Meeting Gupta uncle

Chai pe charcha or conversations over tea at a 86 year old man’s house can be very enlightening and depressing at the same time.

When Gupta uncle left Pakistan during partition in 1947 , he had just the clothes he was wearing as his asset!

From there, he became a successful businessman earning ₹1800 in 1966 - a time when gold was sold at ₹300/sovereign.

He keeps good health, but sadly his wife of 65 years is bed ridden after breaking her hips.

He had met my husband at the park which we frequent for morning walks and wanted my husband to get him fish. He explained that when he was young there used to be a friend who worked for the military and this person once got him some 'packet mein machli' which were absolutely 'badiya'! Now whenever he feels like eating fish he goes to Fort kochi and buys,"Fresh".

After explaining how he seasons the fish, he told me that he steams it and has it with a dash of lemon juice. "Taste nahi, Health". He has taken over cooking after his wife fell ill. When he said he prefers health to taste, I had to know if he had had the same approach while his wife cooked. "Nahi! Tab toh taste chahye tha!" (No, then taste was very much needed!)

Uncle does not think that the present trend of marrying at 25+ is right. He stoically thinks that boys must marry at 19-20 and girls at 16-17, just like he married.

Aunty has been bed ridden since 4 1/2 years as the hip surgery had not been successful. He regrets that she is uneducated and cannot read. "If she could read, she would not be so bored".

He insisted I drink tea at his house and he served me a sweet concoction and asked if I were diabetic when I commented on the amount of sugar. :)

When I questioned him about his health, he said that he started walking at the age of 15. He has been walking for a good 71 years and thus his medicines are just B-complex tablets and one tablet for his liver. He said that good health is not easily achieved, but must be slowly built. I agree completely.

And Subash Chandra Bose park is where I met him first. He still reaches the park every morning at 7.10 am.

He spents one hour a day writing 'Rama" nama 550 times. And each time he writes, he chants,"Jay Rama, Sita Ram, Hare Ram". - "Ek ghanta chala gaya na?" ("One hour gets spent, right?")

Another is poetry. He writes poetry. As yet unpublished. He is on the lookout for a person who will translate his works into Malayalam. Is it not nice to see his wish to do something at this age?

He has not been to a temple in 40 years. He compares temple to school / college where we never return to after we finish our learning! 

He is a very content man who is always smiling and thinks he has lived a good life.

Meeting him and interacting with him and getting to know his philosophy about life showed me how important it is to accept everything and be happy with whatever life throws at you. Just accept and be content.

I have recorded 25 minutes of my conversation with him. I have uploaded the same on youtube. If you have time, go through it. And do not forget to hear his shayaree or hindi poetry . Even though it deals with Diwali; it has more to do with life .