In the mid of 20th century, Rama Rao joined the government service at the age of 21. His parents arranged his marriage to Gouri Priya from a well-known family circle. Their parents were agricultural-based.

 After India’s Independence  

In 1947, India gained independence from the British. The government of India established Educational Institutions to educate the young and skill-training institutions to ensure skilled personnel are available to industry and healthcare. It also encouraged the establishment of several small, medium and large-scale industries,

People were Employed, and moved from their Native Places

With education and industry, people moved from their native places to workplaces. As the young entered the workforce, the joint-family system changed to nuclear-family units by the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century.

Women’s Education and Work

The state and central governments encouraged women’s education and women’s work. Women were appointed to schools, colleges, and offices.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there were more children per couple. With jobs for women and the introduction of contraceptives and condoms in the late 20th century and after, the reproductive rate decreased, and the number of children per couple reduced to 2 or 3, and presently it is still less.

Technological Developments, Y2K problem

The transition from the 20th to the 21st century brought changes in technology, from 32-bit computers to desktops.

 Then the major change was the Y2K problem. It created immense job opportunities worldwide in software development. All Engineering Colleges in India started computer science and engineering courses. They also taught programming for all courses. Several private institutes cropped up to offer computer and programming courses. Young people were posted to the USA, the UK, Australia, and other foreign countries.

The Internet and Its Effect

The invention of the Internet brought about significant advances in computer science, information technology,  communication technology and society.

At this juncture, Rama Rao admitted his son, Sankalp Krishna, to a UG computer course. Sankalp Krishna got a SW job and was posted in the USA. Salaries in the software industry were high.

 Rama Raos fixed Sankalp Krishna’s marriage with an educated girl, Mukta Sri, from a family of near relatives. She preferred to be a homemaker.

 After working in the USA for 10 years, he was transferred to his native state in India.

Sankalp Krishna’s and Mukta Sri’s  Finance Management

 As Sankalp Krishna and Mukta Sri understood the importance of money. They planned to save from his salary. Initially, they could not assess how to save or how much to save. They studied the various methods followed by their friends — bank savings, FDRs, Post office Recurring deposit schemes, shares, Mutual funds, and real estate. Except for bank and post office savings, there is risk with other types of savings unless proper research is done before investing. It is not only the money one invests-- one also needs to invest time.

 Sankalp Krishna and Mukta Sri purchased a villa in a gated, posh community for their own use, taking a bank loan. They purchased a car and a flat in the city. His parents preferred to stay in their native village house. He took a life insurance policy of Rs one crore for the entire family, covering his wife, children, and parents.

They put their children in reputed English-medium schools that follow the CBSE syllabus. Their two children, son Rajiv and daughter Raksha, secured seats in reputed Engineering colleges in the state capital. The children did PG in IIT’s. Upon completion, they got jobs as SWEs in the USA and worked in different states.

During his college studies, Rajiv had a love affair. Sankalp Krishna and Mukta Sri agreed to their love, and the marriage was organised.

Raksha had a love affair with a colleague in the USA. She informed her parents and got married.

COVID-19 Effect

Sankalp Krishna cleared the entire bank loan for the villa before its due date.

All SWEs were working for their clients in other countries, with different time zones. This created a problem for the SWEs in India. With COVID-19 and the Internet, Work-From-Home became common. Initially, it was good, but later it turned out that one was always on call. There were calls irrespective of time.

People envied the SWEs for their high salaries and luxurious living standards. But no one understood their problems.

By this time, Sankalp Krishna was over fifty years old. Data science and machine learning have become integral to modern technology. The technological changes were overpowering, and the old were outdated.

The companies considered these changes and the high salaries of experienced, long-service employees, and introduced early-retirement schemes. The companies did not offer pension schemes.

Sankalp Krishna takes Early Retirement.

Sankalp Krishna discussed with Mukta Sri and took early retirement.

 Sankalp Krishna’s daily routine included getting up at 6.00 am, having tea, going for a half-hour walk, taking a bath, leisurely reading the daily newspaper, having breakfast, reading WhatsApp messages and mails, and answering them where necessary.

With all these, it will be noon. Sankalp Krishna takes an hour nap.

 Managing Time at Home

Sankalp Krishna was starting to learn how to manage his time. He had no work but had time. This was a big problem for him. He was not accustomed to idleness. He felt his presence was purposeless. He thought his early retirement would be happy, but it turned out to be a form of home entrapment.

He tried his hand at shares. He found it is not an easy job. One needs to study the company’s management, its earlier work, its investments, its day-to-day progress, and the international influences in the market. With all these, he felt it required a detailed study before investing. He dared to invest in some shares of an upcoming company but was unsuccessful. So he stopped shares business.

He observed Mukta Sri and how she was spending her time.

Mukta Sri gets up at 6.00 am and makes tea for both. They sip tea at the dining table. She goes to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and make arrangements for that day’s lunch. She does other household work.

She watches TV serials and takes an afternoon nap. She reads the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, the Mahabharata, or other spiritual books.

With Sankalp Krishna’s retirement and stay-at-home, she changed her daily schedule to suit his needs during the day.

During the morning walk after tea, he met older people and discussed the weather, politics, and local issues. People of his age were busy and returned home to get ready for the office.

Sankalp Krishna wanted to try singing, music, dance, literary writing, and poetry. He found that these are age-old subjects, well-developed. One requires an in-depth study and regular practice to get into these. Some require a guru.

 Sankalp Krishna and Mukta Sri joined a spiritual organisation and enrolled in meditation classes. They practised meditation in the morning and the evening. Initially, they did it together, but later their timing differed.

Old Age Related Issues

There will be unexpected uncertainties in life, despite our careful savings. With the worldwide recession, the value of money had fallen, and everything became expensive.

As Sankalp Krishna and Mukta Sri aged, their physical mobility was restricted. They employed a servant maid to cook and another to purchase daily groceries, vegetables, and medicines. Their expenditure on health increased.

 Sankalp Krishna then thought of looking for small jobs in advertisements.

 Mukta Sri opposed this. She said, “Once one retires, they lose the power, position,  social status, and respect one enjoyed during their service. Hence, my advice is not to work at this age.” 

As they aged, they adopted a geriatric diet, including more nutritious foods such as fruits, which reduced kitchen time.

  With rising life expectancy, the number of older people worldwide is growing. People aged above 60 in India are present 150 million and are likely to double by 2050,

To get out of their isolation, they started playing carrom and cards to spend time together. They read the daily newspaper and discussed the latest political situation.

Visit to the USA.

Their son and daughter invited them to the USA. Going to the USA is a tiresome process: it involves a 24-hour journey, changing airports, completing formalities, waiting, and collecting luggage.

They stayed in the USA for three months, one and a half months with each child, and returned. Life in the USA depended on their children taking them out on Saturdays and Sundays. Sankalp Krishna and Mukta Sri enjoyed evenings at a nearby park. Met some Indian parents who were visiting their children.

 Living in India

 Sankalp Krishna and Mukta Sri returned to India after a three-month stay. They felt that, for everyone, living in their birthplace is the best. They were accustomed to the environment, knew the people and the language, and had friends and relatives to call in case of an emergency. Neighbours are friendly. One can directly go to a hospital for treatment. There are hospitals to choose from, depending on your budget. There are government hospitals that do not charge. A known doctor, a relative, or your child’s friend or your regular physician will be of help to you.

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As they lived in a gated community, their water supply, electricity, and maintenance were handled by the society. They also organise activities for older adults, youth, and children. They organise festivals by inviting eminent persons to deliver spiritual discourses and children to participate in games. Some provide a Gym and a swimming pool. With all these, one can lead a happy life in India.

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Sankalp Krishna had no regrets about his early retirement despite encountering some unforeseen issues. Sankalp Krishna and Mukta Sri were living happily and progressing spiritually.

The End