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RETIREMENT


The Last few Months Of my Service period,
At Mati.Kanpur Dehat, Headquarters .I was due for retirement in November, didn't think Much of retirement or How would be my future life, after retirement..

Just busy, carrying on branch activities. Without any specific thoughts.. As usual.

Annual Internal Inspection of The branch took place in July beginning..

I was the Lone officer in the branch ,in those days but had to manage, inspection and Routine work of the branch alone, Of course with Staff support.

Later, after a few months, my joint manager, who was on Long Leave, joined the branch

. I had a special type of bonding for this branch. And trying to wind up matters,

Sitting alone, All other Routine work Of the branch was being looked after by the Lady joint manager.


My Last Leave Travel was also overdue.I had Applied , Only for 7 days Leave, while I had much more balance of leaves. I wanted to spend rest of the time at Bank and particularly in this branch only.


On a Sunday, while visiting the Regional office, Of Our Bank, I Came to know that Letter for My Transfer to Harjinder Nagar, Kanpur City Branch. Has been issued

And my Leave Request has been DECLINED. by the Deputy General manager, who was otherwise
happy with me and the branch Performance. I was Disappointed..!

The HR Manager gave me a copy of the Letter. Some people used to visit This Controlling. office of ours, on Sundays. I also used to come, . On Sundays and holidays.

SHOCKED , at turn of events , Immediately, I called upon The Deputy General Manager)(Regional Head) and requested him to retain me, in the branch till My retirement.it was just a matter Of 15 days, out of which I will be on Leave for 7 days.

I told him that, my LTC was The Last in my Service career..!

He Agreed To Sanction. The LTC but NOT for CANCELLATION Of Transfer - Orders..



. I Wished to spend last days Of My Service-Period, at Mati only..and Use to wind up things. I Once again Applied . For my Last LTC To Visit Madurai, Rameshwaram , after earlier refusal , as Advised by DGM.

. I wanted to keep it Shortest. Only one week leave Applied.

In the meantime,Telephonic Instructions Arrived, To LEAVE, Mati Branch immediately and Join Harjinder nagar, Kanpur,Branch by the Same evening.

a bit VEXED , I inform The Colleagues about it . I will have to LEAVE just now.

I Just. Called for, The Key Register, .Signed, Handed over Charge Of the Branch,

To The young Joint Manager  and Prepared to leave The Branch for Ever, without any Emotion,as if, just in a daily Routine way .

She hurriedly calls for Sweets,  Snaps.. Taken, Things Done in A Hurry.. I, Myself not realising the Moment. I was about To Leave the Place, for Good..!!

I. Just Cast, .. A.. LONGING ,.. LINGERING . LOOK ..
BEHIND ..!!  

And, Come Out of the Branch as I used to Do after closure Of the Branch , DAILY in the evening. As a Routine..

  . Yunus, on Motorcycle, takes me to The Akbarpur Bus.Stop, PASSING THROUGH Buildings, structures, Newly Built Offices Of District.. Police, Kanpur Dehat Court and Other buildings.

The Local Training Centre Of Bank Where The Director used to call me for Distribution of Certificates To the Trainees. And Later, arrange to drop me back to The Branch, So as to enable me to catch The Staff Bus in Time..!

. I take a CNG bus.For Kanpur And leave. The Place, Least realizing that it is for ever. I will no more come to this place. In future.

I Join the New Branch,The Same Evening... The Lone Lady officer of The Branch, goes on doing all work alone.

I just Take A Computer. And with SOL - Id of Mati, (Computer access) do Something , pass Some entries of SBI Reconciliation,With My BRANCH HEAD Powers.which I still had, try to Reconcile some Old entries.and do Some other work..

Regular Lunch with Staff ,is Taken, Together.


Later I Proceeded on My Last Leave Travel, to Rameshwaram .

I Return just after  A Week.as planned.

In the Meantime, Aseem Tewari, The Branch Manager Of Harjinder Nagar Branch,joins. We Spend some good time together with All others.


I just glancing and Scanning through Accounts Of Office and Personal,on our BELOVED. . FINACLE ..!!

and REPORTS SERVER . After some days The Day of RETIREMENT Arrives..!


It Was a Saturday..A Half Day..! Doing Something.. On Finacle PC. .. Time is fleeting..!

it is 1.45 pm. Mixed Feelings.. ASSOCIATION of 41 YEARS is COMING To an END ... .A PRETTY Long JOURNEY..

. Nothing on mind, just surfing.. On Computer... All Of A Sudden I Realize
My Password is Sacked..... I am, Shocked, DESPERATE .., assume it is by Data Centre.. Because of Retirement. It is sometimes accidental also...don't know . Emotions Rise..!!

I feel, As if A STREAM of TEARS , . Is
GUSHING OUT .!! My . THROAT CHOKED ....! .

HEART says, They Would have waited for 15 more.. MINUTES , ..! What was The HURRY ..!.!

I CONTROL my Emotions.. Carry on with The '' Reports '' Server which was Still available. To me.. To Retain a feeling of TOGETHER NESS with the BANK ..!
After banking hours. ie. 2pm


Aseem, Arranges The farewell, Sweets, Garlands, Snaps. With Staff, Later we go to A nearby Restaurant for Lunch. We come out of the Branch.

Aseem Takes me and Drops me after 40 Minutes At My Residence.

Thus A JOURNEY Of FORTY ONE years comes To an END ..!

.
.

The Next day (Sunday)..  .. Young Colleagues of Mati Branch, host a Samptuous Lunch,At A Restaurant, With Cake,Garlands. Some Snaps.

A Memorable Event., with Some Gifts..  I think nothing. At The moment. .. That it is going to be over.. Forever.

No more LONG hours Of WORK .! Annual and Half yearly CLOSINGS , Branch AUDITS ,

, INSPECTIONS .. Everything is OVER . For EVER..
.
After some days, I See The Bank's Circular Of List of Officers whose Signing Powers are cancelled And . Against my Name The reason, Written is " RETIREMENT " I feel
That I am reading My Own ' ' EPITAPH.' '
I Just remain A Spectator. Of Happenings..!

..
From Next day We Start packing up for Greater Noida. Have to leave the City, where I lived with My Parents, Since Childhood...My School, College..! It is all OVER now.


We will be DEPARTING ..Soon..!
One day, I just Take A Long Walk, upto The Mall Road, Remain in My Favourite, Good Old '' UNIVERSAL BOOK STALL ''   which I used to visit Since my College- days..! My Favorite Book Stall. Rich in Books On All Subjects. I Remain there for an hour or more.


On 26th December. Or so. We prepare to leave The City . Household Goods, Etc. Already gone.

Neighbours provide beds to spend the Last Night, on floor of the Room. Provide the early morning Tea, Snacks. Then

In the early hours of morning,

Islam, The Auto driver, arrives, as usual, we take the LAST RIDE to The KANPUR Central Railway Station Which I often used to visit, when I was posted at the Nearby branch. I have been fond of Train Journeys, Since Childhood.

We Board, The Morning, 6AM, NewDelhi- Bound SHATABDI ...EXPRESS . And Thus

.. LEAVE the GOOD OLD CITY , And The WORKPLACE , For EVER ..! Often it is Difficult to believe..!

At The New city, nobody knows me in The Bank Branches, I am A Complete STRANGER To The New city..

A unique feeling Of Attraction ,At Bank's Branch, At the Sight of FINCLE COMPUTERS , Which, were, Once an Integral Part of Our Lives..But they, NO MORE BELONG to me..! !


FINACLE Still HAUNTS me in Sleep..night after night.

DREAMS of BANKING DAYS ,
Colleagues.,The City Left  far Behind..!Often HAUNT me..

On Our Bank's Foundation day.. On 20th July, As a custom I visit The Bank's nearby Branch, it is well DECORATED .,well Lighted on The Occasion,

The Joint-Manager, is keeping A big Box of Sweets,  in front of him. Customers who wish, pick one piece of Sweet.. The officer  doesn't wear any SMILE on his face..STOIC . FACE .

I just Take a round of The Entire Branch, As A Complete Stranger, Nobody is known.... To me..


The only FAMILIAR Face is that Of The ZONAL HEAD Of The New - Delhi Zone, Who is smiling in a Photograph, Near Bank's  Notice - Board..
Once I glance at him and Come out of the Branch...

FINACLES Still kept on haunting me, in my Sleeps..

For a very Long time...!
Later GRADUALLY , The Old BOOKS OF ACCOUNTS. General LEDGERS ,Registers REPLACED , The Images Of Computers..!   The days of MANUAL BANKING , Clearing Cheques, Registers often FLASH in dreams.mind returns to OLDER days




But Sleeps are never devoid of BANKING -LIFE in some form or The Other..Strange, Bizarre Dreams.. I start getting up Late, No familiar faces, Places...! Don't feel like going for a walk.. Initially but now. It is over. That PRESENT is PAST .. Now.. Only fond memories remain.

And Time flows.. On....