My Roller-Coaster Ride of A Life

“Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us.” – Oscar Wilde / My varied and chequered career has spanned medicine, law, journalism, medical administration and literature. It has been inconsistent: sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes exciting, but always interesting. I chose my interests carefully but gave each one my wholehearted attention and effort. Being a Jack-of-all-trades- and-master-of-none never appealed to me. Though born in a small village, I spent much of my childhood and had my primary education in a town.
I completed my schooling in a city, underwent professional training in a metropolis, and thereafter served in various medical colleges and hospitals. As I was climbing the ladder of education, on the sociocultural front, these decades unfortunately witnessed a gradual decline in the joint family system. By the time I entered a professional college, my rich Marwari joint family had transformed into a nuclear middle-class household. From then onwards, life was different and often difficult, however never monotonous. Many people overtly and subtly influenced my life, and for their salutary contributions, I consider myself exceptionally fortunate.
Students, friends, and well-wishers have ensured that even at the age of eighty-eight, I continue to work actively and that too in two hospitals. To this day, the fire of inquiry that was started and stoked by my students burns in me. I have not merely sampled but carefully and formally trained in many disciplines and practiced them. My varied interests may appear as whims to some, but to me, they have been my tonic. I’ve been across the length and breadth of our beautiful country, worn many hats, and met and interacted with people from all walks of life. Certainly, I have met with various challenges and had some disappointments, but the moments of sublime triumphs overshadowed them all.
Even if given a choice, I would never want to exchange my life for another. When I reminisce, I do so with a mixture of pride, joy, and occasional regret. This book is a collection of those reminiscences. I trust you will enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed living them and compiling them for you.