Write Tribe # Memories

                                                  Pic: courtesy Write Tribe

 It is said that the past is gone and it will never come back. But it does come back to us in the form of memories. Sometimes these memories are so vivid and clear that you relive them. For hours and hours they keep flashing before us and we are lost in the past. It happens to everybody. Some memories, we wish to erase from our being forever but there are others, we cherish for all times.

 If I look backwards the memory of my first ever interview appears before the screen of my mind very often. I had never planned to take up a job. After I passed my M.A. I saw an advertisement in a newspaper for the post of post-graduate teacher in Government schools in Delhi. We were holidaying in Mussoorie. The interview was scheduled to be held on 11^th of July in Delhi and the advertisement appeared on 9th of July. I along with my mother started on the same day. My certificates had to be picked up from our house at Dehra Dun.

          We reached Old Secretariat, the seat of Delhi Admiration, in time for the interview. I saw only five or six girls and a crowd of male candidates. If I remember correctly, I was the first to be called inside. I was feeling very nervous. There were goose bumps in my stomach and my knees were giving way. Putting up a brave front I went inside. There were four people in the interview board. I wished them good morning and sat down when one of the members signaled me to take a seat. The Chairperson was engrossed in reading a file and did not even raise his eyes.  With his eyes glued to the file he said, “So, Miss Chawla(my maiden surname), you stood first in Dehra Dun District”.”Yes Sir”.  He again shot another question, “When you get married, will you continue with the job or leave it?” I thought in my mind, what a strange question he was asking, but  I replied, “Sir how can I predict where I will be after marriage”. This man again said, “Please wait outside; we will give you your appointment letter”.This was like a bomb shell!  I wondered what sort of interview was this!  Those days, (it was the year 1957) very few girls studied up to post graduation level. Moreover English was not at all a preferred subject. All the seven girls,appearing for the interview were appointed.

 I remember I cried because I did not want to join, but on my parents persuasion I had to join. My father told me on the phone, “You work for one month, and if you don’t like it, you can resign”.  I had no choice. As luck would have it, within one month my father got a transfer to Delhi. Sometimes I wonder, how I started liking the job and reached the position of Additional Director of Education, which is the highest that the teachers can aspire for.  The next and the highest is The Director of Education, who is an I.A.S. officer.

  There are multitudes of memories bubbling to come out but this one takes a lead.

This post in  response to the second Write Tribe,Festival of Words.  The topic for the post is  the  # Memory/Memories.