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behind our flat. So when my request for transfer to Kalpakkam was
acceded to we were really so much in love with Bombay that we had
to tear ourselves from Bombay My family commitments , to wit, my
sister’s marriage project compelled us to shift to down south.

Earlier my wife had to leave for her native place in advance of me as
it was time for her delivery, the second child of us, this time a boy!
My wife’s role as house maker found its full bloom when we
relocated at Hyderabad due to my transfer. She loved her strict drill in

getting up early to prepare food for all of us, dress up the two kids
and make them ready for leaving for the school by bus. By the time
my daughter returned from her school my wife used to be ready with
home work tasks, mock tests with questions in English,Hindi,Science
etc subjects offered along with the evening snacks! She also sat the
daughter in front of her to teach vocal music till I found a regular
male vocalist who would train my daughter.

My wife’s heroic qualities found their vent when I had to be
hospitalised. After a tenure which lasted 5 years in Hyderabad my
services in the Postal Directorate were required and I was asked in the
middle of a month long leave sanctioned to me which I spent in my
wife’s native place Mannargudi, to proceed to Directorate to join as
Director R&D .So I left Mannargudi and after handing over charge as
Director Mails and Stores in Hyderabad I flew to Delhi and joined
duty in the R&D section. With a view to bring my family from
Chennai where they had moved I took a short break to travel down to
Chennai and return with family to Delhi. But due to difficulty in
securing accommodation at the last minute to travel to Chennai I took
the route via Bangalore. I had to take some food from the Vegetarian
Restaurant on the station platform and catch the night mail to Madras.
A few hours after my arriving in Madras I developed some symptoms
of food allergy resulting in diarrhea .I lost count of the number of
trips I made to the toilet and by evening I contracted dehydration and
ran high fever. I decided to move to nearby hospital and my wife
joined me in the vigil and monitor my progress. But my condition on
the other hand worsened and by the the time it was early day break I
became delirious and my pulse went erratic and I was disoriented. I

began to lose control of my limbs and developed fits. My wife was
further unnerved by the doctor attending on me saying all their efforts

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