1. Have an Interesting Snippet to Share : Click Here
    Dismiss Notice

From Useless to Useful

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Kamalji, Feb 18, 2012.

  1. Kamalji

    Kamalji IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    13,153
    Likes Received:
    5,818
    Trophy Points:
    545
    Gender:
    Male
    From Useless to Useful​

    2003 – KAMALJI –USELESS
    2012 – KAMALJI – BLOGGER/USEFUL/ACTIVE

    I was sitting with an exporter friend, and he was asking me how the house of my brother is coming up, and I tol him , the basement roof has been cast and the ground floor work has started. His remark made me sit up. He said “ Kamal u do so much for yr brother and his wife, no one does such things for anyone, they are lucky to have u “ !!!

    Well I did not say anything, but as I drove back, it set me thinking. He does not know the other side of the story, for that part only I know, not even my wife, not even anyone else.

    According to him, they are lucky to have me , for I have helped them so much to settle in Jaipur in business, getting them the land, and overseeing the construction, and it is another year and ahalf to go, with various contractors, with whom I have to deal with.

    Let me give u my side of the story. It is not I who have done them any favours, it is they have done me a favour. I had retired in 2003 from business and till 2007 when they came down, I was all alone in the office upstairs, reading papers, phones had stopped coming from suppliers, for they thought I was a cow that had stopped giving milk, that is business to them, so the calls stopped slowly.

    At times I had to pick up the landline to find out if it was working or dead why the calls were not coming.Slowly depression set in, and I had a hard time fighting it off. I was cut off from the market conditions, and I did not even know if the dollor was 45, or 35, or 50. I was wearing rubber slippers to office, for I had nowhere to go, so who would see me.it was great effort to put on shoes.

    I somehow controlled my depression, and got back to normal, for soon blogging came along, and that put me in good spirits.

    When my brother and bhabhi expressed their desire to come to jaipur , for they did not have space in Mumbai, their office falling small, I was loathe to tell them to come, for I had lost touch with the market since then. But they were insistent , and I had no option, but to tell them yes, and I told them I have 2 floors empty, they are free to take it for free.

    I managed to get them a bunglow on rent, the premises for work was mine, I got them introduced to my bank, my CA, my accountant, and slowly their work started to move on. We managed to complete the orders well in time, and even I was surprised, how we pulled it off.

    My bones creaked, but well they got oiled pretty soon, the rusty brains started to move, the calls started to come. And people came to know kamal is alive and kicking, and soon wedding invitations from the business circles started to come in, not that I look forward to them, for they are need based relations, for which I don’t care much, they are there today, tomm they are no more.

    In fact they have done me a favour, and not me. They have made me active, I handle their petty expenses, they ask my adivse on business and other matters, which makes me feel good.

    They bought Bingo and now my Tuffy has company. They trust me with their Bunglow, tell me who trusts anyone blindly these days. So the money is their’s , and the credit goes to me. And who knows as I am learning on how to go about making a modern bunglow within a reasonable budget, I might soon be building bunglows for others, at a fee off course !!! I am getting the hang of things.

    And another thing that has been solved , is what would happen if I died, how would harsha live alone in this big bunglow, all alone after me, for my younger daughter would be married and gone. Now that fear is gone, for I know brother and bhabhi are there.

    And now when we now have lunch together a thome down, it is fun.i hate going for movies or restaurants, I am laid back, my brother and bhabhi are movie loves and love to eat out, so my wife and daughter love to go out with them, good for me, and good for them too.There is so much life in the house now. We brothers get on fine, and luckily so do my wife and daughter with bhabhi.

    Now my brain runs like a taxi meter, very fast, and it feels good to know that now I am not useless but useful. God sure has the solutions for many problems and he surelyfixed a lot of my worries and problems, in a way I least expected it, by their coming over to Jaipur.

    Somebody up there likes me eh !

    KAMAL MAHTANI

    Children’s Day comes exactly 9 months after Valentines day, 14.2 and 14.11 , how uncanny eh !

    Arranged marriage is a funny concept. Before marriage u are asked not to speak to strangers, after marriage u are asked to sleep with one !!!
     
    16 people like this.
    Loading...

  2. iyerviji

    iyerviji Finest Post Winner

    Messages:
    34,587
    Likes Received:
    28,749
    Trophy Points:
    640
    Gender:
    Female
    Kamalji after a long time I am giving the first fb to your postl Glad to know that you have your brother and bhabhi who did favours to you. You are also doing them favour but being a good person not telling thats all. You are always useful to everyone.

    Liked the quotes
     
  3. kelly1966

    kelly1966 Platinum IL'ite

    Messages:
    1,798
    Likes Received:
    1,534
    Trophy Points:
    283
    Gender:
    Female

    now thats naughty!!!
    Kerman
     
    1 person likes this.
  4. Srama

    Srama Finest Post Winner

    Messages:
    10,075
    Likes Received:
    11,569
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Female
    Dear Kamalji,

    Goes to prove again what a good human being you are! Thank God you got off that couch and started blogging, now I have a place I can knock on when I come to Jaipur - each to his own huh! No seriously kamlaji, you know we do enjoy reading what you have to write! And you do know you are more than welcome to come to the US for a holiday and I can assure you a royal treatment -such is your popularity!

    Glad to know things set themselves well and you are enjoying the time with family - like Kelly says, knock on wood. Things do have a way of working themselves out, don't they? We sure are glad to have you!
     
  5. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,627
    Likes Received:
    16,903
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    My dear Kamal
    I just cannot let this masterpiece go unanswered. I do not know how useless you were in 2003. Raise it to the power of 'n' and that would tell you how useless I was in 1990 on my voluntary retirement from State Bank of India. That would roughly be the age difference between you and me. In other words, both of us became useless around the same age. But the essential difference between you and me is that you have found your feet in 9 years and I am still searching for them with a powerful torch light!

    Your bouncing back to active life does not surprise me at all. You are made of not just plain rubber but of the super bouncy 'Flubber', you know the stuff that the Absent Minded Professor discovered way back in 1960's. In fact, you tend to get too bouncy and I find it difficult to keep pace with you and give up half way! You are talking about Wedding invitations from business friends. I know you got one from a fellow blogger from as far away as Coimbatore and you attended it. That's Kamalji. I saw how you were mobbed by your fellow bloggers though my only regret was that the average age of ladies in your elite group was well over 50!

    Everyone in IL knows that you have a heart of gold and it is no wonder that your value is going up sharply every day considering the gold market around the world. It is that heart of gold that makes you special among your lady fans. Which lady can resist gold?

    May you continue rising in the popularity chart of IL. Mine will be the loudest clap at your achievements.
    Sri
     
    8 people like this.
  6. tanoshii

    tanoshii Platinum IL'ite

    Messages:
    1,341
    Likes Received:
    558
    Trophy Points:
    240
    Gender:
    Female
    That was really really refreshing to read Kamalji. I guess we all need others' favours, even if it is a request of favour to keep our lives running. Pray, you and your family live and love for a long time together. :)
     
  7. Kamalji

    Kamalji IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    13,153
    Likes Received:
    5,818
    Trophy Points:
    545
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Viji Sis,

    Thank u foir the first FB, and a touching one.thank u.

    Regards

    kamal
     
  8. Kamalji

    Kamalji IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    13,153
    Likes Received:
    5,818
    Trophy Points:
    545
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Kelly,

    You are an architect for commerical buildings, so very different from domestic ones. And this is a small project thatn the ones u do, so dont worry, i can never be a competition to u ever.HAHA

    u can never bore me, kelly. i look forward to yr wonderful comments, and i write onlhy for u these days, and i am glad i dont disappoint u.

    thanks for the kind words, i am touched.Regards

    kamal
     
  9. Kamalji

    Kamalji IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    13,153
    Likes Received:
    5,818
    Trophy Points:
    545
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Sabita,

    U are glad i started to blog ? Many think i bore them .HAHA. Good to know someone had a good word for me.

    Yes come to jaipur and see jaipur along with me, and harsha, and u will find it better than las vegas. i will bore u with my talks to sleep.HAHA

    thank u for the invitation, and who knows one day i might just land up at yr doorstep and ring the bell. So watch out.

    i have so many cousins out in the states, they come and stay with me, i have hundreds of inviations, but have not come tot he states, from what i hear, it is a heaven for a guy like me , logs of meat and drinks, and casinos eh !

    Yes, their coming over unexpectedly, changed our lives for the better.Even today me and bhabhi went out,to see the wood wholesalers,what quality we want for the frames of the doors and windows.

    Yes touch wood, as kelly says.

    Regards

    kamal
     
    1 person likes this.
  10. Kamalji

    Kamalji IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    13,153
    Likes Received:
    5,818
    Trophy Points:
    545
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Sri,

    i am floored by what u have said.First sorry for the late reply have been caught up in many things regarding the house.Bouncy eh ! HAHA. that is a new one, yes the energy is there still.Well that coimbatore u and me went there, and u came bcs of me, i know and i am touched for that.i had the most wonderful time with u, Sri, heaven spent in yr company. Well i wish it was true that i was gold and women could not resist me.HAHA

    You know i am going to singapore, so they have rules for different photos, white background, face 75% to be seen, no smile at all , ears to be visible. i am going , for i am soon to be a granddad at end march. I am to join yr brigade of bneing a grandad. when i saw the photo, i could not beleive for i was seeing a 100 year old withered face, and now u say i have a heart of gold.looking at my face u would say i am good for a horror movie, i would make a good natural ghost.HAHA.

    Thank u for the kind words Sri. u made my day.

    Regards

    kamal
     

Share This Page