LEGENDS OR INSTITUTIONS
LT COL NOEL ELLIS
02/XII/2023
Certain people can be called ‘Legends’ but certain people are “Institutions”. I had the honour to serve with one.
People may brush such folks aside. But some people who hold your hand without caring for their own comfort and family, fall into this category. No, he was not the CEO, not the HR head or the MD either.
He had served one of the top most business family of India personally. A person who was quick at uptake and produced things which touched the heart of so many people. The feedback one received about him who toiled overtime, without losing his cool, without missing out the minutest of detail, creating wonders in the limited resources in such a remote area, was commendable.
He served the company with dedication and devotion, sincerity and commitment, honesty and reliability speaks volumes. Above all, he held my head high and never let me down.
A person from a village background, an illiterate but could win the hearts of countless guests who visited us. However, this man ensured that his daughters studied in the best of CBSE schools. The girls turned out to be excellent orators and public speakers. Two of them got married recently and we were invited for their wedding. It was an honour to bless his children, who were quite attached to both of us.
So, my wife and I drove to his village about 100 kms away. We did not trust Google aunty. This was an experience of my service in the deserts. It was better to ask a local. My wife being fluent in ‘Marwari’, there could be no communication gap.
Getting off the main highway was a little technical because of the fantastic road network which has been created in the country. Once a desert track, was now a two-lane tarmac road, as smooth as the cheeks of a child. One could zip at top speed, where once vehicles with 4x4 got stuck.
Then came a crucial turn where a shopkeeper came all the way down to the road to guide us. ‘Aap wathe ne jao, watheon right le lo’, while using his left hand, shaking his head and pointing his hand to the left. Knowing their habits one understood, his left meant right and right meant left. ‘Lare ja ke pooch leejo’. Ask anyone once you reach that place. That’s what we did and reached bang on.
Huge windmills and mobile towers dotted the skyline. From ‘Dhanis’ and ‘kutcha hutments’, now there were pucca houses. From ‘tankas’ and ‘khu’s’ (wells), there were borewells and tubewells. From rain dependency, there was sprinkler irrigation on every sand dune we crossed.
Sarson (mustard) was about six inches. Cotton was ripening. Groundnuts had been harvested a month back. ‘Zeeri’ (cumin) was stocked and awaiting despatch to the ‘mandi’.
Partridges criss-crossed at regular intervals giving me jitters to fire from my camera. An odd Chinkara stood under a ‘Khejri’ tree munching its cud.
The terrain was a mix of dunes and withered Aravalli’s. The dunes were no longer shifting or virgin. Tree cover had increased considerably. Farms had boundaries of barbed wire fences. Camel carts had been replaced by tractor trolleys. One could still spot an odd lady carrying a ‘Steel Matka’ full of water on her head.
We were served a sumptuous lunch, with local delicacies at the marriage venue. ‘Ker-sangri’ was from their farm. ‘Chakki’ was made out of ‘besan’ from the home-grown grams. Food was cooked in home made groundnut oil. The ‘Khoya’ and ‘Malai’ on the ‘Ghewar’ was from the milk of their cows and buffaloes. All ‘tarka’ was in ‘desi ghee’ produced at home. It was yummy & mouthwatering.
Electricity supply had reached that remote village called ‘Deriya’. The ‘Bharat-Mala’ highway was about thirty kilometres from there. Progress was visible.
All the seven brothers welcomed us with so much warmth and conducted us around their farm and showed their produce. We met just born goats kids (memna).
It was our relationship that mattered. This man served as a cook in the company I was working with. Not a single person ever complained about the food, instead, praises showered about the food and hospitality were legendary. During all VIP visits, he was Mr Dependable. Ladies used to wonder how such food with a homely touch could be produced in such wilderness.
Mr Akhe Singh was the man. Our family was attached to him personally. Come Christmas, he would be booked in advance for preparing ‘Pakwans’ and eat's. All parties at our home had Akhe Singh ji’s personal touch.
It was such a pleasure to bless his children. We wish him & his family Good Luck and Godspeed. Above all, we treasure our relationship. Such institutions are rare to find. Would you agree? I wonder!!!!!!!
JAI HIND
© ® NOEL ELLIS
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