FAVRE LEUBA...

It is a very old watch, Favre Leuba, an imported one belonging to the 60's era but still running like a steady horse with the seconds' arm ticking accurately in this 21st century. It is a steel grey automatic watch which is regularly worn by my proud dad. The dial has luminous hands which glow during the nocturnal power cuts.So far, it has never failed us and makes us complete all our tasks punctually. This watch is treasured by our family as it has its own story to tell. It was bought by my dad with his first salary.

It was the summer of 1984, we kids were playing monopoly in our sunny terrace enjoying our vacations, my dad was the chairman of our building and was supervising the pre monsoon cleaning of the water tank. The contractor was petrified of him as he was a hard balled task master. Even,we kids used to be afraid and in awe of our dad. There was some problem with the valves in the tank and my dad climbed the ladder to look for a possible solution. The tank was about 6 meters high and an imposing structure. While trying to descend, he lost his footing and fell down with a crashing sickening thud like sound. I thought as if someone had thrown a massive gunny bag on the ground, such was the intensity of the sound. But as we came to know that our dad had sustained this fall,we rushed towards him. Seeing him with a big bleeding gash on his forehead brought tears to our eyes and we rushed him to the hospital. He had sustained multiple fractures in his knee, thigh bone and the wrist of his right hand. He never cried and was surprisingly in a relaxed state of mind. He did not wince with such poly trauma also, may be he did not want to express his grief in front of his small sons. But I never saw him cry. He was discharged after a month and a couple of surgeries, slowly he made complete recovery and was again busy with his life. A walking stick accompanied him for a couple of months which was discarded later, sorta like Forrest Gump by him.

He walked and ran like a normal man.

When he sustained the fall, the wrist watch in his left hand sustained the impact and protected that wrist from trauma. The entire watch broke with the springs and levers running hay wire on our terrace floor, my friend had collected the parts and gave them to me when my dad came home. The watch was repaired by a glass eyed man in Mumbai and was restored to its original pride and shining glory. The watch recovered, with my dad and became symbolic of our dad's survival. He wore it the day, he resumed, going to the office.

It was a protective amulet for my dad. Till date, that watch has been revered by us.

I have a collection of Swiss watches, including a Rolex also. They reside in my special velvet lined drawer. They are arranged in a neat row by me and regularly polished with a moist muslin cloth with some tooth paste.

But, my dad's Favre Leuba ousthines them all.

It is not a mere time telling watch,

It tells us the story of hope and survival.