This book chronicles the time and events of those days, which were no lesser than a golden era. The author N.S. Ravi is a highly intellectual and holds mesmerizing memory. I was bemused to note the minute details and precision he brought out in the book, from his childhood memories of staying in Delhi to traveling and his jobs at various countries and encounters at custom points at airports.
He succinctly managed to paint the canvas with memories of yester years. Reading this book was like going through black and white Bollywood movies of Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand where in the background we could see that time’s culture and habits. My uncle used to have Facit and Comptometer. He was a master in them and held a few jobs at transport and other companies, he was a well-paid man, and people respected him as he knew something which was never used commonly in our Mohalla. I would ask him some questions about the same but he was never able to explain me. Also, when I used to go to my grandmother’s home, half of my journey used to be on either Tonga or Phatphatias. It used to be so charming and the experience gained of all that is still fresh in my heart. Lovely were those days.
Intangibly, the book is divided into two parts, experience of the rising India, and N.S. Ravi’s foreign tours and abroad work experience. He must have been a lucky guy to see both the worlds evolving at first hand. There came and went many books on India, but the way this book convinces you of the events and chores of yester year’s people, society, relationships, and the country has whole is stupendous.
Do you remember that charming song ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’? A gamut of variety about India rolls back, just like a lot of aspects of our India rolls back in this fascinating read.
Writing an engaging and engrossing non-fiction is a huge responsibility and N.S. Ravi did it with panache and his personal stories of childhood and youth add vigor to the overall narration.
ibooksta 