NII is a real beauty, may be scarred occasionally. It is beautiful because it is the kind of workplace where you can see and feel the pinkish-orange sunset and listen to the pitter-patter of raindrops and smell the musky smell of the damp earth while you go about doing your experiments to discover exactly what Nature is. The cool breeze envelops us tight and secure. The undulating roads inside curving gently let us know that life's curves are gentler still. Architecture is to be seen to be admired.
Countdown to Foundation Day. Dumb charades, nukkad naataks, musical chairs, treasure hunt, rangoli, badminton matches, carroms among others weaved the fabric to drape on the D-day itself.
Over to the D-day. The regal auditorium looked resplendent. Scientists and students and families alike wore the colors. Rahul's drumming was electric as is his persona even today. Him sharing the stage with Ayub, students and others, I was awestruck seeing Rahul, the scientist, take over as Rahul, the drummer. Beats bang on blowing in a full-blown symphony synchronized with a student's voice or dance, the curls of his frizzled hairs his crowning glory, an elegant beard on his kind face, he would revel in being the master of the drum. Not even the orchestra players who came later on could match his magic.
Students sang, danced, did skits. Familiar? But mesmerising and full of clarity. Families were there in full force, not just as attendees, but participants as well. Kids, adolescents danced their way to Western beats beating even Shimak Davar in originality and movements. Dr. Majumdar's wife and daughter were regulars, his wife on the harmonium and young cute daughter dancing to the song of Holi.
Padma Shri Prof. S. E. Hasnain, mentor and guide at my Eukaryotic Gene Expression lab at NII, is an amalgamation of a courageous scientist, a good human being and most of all, a jovial persona and a ghazal listener, creating harmony at the workplace and at home. Nasreen ma'am, Sir's wife, is the divine complement of Sir. And oh! what a melodious name she has. I remember I saw her first in a photograph in the lab and thought she was a student! Blessed with youthfulness and elegance!! I admire this and wonder. And their leitmotif of life is caring, akin to God. Time to time, in my life, I have been told by people, even by strangers, that I am blessed indeed.
I remember my lab full of individuals who stood for everything that is nice and good in life, sharing yet finding their own little peaceful space. Sandeep and Bipasha, cute couple and my first teachers in Ph.D, are childhood sweethearts, travelling together through their kindergarten, school, college, Ph.D years further on. Amazing! They are thorough individuals with all the requisite humility of true scientists. I remember Sandeep giving me his own paper on a protein PPBP, and the very next day, he wanted to know my doubts on it! It was a pleasant surprise to see that there was Saman too, my dearest friend, whom I had befriended much before in the RSH, and it was delightful to work with her. Irshad, Anjali, Akash, Parimalda, Venky, Natty and so many others all made the small lab a very energetic and congenial place. And wonder of wonders!, we worked listening to ghazals on the tape-recorder in the lab, absorbing the music and soothing our working minds. It all seems like a happy-go-lucky dream...
Know how Prof. G. P. Talwar, the Founder, connected with students. He would go all the way to RSH mess and check out the food that was being prepared for the students, the workforce! Nutrition first, work later was his fatherly touch.
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