My Musings on Retiremnt

 My Musings: The Retirement

Just in case some of you forgot what it's like receiving a call on your hardeaned holidays in Andamans, "what're you doing there when your own office is in deep trouble. How about cutting short your tour and return immediately, we'll ensure the smooth passage the conveyance bill". An ever alert wife by my side, immdiately rescues me with a sound alibi of unwell mother accompanying me. Or while waiting for the announcement of next rite date during a cremation, suddenly the shrill tone of my mobile phone announces the boss at the other end. I try to lower the volume and unintentionally cut it. Moments later, when I call back my marching orders are conveyed in a crisp message. Instead of going home for bath, I rush to my boss's office and barge in to let him know the reason..... 

So many anecdotes when you were made to feel like a zombie or the Dzin of the Lamp come sauntering out of the memory Bank. And then after a certain age, they stop testing your nerves, which had by then gone numb. You return to your moorings peacefully, with an unparalleled zeal of catching with your sleeps, friends, books and innumerable little deviant ways & detours, not necessarily in the same order. It takes a while to get hold of the dreamt lethargy, putting off things and procrastination, all the noblest deeds that lay in hibernation for the summers or is it the Sunsets of life. 

After a fortnight, when the celebrations of retirement die down, you're finally alone with yourself. All this while I forgot about the famous "mirror mirror on the wall". One peep at it and I absent mindedly take out my nonmyopic glasses. Quite a large number of grey hair have gathered in, like opposition in the Well of the house, to cow me down and as a reminder that the youth would soon be outnumbered by the wise owls. I decide to remove the brash opposition. And my first encounter with procrastination walks in waving white flag. When media is on your side don't create a fuss. So grows the beard till my wife decides that I'm not presentable before the visiting relatives. 

One call from my still working friend takes him by surprise when I routinely answer that the bath is a taboo before noon. I now begin to realise that I'm quietly taking control of the moments which would otherwise slip away earlier. 

Slowly your charm no more rubs on your spouse as she unravels a host of excuses to  leave you alone. And like Edison, your Eureka moments arrive. A great new world opens up before you. Time to go for picking up the mighty pen, after the college, to write how your fears followed you and which talisman saves you easily. You guessed it right sleep with your enemy (.....) . 

And as the days evaporate gradually you realize that your vocal chords, seldom used to shout down your juniors, lovingly adopt to the choicest songs, so much so that you don't have to lower the volume when your wife is around. And she also sighs a sense of relief as she is no more worried about it with silver in my hair. 

Other pursuits follow like drawing & painting and DIY.  She is more than satisfied that the Dzin of her Lamp is busy unto himself and not straying away, I presume, as if she cares.

⚓ soliloquy