life at guntur

I stayed with my brother at guntur. We were alone. He never asked me to cook. By the time I get up milkman would have brought milk and my brother would boil it and prepare coffee dicoction ready. We were just getting ready and go to Sankar vilas and have meals there and I would go to the branch and he to hospital.His friends were my friends. they were Satyanaraya ,a doctor ,Kasaiah, research scholar of economics,Krishnamurthy,medical representative and his brother Kameswara rao ,he too a medical representative,and Pantulu garu bank employee. Every evening they would all come to our house and we used to gossip. They never made me feel I was a girland I moved with them freely. Frequently we all would go to cinemas second shows only.I enjoyed the time after my banking hours more . Satyanarayana used to come to our house even after my brothers transfer to Tirupathi. But after my marriage I lost contact with him. Even to day Kasaiah and Krisnamurthy are in touch now and then.

Soon after my joining in the bank my brother got transfer orders to Tirupathi. I did not know what to do. My parents and brother did not anticipate that I would secure ajob in bank and that too in Guntur. So from the day my brother got transferred to Guntur he had been following up for transfer to Tirupathi and it got materialised on the day of my posting to Guntur. See the play of fate.

My firstday at canara bank guntur

I think thye had given me four days joining time. So I left for Guntur after my sister was discharged from district headquartes, Chittoor. My brother was staying at Brodipet, fourth line opposite Ravi institute. In those days that was very famous for giving coaching for Eamcet appearing students. He was there alone. His family was at Tirupathi with my parents.Seethai, my brothers youngets son was suffering from thyroid problem from birth. But it has taken more than two years for my brother to evaluate it ,inspite of he being a doctor. Medicines were started . So he kept his family with my parents for the sake of his children.

On that we got ready and he accompanied me to Canara bank along with his friend. It seems that his friend told he knows certain employee and he belonged to Tirupathi only. THe branch was near market area and college. It was upstairs. My brothers friend went and told his acquaintance about me. They called us inside managers cabin. I gave my appointment letter and transfer letter from STC,Bangalore. After staying for fifteen minutes ,they left. There was so much rush in the branch insisde the counter and outside the counter. Seeing all those I was afraid whether I could successfully manage the job or not. I was afraid that I could not remember all therinames and get acquainted easily with each one of them.

They made me sit in the SBcounter and told me what to do. But actually I dont know what Idid that day. Rather than excited Iwas tensed up.

Last two days at stc ,bangalore

Everyone was excited about their postings.They were going to head office to enquire or influence if they had any connections. I did neither because I didnot know what to think or do in that direction. They arranged group photo with faculty. THey said that they would give each one one copy on the last day. On Saturday they arranged lunch and small get together. But as Bangalore was new to me, my father did not feel confident that Icould return to Tirupathi succesfully.At that time. my second sister and brotherinlaw were at Kuppam. So my father asked my brother in law to go to bangalore and take me to Kuppam. Then I could safely return to Tirupathi. I feel Prakash Rao, my brotherinlaw was not eager but some how he could not refuse my fathers request. So he came by afternoon and immediately he told me we had to start and go to railway station, otherwise we might miss the train. I was enthusiastic about the the lunch and gettogether but he would not fear of it. So reluctantly I missed everything and accompanied him to railway station. I couldnot even collect our group photo. Someone said they would pass it onj to me but it never materialised.We had to wait for nearly more than two to three hours at railway station. We could easily have attended the function and boarded the train. But alas. it was not to be so.

By the time we reached Kuppam and had gon ehome, my sister was not there. House owner said that she had amiscarriage and she had severe bleading which could not be controlled. So her hospital staff hed taken her to district hospital at Chittoor.In those days my brother in law was not communicative with us. Hearing these developments he became very grim. He would have thought because of me only all this has happened. But for me he would have stayed at KUppam and would have looked after my sister. I was afraid. Early in the morning we left for Chittor and directly we went to didtrict head quarters. My parents and my brother were already there. I had to join at Guntur, my place of posting , on Monday.It would take one or two days for my sisters discharge. She was alright by the time we saw her. My father told me to go to Tirupathi immediately and get ready for my stay at guntur. So without even breakfast I left for Tirupathi. Everyone was concerned about my sisters health. No ome was interested in my job .

joining at CB,STC,BANGALORE

My first posting was to STC,Bangalore for fifteen days. My father accompanied me to Bangalore. We started by night and reched there in the early hours. We tried so many lodges, but could not secure a room. So, we sayed in the busstop till morning and went to STCby 10am.Like me there were 40 students.WEintroduced our selves.They taught us every thing. It was an induction course. We all participated eagerly.WEwere shown a hostel to stay near stc. In each room four to five members stayed. In some rooms boys satyed and in some rooms girls stayed. I t was exciting . Every one become frieds with other members. I remember some of their names. they are Chandini Tatcharya, Rajashri, Rangarao,Prabhakar rao and others.In the evenings, we used to go out and see the city. We used to get ready by 9.30am and go to Kamath hotel and have break fast. In the after noon , we used to go to lunch to another Kamath hotel.Every alternate hotel in BANGALORE WAS NAMED AS kAMATH. i SAW HINDI MOVIES THERE LIKE HUM KISSI SE KAM NAHIN, AND ANOTHER. dURING NIGHTS WE USED TO GO TO BIG HOTELS WHERE SINGERS WILL SING AND BE DANCING ON THE FLOOR AS IN MOVIES IN DIM LIGHTS.

Those fifteen days I enjoye dlike hell.I was a free bird.

appointment letter from Canara Bank

I got my appoint ment letter from Canara bank. No one in my family wanted me to join there. THey were all gazetted officers and I was about to join as a clerk. If I continue my research I can one day acquire doctorate. But I was adament. I was more influenced by my colleagues at SV UNVERSITY TO JOIN ANY WHITE COLLARED JOB.In between, I applied for medical representative post for bog pharmaceutical companies. I got interview letter also. In those days. for ladies they would give postings in the cities and they need not travel all the time. My brothers and sisters refused to let me attend the interview . THey said that doctors abuse medical represantatives and look them down. They were not given proper respsct. Like this every job I wanted to take up they did not like it. But how can I become a gazetted officer with no professional degree?

My guide at the university was a palmist. He would tell our past, present AND FUTURE BY SEEING OUR PALM AND ITS LINES. He saw my palm and told me that if Icontinued my research I would become world famous . But if I quit it, I would lead very below normal life and an obscure life wher e there will be no excitement, no thrill ,no satisfactionand no contentment. He also to;ld that Just because Iwas leaving his guidance ,he was not saying so. the lines depicted such consequences. Even after hearing all that Idecided to quit research and join the Bank.

my job interviews

Iattended Canara bank interview at Hyderabad circle office.Iwore light rose plain saree.Ihad gone in the interview in the afternoon. THey asked simple questions and Ididnot feel any attention.Thye asked me if I knew typing . I told them that I didnot know.THen they asked me what the emblem of the bank was. I really did not know. I told them that as there was no Canara bank at Tirupathi Idid not know about the logo and emblem.My interview occured durind emergecy period in 1977.I attended Bank of Maharashtra interview also the very next day. From both the banks I recieved letters that i had been kept in waiting list.Iattended Andharbank interview at Tirupathi. I was the first one to attend the interview . I wrote the written test so perfectly that i WAS SURE iGOT ALMOST centum. But then andhra bank was not nationalised .So they did not ask any questions and they selected candidates who had either recommendations or money. So ,Ijoined as a research fellow and continued till I got my appointmentletter from Canara Bank.

my project

My project in research was role of growth promoters and retardents in Cucurbitaceae. THe reason was there wide range shepes and sizes in Cucuebitaceaelike snake gourd, pumpkin, cucumber and one wild variety which was single seeded and very small. I started doing experiments. Ethyl alcohol was important to take extracts of fruits and analise the quanity of gibberlins, auxins and reatardent cytokinin. Gibberlins and auxins were growth promoters. THere was stiff competition for etheline and space in Ac lab where we have to keep the seeslings for growth under isotonic condition, light and temperature. Some how I did preliminary work and submitted. Our guide told me to send those papers for a science journal. I sent it. Since my handwriting was poor, he asked me to learn type and shorthand. Istarted going to type institute. Iwas collecting material for my project in sv library. Iwas given land in the garden to grow plants for my research.LIKE this almost one year was over.

One day my brother sent a cover that I got job in Canara bank and I was supposed to join at STC,Bangalore on 23/01/1978.It was almost 20 jan. Actually they were not interested in my joining clerical post. because al of them were gazetted officers.If I continued my research. oneday I too would acquire doctorate.But when I told my colleagues in the department, most of them advised me to join the batch. Because in those days , we had senior research fellow Malakondaiah ,who had come back to research because he could not secure a job even with a Ph.D.So I came home and tolld my father that I would quit research and join the bank. THere was protest from all around, even from our neighbors. Generally if we are cornered we feel like rebelling. So. I was adament and complete dthe formalitiesd to quit research because by that time I was getting UGCfellowship.

introduction -contd

Ididnot know at that time that fate had a completely different plan etched exclusively for me. I did Bsc(BZC).later Idid M.Sc in applied plant physiology. After that I could not secure a job in teaching field. So as a stop gap I bought Upkar guide for competitive exams and starte dpreparing for it. I attended Andhra bank, BANK OF mAHARASHTRA. Canara bank clerical exams.I attempted officers test in IOB.Iwrote Indian FOREST SERVICE examination also as Ihads the minimum required height .I was actually preparing for IAS ALSO. Iprepare dnotes in Indian History and economics alsoby reading at SV library.

In the mean time , I tried my hand at research. I was a local candidate at SVUniversity. So even without stipend also I could join as aresearch scholar.So I contacted our professor Ramdas. He directe dme to READER K.Narayan rao. Nnarayan RAO WAS ANICE MAN. he used to mingle with students very freely. In those days to become a research assistant, we have to first submit a reportto the university on what subject we want to do research. With the help of Narayan RAO I prepared note s and submiitted. Practically I forgot about it. THe one fine morning I came to know that I was permitted to be a research scholar but with no fellowship.

preliminary introduction

Iam Bhagavathula Padmavathi working as Special assistant in Canara Bank at present. Iwant to share my experiences with you during my journey from 23/01/1978 till date . First of all Iwas not inclined to do any job. I was wishing that some rich man with highly romantic ideas would marry me and then I need not do any job. THere would be ample money and I can enjoy life to the maximum extent.But fate had