An Evening with
Rajiv and Jyotsna from Amsterdam
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
November 5, 2025
Day before Yesterday (November 3, 2025) evening turned
out to be one of those rare, heartwarming moments that life occasionally gifts
us, when memories, relationships, and stories of history seamlessly blend with
the present. Along with my wife Vijayalakshmi, and joined by our daughter
Prema, I had the unique pleasure of hosting Rajiv and Jyotsna, a gracious
couple from Amsterdam. They are close family friends of our son Aditya and
daughter-in-law Parul, and their visit added a delightful spark to our evening.
The occasion was casual, dinner preceded by a small ‘Social
Drink,’ courtesy of Rajiv’s thoughtful Single Malt Gift. Yet the experience
grew into something far beyond the ordinary. Rajiv is in Hyderabad to
participate in an international golf tournament and was accompanied by his wife
Jyotsna, with plans to spend a week here before moving on to Delhi to meet his
relatives.
Our association with them goes back to our own visit
to Amsterdam last year to spend over two months of holiday with my son Aditya’s
family, when Rajiv and Jyotsna had warmly hosted us as special guests. That
hospitality had left a lasting impression, and yesterday’s reunion carried that
‘Same Spirit’ of affection and camaraderie.
What made the evening truly memorable, however, was
not merely the fine dinner or friendly laughter, but the real-life stories that
surfaced through conversation. It all began with a simple, innocent question
from my wife Vijayalakshmi, as she often asks visiting couples, ‘How did you
both meet?’ From that moment on, a thread of reminiscences unraveled,
taking us on an emotional journey that connected generations and continents.
Rajiv, born in 1956, began narrating with pride and
affection the saga of his family, particularly of his illustrious father, Late Shri
HL Mehra, a person of remarkable courage, intellect, and integrity. The story
Rajiv shared was not just a personal tale, but it was a slice of the
subcontinent’s history.
Before moving to that part, Rajiv briefly recalled
with a smile how he first met Jyotsna. Their meeting, he said, took place in a ‘Moderate
Gathering’ arranged from both the bride’s and groom’s side, though, as per
custom, they were the only two not allowed to meet each other! Yet, destiny had
its way. Their very next meeting was without anyone’s presence, and in that
quiet moment, they both instantly liked each other.
As Rajiv put it fondly, that was the beginning of
everything. Interestingly, Rajiv’s maternal side women relatives and Jyotsna’s
maternal side women relatives happened to be friends, and that friendly
connection gently shaped the alliance into a beautiful marriage. And the rest
was, what they are now as a lovely couple with affectionate children, a son,
and a daughter, well settled. What else one needs in life than fulfilment?
The Mehra family hailed from Peshawar, then a part of
British India. When the partition of India was announced in 1947, they, like
millions of others, faced the agonizing choice between homeland and safety.
Rajiv’s father, Mehra Ji then as a young man, had after his schooling and basic
college education, earlier moved to Allahabad in British India for further
studies, and later completed his MA and LLM from the prestigious Banaras
Hindu University, Varanasi.
After returning to his native Peshawar, he began a
professional practice, something like a law firm, and was well established
there when the partition process began. As conditions deteriorated, his staff,
friends, and well-wishers strongly advised him to move to the Indian side
before matters turned worse. His mother and elder sisters had already left for
Delhi just before the division. On August 14, 1947, the day before
India’s independence, he disguised himself with a beard and under a different
name, managed to reach the railway station with the help of an army officer
friend, and boarded a ‘Train to India.’
Listening to Rajiv narrate this episode, I was
involuntarily reminded of Khushwant Singh’s classic novel Train to Pakistan,
that haunting literary reminder of pain, hope, and rebirth during partition. Arriving
in India on August 15, 1947, the day the tricolor first fluttered in
free skies, HL Mehra had to rebuild life from the ashes of displacement. His
resilience soon found its path. After a short stint with the Birla Group that
offered him a good position, he was selected for the Indian Revenue Service, opting
for public service over private gain, a choice that defined his life and
legacy. It could be those days preference.
Rising through the ranks, Mehra served with exemplary
dedication, earning a reputation for his integrity and discipline. His
contribution to the Integration of Princely Rajasthan into the Indian
Union stands out as a significant chapter in administrative history. Later, he
became the First Income Tax Officer in Jammu and Kashmir after partition,
a challenging posting during a politically volatile period. Rajiv fondly
recalled how the family once hosted Morarji Desai, then Finance Minister
and later Prime Minister of India, during his visit to Srinagar.
HL Mehra Ji retired in 1978 as Commissioner of Income
Tax but was given a two-year extension in recognition of his outstanding
service. He lived a full, remarkable life of 102 years, passing away in
2022, still in sound health and sharp mind, a testimony to both discipline and
grace.
As Rajiv and Jyotsna recounted these episodes, their
narrative carried both pride and nostalgia; pride in the values inherited from
a towering father, and nostalgia for a time when commitment to nation-building
overshadowed personal comfort. They also spoke warmly about their
four-decade-long life in Amsterdam, their children, and the close-knit circle
of friends they cherish there, the recent friendship with my son’s family, Rajiv’s,
and Aditya’s common interest in Golf etc. They shared how every year, even
after migrating, they celebrated Mehra’s birthdays with deep respect, especially
his 99th, 100th, and 101st half year birthday milestones,
making a difference in view of Carona Endemic.
For us, listening to them was an experience far beyond
an ordinary dinner conversation. It was a rediscovery of how life stories, when
shared in sincerity, bridge generations and continents. Such meetings remind us
that the world, despite distances, remains bound by human emotions, of love,
gratitude, and remembrance.
As we concluded the evening with warm smiles and
promises to meet again, I realized that encounters like these are not merely
social occasions. They are windows into unseen lives, forgotten histories, and
new friendships. They inspire reflection on the enduring human spirit, one that
travels through time, geography, and circumstance, but never loses its warmth.
It was a memorable evening that we enjoyed.
No comments:
Post a Comment