As I completed my vocational course, way back in 1984, age 18, and kept pursuing B. Com. side by side, I got placed with Indian Railways and after one year I changed to PNB, Head Office, Delhi. Along with job I completed my post graduation and few bank related exams. Mine was a very ordinary professional journey of spending 15 years in same position, in different departments of Head Office of PNB at New Delhi.

My personal journey, however, has been quite special so to say.Within it lies my journey from job to jobless.

By the year 2000, I had completed 14+ years in PNB, and husband’s clinic at Noida was good 8 years old.
It was then that some PSU banks came up with voluntary retirement scheme (VRS). Along with other rules, one condition was – completion of a total of 15 years service. This interested me. As it is, I
was a contented soul, never going after money even when we did not have enough. I started to contemplate over it. I was hoping, rather dreaming, that if, somehow, I get to avail this VRS scheme. I had always wanted to get rid of this double tension of a full time job and running a household in a nuclear family set up with a small kid. But for me chances were very dim as I had taken a total of around 75 leaves without pay during my job tenure. As also the cut off date to calculate 15 years of service was not clearly mentioned in office circular.

Just casually I discussed with husband about this VRS, and my dream of doing away with such heavy baggage of double responsibilities. I was expecting a clear No since we had just taken a Housing Loan from PNB under employees scheme and had no money to adjust it. This clearly meant rejection of my VRS application as well. To my sweet surprise, my ever compassionate and understanding husband said that we could think of it, if somehow, this huge housing loan liability be taken care of. His this one casual sentence gave great impetus to my fairy dream. Dreamers, we pisceans are. 🤗

From next day started my rounds to our HR deptt., consolidating the details of VRS scheme. Along side I started calculating our finances, savings here and there in PF, NSCs, etc., ways of somehow adjusting the big loan amount. Still nothing seemed financially viable, plus that red tag on my file of 75 leaves without pay. I was no where near to completing 15 year’s job criteria to apply for VRS.

Somehow, as per the guidance of seniors in Bank, I submitted my request for availing VRS, just on the last date of closing of scheme. I had put the ball in Bank’s court to see if I meet their criteria. Hopes were meagre, hence I was not much excited.

To my great surprise and as the Universe had plans for me, following comments came:

” If you agree to convert your housing loan from employee to public scheme, paying higher rate of interest as applicable to public, we can consider your application.”

My husband happily gave a node to this.

My without pay leaves were set aside.

And here comes the biggest surprise and a very clear indication that it was all the Grace of Almighty which was being showered on us – the cut off date to calculate 15 completed years in job was selected as 30th November 2000. This date was exactly the date of my joining in Bank, 15 years ago. Yes, I had joined Bank on 30th November 1985. This meant it was on 30th November itself that I completed my 15 years of job, which was the main criteria to apply for VRS.

🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️
This simply can not be called a coincident. THIS IS PURE GRACE
🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

Within next 15 days, I was relieved from my job and I became ex-employee of PNB and a pensioner at age 35. Here completes my story of job to jobless.

That day our faith found such strong grounds. My strong conviction is that UNIVERSE knows everything . It never ever does anything undeserving or unnecessary to anybody.

Financially we never ever faced any difficulty even after my leaving the job. For a contented heart less is more. 😊 Although many other hard, heavy, painful storms have raged our life after that, but never ever we dare to say – why me? Most humbly I say yes me, its my karma.

Faith, in my humble opinion, is also a gift from UNIVERSE on our way towards evolvement. 🙏

I fail to understand as to why and how we human beings keep saying I..I…. I did this. I am this. ….I have achieved this on my own etc.

Jai Shri Hari 🌹🌹🌹

😊😊😊

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