~ Friend To a Banker ~

My Banker Friend, not the Manager but the Guard, a 60-year-old frail man who extols the exemplary of everyday life with a BIG smile every time I enter the bank.

His effervescence catches my eye, his zeal to live life his own way is a challenge to my understanding. How come at this age and at this tiring time when he should be guarded by his family member I seek him otherwise? 

Asked as to he has been on the bank duty everyday where else the bank comes to office in rotational shift , the quirky answer which came my ways was “ Sirji, I am the only Guard of this bank, I have to come as there is no replacement or backup of me.!”

Enclosing himself in a plastic PPE kit, synonymously looking like Medical assistant, he checks every new entrant to the bank with alacrity. 

His Magnum Opus was his agility to stand rock solid at the bank gate with his usual fervor setting an example, come what may, one has to do his duty, though now with more careful precedence.

Sitting on an almost broken wooden chair at the entrance, he holds his gun with honour and dignity of life which he has led – his best ornament which suffix his personality. Over the years, I see him roaming inside the bank with a watchful eye on customers and also guiding and sometime reprimanding them to not use mobile phone as per bank’s rules. 

He is called with a “Ji” as a suffix to his name by various bank employees, when they need him to do some petty task – such as moving a cheque-book or keeping a stack of forms from one chair to another.

Asking about his family, his face lit’s up in glory as he exemplifies his family’s history – “Sirji, I am a Jat from a nearby village and have enough property to fend for myself. I have three children and a lovable wife. Two of my sons work in fields near Najafgarh (a rural suburb attached to Delhi NCR), and my only daughter is studying in college.” 

Suddenly he starts to share about his plans of retirement from his working life. As per his plans, he intends to get to retirement mode next year after his daughter’s marriage – distinct set goal for a father of a Girl who turns out to be of a marriageable age! 

Jawahar Singh - as his name is, taught me life’s lessons though quite un-knowingly as it might seems to be. These Life lessons can be mesmeric and a guidance for all of us to be humble and simplistic approach towards one and all after all know knows time might kiss us with its ill-bound teaching and we get to learn these lessons the harder way!