‘Is he still a bachelor?’ This was Nari Rustomji remembering MKPB in June 1984 at the Shillong Club when I was introduced to him by a friend as somebody from Manipur. Nari Rustomji of the infamous Shillong Brigadier story during the “Merger Agreement” negotiations in his book, ‘The Enchanted Frontiers’, after his retirement as Chief Secretary of Meghalaya used to come to Shillong during the months of May and June every year for several years from Bombay where he was leading a retired life. Nari Rustomji used to make a morning trek to the Shillong peak on every dry day of his stay in Shillong and on return would drop by the Shillong Club by mid morning. ‘Bachelor or no bachelor, the whole of Manipur loves him.’ I had said in the course of the long conversation we had. I did later mention to him of my encounter with Nari Rustomji in Shillong but could not muster the courage to relate the query he had made. His response was, ‘Oh, that Parsi chap.’ Today, we can all fondly say that indeed we all love you, MKPB and may your spirits help in the rekindling of hopes and aspirations of your people. Because we need your spirits to rebuild every fibre of our society.
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