8 August 2017

Back on the old trail…

Once more time, I am in familiar land. Just said good bye to Sharmila who came to drop me at the airport and turned around to start the loooooong flights. But that is totally bearable when I think of the opportunities to create moments in life, experiences to die for that lie in front of me…

First there is that good old goal of seeing my own dad and mom. I am lucky enough to see them more often in a year than I had ever thought would be possible after moving to this country. But there is something about being a dad myself and realizing how the hold on my own daughters is fast vanishing that makes me keep going back to them to reassure that their hold is as steady and fast as it always were. Perhaps, this indeed is the history of my future!

Mom underwent surgery two weeks back and dad is back to being bed ridden. I don’t expect a lot of words to be spoken. Just some closeness to be felt.

To tack on to that, I have made it my goal this time to see some of my elementary school teachers. I am actually going to fly to few different cities to spend an hour or so each with some teachers that I last saw in the 70s and early 80s. I hope to learn a few more lessons from them.

I am also going to try and give back to academia by being a guest lecturer in one of the top engineering schools in India (it never hurts that the professor who invited me is my MBA classmate who I will get to see after nearly 27 years)!!

And in one of those rare cases where I mix work with personal life, I will take a couple of days to meet our teammates in our newly opened office in Bangalore.

Back in 1991, I was to take a train to a small village in Puliyannur in Kerala to meet the dad of a particularly bright friend of mine from MBA days. Unfortunately for me, the prime minister of India was assassinated and all my plans were disrupted. Guess what? As of this morning, my friend and I have laid out some careful plans to meet his dad this time.

I just can’t wait for this flight to start… So many intersection points to be created… so many things to learn from others… so many people to say Thank You to!!!



Posted August 8, 2017 by Rajib Roy in category "Vacations

61 COMMENTS :

  17. By Supriyo Saha on

    Hope all your goals are achieved this time!!! One correction, 1991 Rajiv Gandhi died and he was competing to be the prime minister, I think Chandrasekhar was the prime minister!!!

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  25. By Subhra Lahiri on

    welcome :
    āĻ¯āĻĻāĻŋāĻ“ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻ­ā§‚āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¤ā§‡ āĻ†āĻ¸āĻžāĻŸāĻž āĻŦāĻžāĻ°āĻŦāĻžāĻ°āĻ‡ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻ¤āĻ¸ā§āĻĢā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¤ – āĻ¤āĻŦā§āĻ“ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ—āĻ¤āĻŽ ……

    Reply ↓
  29. By Indu Godura on

    Rajib,all the best for your travels n the trip-a bag of mixed feelings and aspirations.My best wishes for your parents good health.

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    1. By Rajib Roy on

      It does. Probably a few hours to check on my inlaws. As always, if I can get a few minutes, I will see you. I do not think I have broken my rule of spending a few minutes with you if in the same city too many times….

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    1. By Rajib Roy on

      I am flying Lufthansa. I have a tough schedule this time – Delhi-Bangalore-Kolkata-Kalyani-Durgapur-Lucknow-Kanpur-Delhi

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  40. By Piyali Chatterjee on

    āĻŽāĻžāĻ¸ā§€ āĻ¤āĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻ¤āĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋ āĻ¸ā§‡āĻ°ā§‡ āĻ‰āĻ ā§āĻ¨āĨ¤ Enjoy your cross roads

    Reply ↓
  45. By Sanjay Sinha on

    Best wishes for your Dad and Mom, Rajib. And for your endeavour to meet the classmates, including Ananda, I believe. Do pass on my regards too to those who are common to us. Also curious to know where you are going as a guest lecturer and the professor who’s your MBA classmate?

    Reply ↓

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