Name: Shankar Narayan
AFG: 2575
Nickname: Shanks
(the hostel nickname cannot be put out in public)
DOB: 11
Aug 1964
DOM: 10
Jun 1994
Address: INHS
Asvini, Colaba, Mumbai – 400 005
Mobile: +91 9869444479
Spouse: Surgeon Captain Navneet Nath,
Pathologist in the Indian Navy
Daughter: Nimisha Nat Narayan, 20 years in Fourth Year of BBA, LLB at Symbiosis
Law School, NOIDA.
Others: Fudge – male, pug, 6 years
Petals - female, pug, 4 years
College Memories
Usually seen with : Kaul, Lona, Sexy, Sany, Shukla,
Sandha, Soodji, Rawat, Bhanu and many more (hostel); the Illad Gang of Vidya,
Inji, MS, Shanmu, PC1 on Dadar Chennai Express and during vacations.
Usually seen at: Boys Hostel, Reidii, Insti, Girls Hostel, Srinath Chalachitra Mandir
(Sunday morning shows of Shammi Kapoor movies), other movie theatres and at intercollege
fests all over the country.
Never seen at: Library
Tongue in cheek moment:
Had a patient with infertility in my
final MBBS Gynec Exam and managed to reach up to Rubin Insufflation Test for
Fallopian Tube patency when ABC asked me as to what I would do if one fallopian
tube was blocked and the other open….instantaneous answer was “Sir, I would
tell the couple to go home and try for a baby all over again”….the examiners
laughed…my guess worked, got 27/50 in viva.
Best Moments: Too many to recount all but the best part was growing up with all of
U. Just so that I do not upset TC, I
recount a few:
1. Joining
AFMC and 5M7
2. Being
spared ragging by Namby Senior (Q) because I was Illad and later, the same
evening, being spared ragging by Bagchi (Q) because I could speak Bong
3. First MB Physiology viva where
unexpectedly got a ‘D’
4. Bunking clinics in second MB
5. Buying chocolates on return trip after
forensic autopsy at BJ
6. In retrospect, highly pointless but
interesting discussions on a wide range of topics including whether a tractor
has proper brakes, Buddha and his philosophy of life, Pay packets of movie
stars, World Cups (football and cricket) and the like, all indulged in to avoid
studying (and remember, we did not have google to resolve arguments by
resorting to facts!)
7. Running to Mains to get Free Shots
published on time, great teamwork with Sany, Viqi, DJ and a host of others
8. Elections,
campaigning, planning parties, destabilizing opponents’ campaigns
9. Requesting Col Rajoo for his liquor book
to meet our alcohol requirements, rest met by Creswell….
10. Holi when Lona made Bhang loaded Thandai
and we slept for days together after consuming that potent stuff
11. Playing pranks on others including Rock in
combination with Bhalla, Sood and party
12. Strike and the raid on the Insti
13. The Socials and Election Parties
14. Outstation Festivals where we had great
fun
15. College Colours for Literary Activities
16. Becoming Hobbies Club Secretary and
College Photographer, latter giving access to may otherwise ‘out of bounds’
areas including inside Girls Hostel
17. Learning how to play Squash ably tutored
by Mandy.
18. Slapping Dinesh Kapoor (V) in U block for
playing cricket and disturbing us in 6 term and subsequently convincing Rock to
admonish him, in the latter activity, silently supported by Suri, Rawat, Sandha
by their mere intimidating presence and Rock quickly taking my side!!
19. Mrs Ranganathan in Dean’s Office telling
me that I had passed Final MBBS
20. Mattu (Sunil Kumar Pandurang Matwankar)
changing my choice of Navy to Army just a day before the list was to be sent to
Delhi for final approval and on coming to know of this, I met Col Bhalla
(Vijay’s Dad) and explained the situation who then blasted Mattu and ensured I
got the Navy, for which I am ever grateful to him. May God Bless His Soul.
Favourite Teacher: Almost all of them, unfair to name
only a few
What I would change about myself: If back in college, I would do all
those things I did all over again in the same way, no regrets on any issue
Wish I could Change about AFMC: Reintroduce Elections
If I was not a Doctor: I had joined BA (English
Hons) in St Xavier’s Calcutta while on waitlist for AFMC, probably would have
gone on to become a journalist or joined the Civil Services
Journey through AFMC: Great.
Joined late and got my zero cut, black and whites fresher outfit, later
got uniform from Vidapati, Term badges, Apron with the black buttons, Sanjeev
Saxena and Harninder Singh in 5M7 as roomies.
I think, looking at Sexy’s and my wayward ways, Harni saw no future in staying
with us and Kaul joined us the next term as an occasional rum sipper….
For a gawky late teen who had no
connection with the Services and had stayed all his life in one place, was
thrown into the melting pot of batchmates from different parts of the country,
different customs, different tales…was an amazing experience. And who can forget the numerous expletives
that one picked up in different languages and dialects!!
The
afternoons in the Dissection Hall, the ragging which later ensured I had
friends amongst seniors, the various activities in and outside the hostel,
managing on the shoe-string budget far away from home, donating blood for Rs
20/- if the bank balance fell short, exploring Pune…and finally, somehow
clearing First MB.
Second
Prof brought with it more confidence and self-belief in myself and the
knowledge that I could rely on each one of U. There was no looking back
thereafter. The reticent, somewhat shy
and a little under-confident me was transformed………Socials, Elections, Inter-batch
Competitions, BB Week, GH visits and Fests like Mood I, Mardi Gras, Pulse,
Tarang, etc., where apart from keeping the College flag flying high,
experienced personal highs also, courtesy some good quality (?Yakub?) “stuff”
being passed around.
College
life was full of many individual events which meshed together and formed the
fabric of our togetherness. Despite the
fact that there were some who objected to the doles handed out to prospective
voters in elections, notwithstanding the severe disapproval (by some) of late
night Anat break-ins to see specimens and handing over “considerations” to
Kamble at his humble abode for the Biochem practicals, despite many of us earning
the wrath of Micro demos for identifying a guinea pig as a rabbit or vice versa
in the exam (still don’t know what the hell it was)….we managed as a great
batch….
And
that was the magic. Like I said, many
incidents. Including one class on
Communicable Diseases where Brig Dutta (some of us are Brigs today!!) walked in
and condescendingly asked the class to name three communicable
diseases…..”Rabies, Scabies and Babies” was the answer from a last bencher
leading to a walk-out by Brig Dutta followed by freak-out at Dinesh’s college
branch of the Insti…..to date Aggie denies he was the back bencher who made
that famous statement….
The
good that happened is remembered and rightly so. Like I said, growing up together, playing
pranks on each other (including hiding Suman Murthy’s uniform when she had
changed into scrubs and was inside the OT….and Suman, promise I did not do it
and I seriously do not know the guy who did it)..chucking eggs, fights over
football matches..
Drams
Club and Valsan being told by SBD to “eemprooobh hees dheekshan”….Strike, Rahul
Theatre, Empress Garden stabbing, GAS Chamber (Ghatak, Acharya and Sany’s
room), Dhanvantari, Photography, Art Centre, 5 Star Stationers (Anoop is still
a good friend and we are on Whatsapp), Sliver Inn famous Butter Chicken with
eosin as colouring agent, Marzorin, Manneys and I can go on and on….not to miss
the famous Srinath Chalachitra Mandir on the infamous Budhwarpeth which
screened Shammi Kapoor movies at 1100 hrs every Sunday…
Probably
the only constants in this ever changing whirlpool of events were U batch
winning everything in sight every time and BKG consistently topping being given
a close run by Addu, Suman Murthy, Jasmina, KK, Inji and the like….
Time
flew, and many liaisons in the Boys’ as well as Girls’ Hostels later, the day came
when I was told it was time to move on…..glad at clearing the Final MB but sad
to leave college…..this period saw a large number of nights and days being
dedicated to alcoholic binges and story telling sessions…finally leading out to
the PoP and donning whites.
What
a journey….I am sure I have left out many events, many places and most
importantly, many of U but then, you cannot compress a lifetime of experiences
into a few words….
Journey so far: Joined Asvini for Internship
along with Inji, Ahlu, Mani TC (in OGs) and Goyle; Jackie, Muttu and Mohit
joined soon. Great time with work as well as fun including exploring the Bombay
of those days…
After completing MOBC 99 with
majority of U, posted to INS Ganga, a frigate where I learnt to stand up to the
non-medical officers who try to dominate doctors…then on to INS Rana, a
destroyer where I managed to do a course on computers (in the days of the
double-sided, double density 3.5 inch floppy disks) followed by Introductory
Course in Aviation Medicine with Sexy, ArJo et al. Lot of chopper rides from ship and many
photographs later, while on Rana, appeared for PG entrance the first time but
did not make it. This was also the time
when we use to intermittently habitate Goyle’s room in the WNC Mess on weekends
while he pursued his amorous interests elsewhere and every day that Jackie,
Muttu and I were ashore, would land up at the Shamiana (iconic coffee shop at
Taj Mahal Hotel). Years later, in 2015, the same trio of Jackie, Muttu and me
went looking for Annie Briganza, the hostess at Shamiana during those days whom
we had nicknamed Sunshine……only to realize life had moved on and so had Annie….
After
almost three years afloat, posted back to Asvini for a short while when Cutts
(RJ) joined us in whites. Soon
thereafter, moved off to the Coast Guard at Porbandar where Lona landed up one
fine day from Jamnagar on his Bullet and we finished a bottle of White Horse
scotch between the two of us that evening.
Joined PG in Pediatrics at AFMC, met Navneet who was doing her PG in
Pathology, fell in love and the rest is history including my by now reasonable
fluency in Punjabi…..
Navneet
joined the Navy, we got married in Pune, moved to Vizag and managed to
negotiate the first specialist posting well with a new NICU constructed and
equipped there and CNS commendations for the Wardmaster, the Pediatric NO and
myself in that order. It was during this time that our daughter, Nimisha was
born and I attended the LSCS, being the only Pediatrician….parenthood was
fun….Moved to Port Blair after three years in Vizag where we had a whale of a
time throughout with special fun when Jackie came on temporary duty once. Moved to AIIMS in Delhi for Neonatology
following which back to Asvini, and along with the professional work was roped
into MES related works by the CO (Adm VK Singh!!)….learnt a lot, oversaw
construction details of the new hospital building from users point of view and
had the first coffee table book on Asvini published. Picked up second CNS
commendation in this tenure.
Moved
to AHRR and was off to Kings College Hospital London for training in Liver Transplantation,
was part of the original transplant team at AHRR, provided the before and after
care for the first successful pediatric liver transplant in the Armed Forces
and also held the record for the youngest kid transplanted (11 months) for a
few months till Appollo Hospital beat us to it by transplanting a 7 month
old. Has an extremely satisfying tenure
at AHRR where I picked up my Senior Advisor post. This was followed by four
years in Vizag where was involved with the planning of the new 604 bedded
Command Hospital…again learnt a lot.
Nimisha joined Law School from Vizag after her 12th.
Sep
2013, at Asvini as Prof and HoD, was awarded the VSM, continuing there as
Consultant since Jun 16.
Navneet,
all this while, has been admirably doing her major bit at work and on the home
front; she was the first lady to lead a platoon in a ceremonial parade in the
Navy, was part of a team that circumnavigated the globe on the tall ship INS
Tarangini and has been her usual self, full of life. All this she manages while
looking after the two of us!!!
I
have knowingly left out the many interactions that we have had with many of U
and the extended U family because of major limitations of space but would be willing
to recount them in Goa!
Over
the years, the one thing which has never ceased to amaze me is the fact that I
have, to date, never heard anyone talk even slightly adversely about any of
U….both up and down the seniority ladder….that speaks volumes about each and
every one of Us. I am very grateful to
have been made a part of U and live a contended life with the knowledge that
this support system will always be there for me and my family.
Where I see myself in the next ten years:
Leading a retired life; no 8th pay commission for me!!!
Acknowledgement: My heartfelt gratitude to TC without
whose persistent gentle nudging, I would not have blabbered so much. Girl,
where were you all these years???!!!!
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