I understood how important it was to move on through all this stillness.
-To move through life
-To enter a new world
-To remember the old world
-To remember my Class of 1970
-To remember the days that were…..
And through all of this, my esteemed Father passed away on the 20th of May 2008. He was a Bengal Tiger, a Pilot on the Hoogly River…never could he understand why all this meant so much to me. Was it not just a school? A place to study and move on?
Just like all the other schools in the mountains, in the plains and far away? So one day I did make him understand…. The uniqueness of Bishop Cotton School has no comparisons, no place for debate and no competition. We do not need to boast, nor shout nor scream, nor say anything.
My Father looked on glassy eyed as I whispered all this to him a few weeks before he departed. And just as he passed over the Baton to me…he nodded, smiled and understood.
We were there.
THAT MY LIFE LONG FRIENDS IS SIMPLY, ENOUGH.
Vivek Bhasin
Lefroy
(1961-1970)
20th August 2008