I should now think of closing my autobiography. I have endeavoured to cover as much of my life as possible from a personal angle. I have done all that from memory and believe that I have been able to highlight most of the happenings, both serious and frivolous, and in my official and personal life. I have not made any attempt to discuss the project with anyone so far but would like to get some inputs from those contemporaries who can recall any incident or people which might have escaped my attention. I will keep the book open for some more time in an effort to include any other material that will be made available to me from time to time. Perhaps in a few years if I am still around I can think of adding a few more pages from my life from here on. My children have been a great source of inspiration to me in this work. Over the years I have recounted to them various incidents from my life which they used to listen with avid pleasure. It gave me this idea of putting them down in writing for posterity to read and enjoy. If some of those who shared my early experiences in life as a growing up child and adolescent can identify themselves with some of the anecdotes I have put down, I will be amply rewarded for my troubles.

It would be appropriate at this stage to look back on the more than three score and ten years of my life. Although born into a cultured and educated family with moderate means of livelihood the drive I showed in my earlier years for a different and perhaps a richer life mellowed down over a period. The early loss of my mother when I was only 15 deprived me of the love and affection only a mother could provide. I missed her inspirational guidance, encouragement and appreciation in the formative years and I was mostly left to fend for myself. Driven by self doubt and lack of encouragement and guidance I drifted away achieving nothing in my scholastic career after showing tremendous promise. My father who could have filled the gap failed to do so and I was left in the care of those who had only sympathy to give. Without anyone’s help I charted a course for myself and having given up early a fruitful academic career I thought I would make a success of a writing career. But lack of opportunities in that field and my own lack of a professional training did not help me make any head way. A decision to earn a living by accepting a routine 9 to 5 job and try to make something of my life as time passes on was hastened by the abject loneliness I was going through during that period. Getting married and raising a family turned out to be the only option that seemed to be available now. I tried to be different from the ordinary by utilizing my latent talents in writing, speaking and organizing. I am happy I did succeed in this to a considerable extent. But this success in the eyes of many was hollow because it did not bring me riches which if it had been otherwise would have gladdened their hearts. I did not amass wealth nor did I acquire properties, the two yardsticks by which one measured one’s success. Nevertheless I am quite happy and contented now to have left a fine legacy in the form of my children who have shown great promise and future achievements in their own fields of activities.

From the early years my priorities were different. I am afraid I will not be remembered on any of these accounts but would feel only grateful for the love and happiness I was able to share with my dear and near ones starting from my Grandmother, Uncles Radha and Ramamurthy, Aunties Meenakshi, Rasamma and Kalyani, my Cousins Rajamani, Das, Sethu, Krishnaswamy (aka Kunjan), Suguna, Janaki (aka Kunjamma), Rajathi, Kannan, Venu, Thangam, Pankajam, Babu, Vinod, Suni, Shanthi, Prakash, Mohan, Latha, Usha, my brothers Kitchu, Rajan, Chandru, sisters Lakshmi (aka Ammudu) and Vimala, my paternal Uncles Krishna Iyer ( Chellappa), Balakrishnan (Balan Chithappa) and Chithi, cousins Kunja, Ramani, Kamala, Chandra and Jana over a period of seven and a half decades. Above all my beloved wives Raji and Jaya have been a life long source of love and happiness which cannot be measured by any yardstick. I am besotted to my father and mother who will always remain my beacon lights for the rest of my life as they have all through my life so far. I must say these qualities of mine have to a great extent helped remove anger and suspicion my own kith and kin had towards me at various stages in our life.