When United India Insurance Company came calling
Retiring from a regular job is a significant milestone, isn’t it? The challenge often lies in how best to convey the news, even to those closest to you. Having spent more than three decades as a journalist and editor, I cannot say I have stepped away from corporate life. Nor can I say I am hanging up my boots. Instead, after a rewarding career spanning over 40 years, I now tell people that I am transitioning to a quieter chapter – one where I will design my own work and life, guided by the spirit of the moment and freedom over my time. This phase has also given me the chance to look back and revisit the early days. Perhaps the best job I ever had was when I was recruited as a management trainee by Tea Estates India, a Brooke Bond division. I spent a few months in the tea estates in Valparai, nestled in the Anamalai Hills of the Western Ghats. Born and brought up in Calcutta, I had no knowledge of Tamil then and struggled to keep conversation with planters. When father passed aw...
