Two brothers, Panna Lal Bahal and Bihari Lal Bahal were my classmates and friends since our college days. We graduated through S P College in the year 1960. Both were Punjabi speaking Kashmiris. Smart dress of three-piece suit with necktie added to their graceful features.
After graduation, Bihari Lal joined Health Department, I hopped from one department to another including AG’s office and finally resigned from the Planning Department. Panna Lal shifted from LIC and retired as Sr. Audit Officer from AG’s office. Bihari Lal was fond of English movies. He used to come and take me along with despite my reluctance. He had a solution against my argument. He used to translate each dialogue for me in Hindi to the disturbance of other viewers. One day when I resisted, he agreed but opted for a stroll on Residency Road. At Regal Chowk, he pretended and went for Regal Cinema washroom. He returned with two tickets and resumed the job of translator for me.
January, 1968 snow all around, chilly mid night, on our return after third show at Paladium, Bihari Lal was surprised to spot a butcher’s shop without the butcher around open at Zaindar Mohalla. Bihari Lal expressed his desire for the purchase of mutton, but the seller was not traceable. Being myself from Zaindar Mohalla, I exercised my powers. I cut a piece, weighed it and chopped it and fulfilled the desire of my friend. Those days, Bahals were putting up at the outhouse of Mattoos at Karan Nagar. The house had two doors. Both the doors were closed and bolted from inside. One of the two Bahals, climbed the boundary wall and opened the door.
Mother-Chaie JI and Babi, managers of the kitchen took care of the pack of mutton and served us with non-vegetarian midnight dinner.
Next morning, I called the butcher Mohammad Sultan, and paid him for the mutton. He told me that he had asked Gani, owner of Gani Furniture across the road to keep a watch on his shop until his return. Unexpectedly, he met him in the cinema hall watching third show of the film.
After graduation, Bihari Lal joined Health Department, I hopped from one department to another including AG’s office and finally resigned from the Planning Department. Panna Lal shifted from LIC and retired as Sr. Audit Officer from AG’s office. Bihari Lal was fond of English movies. He used to come and take me along with despite my reluctance. He had a solution against my argument. He used to translate each dialogue for me in Hindi to the disturbance of other viewers. One day when I resisted, he agreed but opted for a stroll on Residency Road. At Regal Chowk, he pretended and went for Regal Cinema washroom. He returned with two tickets and resumed the job of translator for me.
January, 1968 snow all around, chilly mid night, on our return after third show at Paladium, Bihari Lal was surprised to spot a butcher’s shop without the butcher around open at Zaindar Mohalla. Bihari Lal expressed his desire for the purchase of mutton, but the seller was not traceable. Being myself from Zaindar Mohalla, I exercised my powers. I cut a piece, weighed it and chopped it and fulfilled the desire of my friend. Those days, Bahals were putting up at the outhouse of Mattoos at Karan Nagar. The house had two doors. Both the doors were closed and bolted from inside. One of the two Bahals, climbed the boundary wall and opened the door.
Mother-Chaie JI and Babi, managers of the kitchen took care of the pack of mutton and served us with non-vegetarian midnight dinner.
Next morning, I called the butcher Mohammad Sultan, and paid him for the mutton. He told me that he had asked Gani, owner of Gani Furniture across the road to keep a watch on his shop until his return. Unexpectedly, he met him in the cinema hall watching third show of the film.
Those days the SMHS Hospital was under the control of Dr. T N Malla. Bihari Lal was in the good books of Dr. Malla. Besides warden of the Doctors’ Hostel at Sheerien Bagh, Bihari Lal exercised many supervisory powers. Every evening in white apron, he used to take a round of all the wards to ensure alertness of the staff tidiness and upkeep of the wards. Many doctors were in queue on the waiting list for allotment in the hostel, when he accommodated me in one of the sets in the ground floor of the hostel.
Bihari Lal was a dynamic personality. He was well wisher of everybody. Unfortunately, he died in harness due to cardiac arrest.
Bihari Lal was a dynamic personality. He was well wisher of everybody. Unfortunately, he died in harness due to cardiac arrest.
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