1974 June
I stepped into real world after my scholastic days of university and entered into an age old social institution- Marriage.
My 21st Birthday fell after a few days of my marriage.
On the day of my marriage a diaster unfolded.
My father fell sick after Nikah and I was confined to hospital for 20 days,thus leaving the bride with her parents. This was an additional blow to me as I was undergoing immense stress about the marriage.
However, the life’s rhythm picked up and we newly weds started our life with a not so ideal start experiencing typical lower middle class issues involving arranged marriages.
The need of the day for me was to find a job.
One day, while I was travelling on a train to Rajahmundry,a college junior informed me that his father who was personnel manager at ILTD( ITC subsidiary) Rajahmundry, mentioned about recruitment for seasonal clerks. The job will be for 4 months every year.
Next day I gave my application to him and after a week I attended a written test along with 50+ candidates. In the evening the results were declared and I stood first in the test. I was offered the temporary job from next day at a princely sum of Rs 250 per month. As the tobacco season yet to start, they gave a table and chair and assigned no work till season started. I used to read Alistair Mclean novels during those first three weeks. The season started after 3 weeks, and four more candidates joined. I worked for 4 months and at the end of the season the Factory head called me and appreciated my work and informed that every year I can come for the same job without any formal request.
That was my first job.
We were residing in railway quarters in a small village as my father was a railway station master, where one cannot get english newspaper. The family circumstances killed my aspiration of JNU&UPSC. I resigned to the fact and started to apply for other jobs.
Meanwhile, I applied for a clerical position in Bank of Maharashtra and I opted Nagpur centre for written test. With difficulty, I borrowed some money from a friend and my father supplemented some more funds and I attended the written test at Nagpur and returned home.
After 2 moths, the interview was again held at Nagpur . I did well at the interview. After another 3 weeks, I was offered the job and was asked to report to their Pune head office for 1 month training. During the training, I did exceedingly well, resulting an immediate posting to a nearby Branch to my place of living. I reported for my first regular job in March 1976 at Kakinada branch- After 18 months of marriage.
Those days it was an achievement for a person with a son and living with parents and siblings to get a Bank job on his own. I took a decision of shifting my family to Kakinada Town and rented a small portion of one room kitchen. With an independent streak, we started our life at Kakinada . The household chores were a challenge for both of us with a small kid to look after.
Life was falling into a routine, then a new twist came to the fore.
I was asked to attend a written test for Dist Savings officer -GOI -Min Of finance -This call letter came from “Employment exchange for post graduates”(In those days there was a special employment exchange for Post graduates. It was housed in an old building , opposite St.Ann’s school. Masab Tank) and the test was at Hyderabad. It was 1976 June.
Many well wishers suggested not to leave clerical job of a PSB but
I have decided to attend the test just because the pay was Rs 100 extra than the bank clerical job.
