Dear Friend,
I told you..... I will write a little note about me....to give you a better feel of the person you have acquired as your new friend .......
A few lines that once flashed through my mind and I captured the thoughts on paper….reads....
THE WITHERED LEAF
The withered Leaf tells,
Its tales,
“I was new,
Green, like honey dew,
Once upon a time I was you”,
The withered leaf tells,
Its tales.....
It tells its own story,
Of the golden days of its green glory,
Soaked in morning dew,
In the morning rays glittering anew,
Swinging and swaying
In the breeze that was blowing,
With the birds twitting,
The song that Life was singing.
Then why came the Winter,
With its weary smile, Oh! Dear, Dear!!
A pale yellow fading stain,
So sudden, to sadden,
For the Fall to happen,
Is this, then, the Final Curtain!?
The traveler looks at the bacon of the Green,
Trampling as he goes, the Withered Leaf, frail and mean.
The withered leaf tells,
Its tales.....
So that is very much my personal tale.....flowing through my pen capturing the fragile emotions of the inner self.... the most intimate thoughts.....
Well when I say this is my own tale...it is so...
To begin at the very beginning...I was born and brought up in Kolkata...my father served the Indian Administrative Service...IAS for short.....
I was educated at St.Xavier's school and college...from my KG days through to my graduation....
In my younger days there was a great divide between me and my studies...I would very successfully compete for at least one of the ranks between 37 and 40 in a class of 40.
Well life has a funny way to tell and teach us about LIFE.....
My father retired from service... I was 13....and we had to move out of the government quarters and came to house ourselves in a rented apartment ......the first floor of a 2 storey house at Sirdar Sankar Road near Lake Market, South Calcutta....
While studies and self had mutual apathy for each other.....I did know that to impress people for a boy of my age good results are the best option...so very boldly I used to lie about my excellent performance in class.....
And well as it would be natural for adolescent kids...my age.... my interest in the female of the species of homo sapiens was on the rise...and on the ground floor there was attraction for me ...there was this girl Dipa...a year junior to me in class...a stunning beauty...even at the age of 11...
We became friends very easily...and to impress her I told stories of my academic exploits.....that I was always ranking within "4".....without mentioning which end of the class I was in...
She naturally took ...that ranking means from the top down...how naive she was...
Time passed...and we became close as friends...she had a folly...believed everything I said ...it was like if I would say the high noon was midnight it would be so for her....
A couple of years down the line one day I was not at home....but she had dropped in and was looking through my papers for some notes or books...I don't know.... (I told you she was just a year junior to me)...but what she got was the report card of my performance in class loudly calling out all my bluffs that I had aired to impress her ....
I came home and there she was standing by my desk....torrents of tears rolling down her eyes...the report card clutched to her bosom.....
I knew my game was up ......and looking at those tears ...suddenly something within me twisted and crashed in a moment…bringing my world around me collapsing...I realised for the first time...how deeply she had reposed her faith in me and what a catastrophe I had committed...breaking her trust...
No words were exchanged...she put down the report card on the table...looked up at me a final time ...tears wailing up with no holds barred...and then with bowed head she passed me and dragged herself out of the room....I stood dumbfounded and crest fallen....
Suddenly another realisation dawned on me...if she had trusted me so blindly...I had no right to hurt her the way I had hurt her....and with that blossomed a new resolve in me...I need to be among the "4" in class but truly from the top down count and not bottom up count...
My course of life changed....Believe you me...in class 9...I stood truly 2nd at the finals moving to class 10....the time that elapsed between Dipa's great discovery and the final result was 8 months ...she had seen my First Term Report...
For the 8 months I never ever faced Dipa...I had no face to do so.....
With the Report Card of the Class 9 Finals in hand I went down to their flat and after wishing her mother...as Dipa looked on in disdain...I addressed her and said "Dipa this is the Report Card of your Performance 8 months back"....and saying this I shoved the booklet into her hand...and came away....her mother was perhaps slightly taken aback at my behaviour...as I realised later...
After a while Dipa came to my room....and stood shy and said "I am sorry if I had hurt you that day...but I could not bear to see you falling in my eyes "....
I said thank my stars….. you behaved the way you did that day...it has changed the course of my life perhaps...at that time I could say only "perhaps"...but time showed how true that statement I made was..
Months and years passed..... I did fairly well at my academics..... the animosity between me and the books had diminished a lot...in fact a new bond of love had replaced the hatred for the books...
Our childhood quarrels and fantasies took different color and meaning with time.....I truly ranked best in my Masters Exam....MA in APPLIED ECONOMICS...and won the very coveted UNDP fellowship on an Indian project...
Then opportunities knocked at the door one after another and I ended up joining PHILIPS…. those days it was a “BIG BIG” house hold name in India....
Eleven years down the road of time since I first set my eyes on Dipa ...we became MAN and WIFE......
Well in time.... Dipa bore me a son and a daughter....
My son, Samudra, is an engineer from IIT Powai (Mumbai)...
and daughter, Sagarika, is a Chartered Accountant and a painter.
Both my son and daughter are married...with little kids....
After 30 years with Philips in various capacities....I moved out to head the Human Resource Function of an International Chemical Group...perhaps I would still be actively associated with them even now....instead of being their adviser…had my life not come to a stand still in a way.... as Dipa left me in 1998...November 26..1.45 p.m.....We won many games together in life...but lost this one to cancer...
I tried to continue my work .... I knew as head of HR and a Board Member at that...I can make a difference to a lot of people....but then my body was in the designated chair...but heart was not there any more....for my own survival...I did not need such a high paying job....as no one depended on me any more... all were well settled...
So at a point of time I decided to quit work....although I am still an adviser to the Group...and once in a way I go down to Mumbai and sit at the Board Meetings...as an ex-officio member and chief management adviser....
I do a bit of freelancing talking at Management Institutes and Corporates on invitation....
Now I have briefed you with some inputs on myself to give you a feel of the man behind the words that flood you as advice from this end of the net......
I am always available...
Hoping to hear from you...
With Love and Best Wishes...
To our friendship..
Ashis Sen
I told you..... I will write a little note about me....to give you a better feel of the person you have acquired as your new friend .......
A few lines that once flashed through my mind and I captured the thoughts on paper….reads....
THE WITHERED LEAF
The withered Leaf tells,
Its tales,
“I was new,
Green, like honey dew,
Once upon a time I was you”,
The withered leaf tells,
Its tales.....
It tells its own story,
Of the golden days of its green glory,
Soaked in morning dew,
In the morning rays glittering anew,
Swinging and swaying
In the breeze that was blowing,
With the birds twitting,
The song that Life was singing.
Then why came the Winter,
With its weary smile, Oh! Dear, Dear!!
A pale yellow fading stain,
So sudden, to sadden,
For the Fall to happen,
Is this, then, the Final Curtain!?
The traveler looks at the bacon of the Green,
Trampling as he goes, the Withered Leaf, frail and mean.
The withered leaf tells,
Its tales.....
So that is very much my personal tale.....flowing through my pen capturing the fragile emotions of the inner self.... the most intimate thoughts.....
Well when I say this is my own tale...it is so...
To begin at the very beginning...I was born and brought up in Kolkata...my father served the Indian Administrative Service...IAS for short.....
I was educated at St.Xavier's school and college...from my KG days through to my graduation....
In my younger days there was a great divide between me and my studies...I would very successfully compete for at least one of the ranks between 37 and 40 in a class of 40.
Well life has a funny way to tell and teach us about LIFE.....
My father retired from service... I was 13....and we had to move out of the government quarters and came to house ourselves in a rented apartment ......the first floor of a 2 storey house at Sirdar Sankar Road near Lake Market, South Calcutta....
While studies and self had mutual apathy for each other.....I did know that to impress people for a boy of my age good results are the best option...so very boldly I used to lie about my excellent performance in class.....
And well as it would be natural for adolescent kids...my age.... my interest in the female of the species of homo sapiens was on the rise...and on the ground floor there was attraction for me ...there was this girl Dipa...a year junior to me in class...a stunning beauty...even at the age of 11...
We became friends very easily...and to impress her I told stories of my academic exploits.....that I was always ranking within "4".....without mentioning which end of the class I was in...
She naturally took ...that ranking means from the top down...how naive she was...
Time passed...and we became close as friends...she had a folly...believed everything I said ...it was like if I would say the high noon was midnight it would be so for her....
A couple of years down the line one day I was not at home....but she had dropped in and was looking through my papers for some notes or books...I don't know.... (I told you she was just a year junior to me)...but what she got was the report card of my performance in class loudly calling out all my bluffs that I had aired to impress her ....
I came home and there she was standing by my desk....torrents of tears rolling down her eyes...the report card clutched to her bosom.....
I knew my game was up ......and looking at those tears ...suddenly something within me twisted and crashed in a moment…bringing my world around me collapsing...I realised for the first time...how deeply she had reposed her faith in me and what a catastrophe I had committed...breaking her trust...
No words were exchanged...she put down the report card on the table...looked up at me a final time ...tears wailing up with no holds barred...and then with bowed head she passed me and dragged herself out of the room....I stood dumbfounded and crest fallen....
Suddenly another realisation dawned on me...if she had trusted me so blindly...I had no right to hurt her the way I had hurt her....and with that blossomed a new resolve in me...I need to be among the "4" in class but truly from the top down count and not bottom up count...
My course of life changed....Believe you me...in class 9...I stood truly 2nd at the finals moving to class 10....the time that elapsed between Dipa's great discovery and the final result was 8 months ...she had seen my First Term Report...
For the 8 months I never ever faced Dipa...I had no face to do so.....
With the Report Card of the Class 9 Finals in hand I went down to their flat and after wishing her mother...as Dipa looked on in disdain...I addressed her and said "Dipa this is the Report Card of your Performance 8 months back"....and saying this I shoved the booklet into her hand...and came away....her mother was perhaps slightly taken aback at my behaviour...as I realised later...
After a while Dipa came to my room....and stood shy and said "I am sorry if I had hurt you that day...but I could not bear to see you falling in my eyes "....
I said thank my stars….. you behaved the way you did that day...it has changed the course of my life perhaps...at that time I could say only "perhaps"...but time showed how true that statement I made was..
Months and years passed..... I did fairly well at my academics..... the animosity between me and the books had diminished a lot...in fact a new bond of love had replaced the hatred for the books...
Our childhood quarrels and fantasies took different color and meaning with time.....I truly ranked best in my Masters Exam....MA in APPLIED ECONOMICS...and won the very coveted UNDP fellowship on an Indian project...
Then opportunities knocked at the door one after another and I ended up joining PHILIPS…. those days it was a “BIG BIG” house hold name in India....
Eleven years down the road of time since I first set my eyes on Dipa ...we became MAN and WIFE......
Well in time.... Dipa bore me a son and a daughter....
My son, Samudra, is an engineer from IIT Powai (Mumbai)...
and daughter, Sagarika, is a Chartered Accountant and a painter.
Both my son and daughter are married...with little kids....
After 30 years with Philips in various capacities....I moved out to head the Human Resource Function of an International Chemical Group...perhaps I would still be actively associated with them even now....instead of being their adviser…had my life not come to a stand still in a way.... as Dipa left me in 1998...November 26..1.45 p.m.....We won many games together in life...but lost this one to cancer...
I tried to continue my work .... I knew as head of HR and a Board Member at that...I can make a difference to a lot of people....but then my body was in the designated chair...but heart was not there any more....for my own survival...I did not need such a high paying job....as no one depended on me any more... all were well settled...
So at a point of time I decided to quit work....although I am still an adviser to the Group...and once in a way I go down to Mumbai and sit at the Board Meetings...as an ex-officio member and chief management adviser....
I do a bit of freelancing talking at Management Institutes and Corporates on invitation....
Now I have briefed you with some inputs on myself to give you a feel of the man behind the words that flood you as advice from this end of the net......
I am always available...
Hoping to hear from you...
With Love and Best Wishes...
To our friendship..
Ashis Sen
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