My friend after post retirement

 Recently, one of my close friends called and shared that he is about to start a new career in Sanand, near Ahmedabad. I was surprised—after completing 58 years of age and retiring from Ashok Leyland as a senior manager, taking up a second job feels quite unexpected and, in a way, admirable.

Back in 1988, after completing my diploma, I began my career as a trainee supervisor at Rane Engine Valves Ltd with a starting salary of ₹750 per month. There were seven of us trainees, and among them, Sairam, Rao, and I became close friends during our training. Though we lived in different places around Ameerpet, we commuted together every day and became almost inseparable.

After work, we spent our time planning for higher studies and better job opportunities. We used to visit the library, read newspapers and Employment News, and prepare for competitive exams. For the first three years, we didn’t take these exams very seriously—we spent more time chatting, going to movies, and exploring new places together.

However, my parents often reminded me that without a good government job, it would be difficult to get married within our community. That gave me a push to take the exams more seriously. I was selected as a Loco Pilot after clearing the written test, interview, and medical exam, and I was posted to the Guntakal Division. But my parents were not in favor of me working as a train driver, so I gave up the offer.

Meanwhile, my friends kept trying for government jobs but weren’t successful in their attempts.

In October 1994, I resigned from my job and moved to Chennai, where I joined ICF. Around the same time, Mr. Rao was selected as a Junior Engineer at Tata Motors, while Mr. Sairam got promoted to Engineer at Rane Engine Valves Ltd. Later, Rao moved through several big companies like Mahindra & Mahindra, ABB, and finally Ashok Leyland. He took voluntary retirement a year ago with a final salary package of ₹30 lakhs. Sairam, who stayed at Rane Engine Valves Ltd throughout his career, retired at the age of 58 with a retirement package of ₹15 lakhs.

Now, both of them are settled in Chennai, and we often meet and catch up on our lives. During one such meeting, Mr. Rao surprised us by announcing that he’s joining a new job in Ahmedabad with a package of ₹6 lakhs. I spoke to both of them and realized that neither of them is truly at ease in retirement. I’ll share more about that in the next part.

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