23 years later, in Chandigarh

August 2026

23 years is a long time, but the moment I met Sri Sardari Lal Doda ji, my Regional Head in my first posting as an officer at Kanpur, again in Chandigarh yesterday, it felt like coming home. He has been my mentor, my role model, and one of the finest leaders I have known. As we recollected our time together at Kanpur, my heart filled with gratitude for everything he has given me - wisdom, guidance, and an example worth following for a lifetime. Thank you, Sir.

It is a coincidence that I occupied the same seat he occupied as All India Service Officer at Kanpur. His unquestionable honesty, impeccable integrity, utmost devotion, compassion and dedication to work and the Bank is also a virtue to be imbibed by all of us.

His love and affection for the quartet - Bharat Bhushan Mutreja, Puran Chand Khurana, Kavita Thakur, and me, remains unparalleled and immeasurable. He never treated us as merely his team; he made us feel like family. Even after all these years apart, that bond has not faded one bit. The warmth in his eyes when we met again today said everything that words could not.

What touched me even more was that his dear wife remembered meeting my wife and me at the market in Gumti No. 5, Kanpur some 26 years ago. To be remembered with such fondness, even the chance encounters, after all these years is nothing short of a blessing. It speaks volumes about the beautiful souls they are and how they value people.

Some relationships are not bound by time or distance.

Sir, your affection continues to guide us, and today only deepened the respect and love we hold for you and Madam. May the Almighty always keep you both healthy, happy, and blessed. Truly a day I will treasure for the rest of my life.

First posted on LinkedIn.