Despite the fact that I myself knew to type and could easily draft at home but I thought it better to get it done from the typist quickly as per the set language of the courts.

Knowing I have retired from the services, the typist – who was little known to me by face but not  by name – tried to engage me into a conversation by saying, So dear, you must be free for whole of the day now a day and must be going for a walk in the morning and evening.

For a moment, I thought that as to how the people think that every retired person has nothing to do. Anyhow, I tried to tell him that I finish my cycling not walking daily for 10 to 15 km in the morning, then the whole day I remain busy and have no time to sit and brood or worry.

Another one of close friend of mine, to whom we used to call DK – Darshan Kumar – who too is retired now and settled in a small town of Punjab – is most of the time watches TV and busy on the social media apps and hesitates to come to me or go out even for the most essential errands saying I have retired and have done enough.  For daily necessities, his poor wife has to run around to the nearby market. They have a perpetual complaint that whenever they ring up, I am either out of home or busy with someone.

For an employee, retirement is a part of life.  While it definitely poses a challenge to some but it is more depends as to how you take it.  It is not all the end of active life rather it is a start of real and relaxed life, reading each word of the newspaper over cups of tea or watching TV.  I don’t know as to how the time is passed while attending the meetings of social organizations, joining the counseling of marital dispute cases twice a week.  There are also other persons who often come to me, for consultation as if I am expert in every field and some time to draft a letter, which art is now lacking in the new generation.

Frankly speaking, this question, “How do you keep yourself busy having retired?”, has been put to me umpteen times by friends or visitors, and I feel at a loss as to how do I explain to them that I have no time to relax even.

I feel, there is no end to my remaining busy every day, provided you have the will to do your bit for others.  No doubt, it causes a bit of problem in my friend’s circle when their wives give me the example of being busy all the time, if not otherwise, in writing for newspapers and they do coax their husbands to try to be like me.

The biggest admiring comment I got from one of my friend’s wife when she told, you look fit and smart even in grey, perhaps due to your being busy all the time and daily cycling in the morning.  As to why my husband is not like you?