Bad habits

1. 18 / My Bad Habits / Addictions
I am sure that you will be surprised with this chapter on My Addictions / Bad habits.
I personally feel that there is no harm in having any addiction or bad habit up to a
controlled limit.
Generally advice is given to stay away from bad habits because the person himself cannot
decide the upper limit for these bad habits and at times it cannot be enforced on the person.
I feel that addiction or bad habit is like riding a wild horse. So long as you can control
the horse, there is no harm.
My first bad habit was smoking. However, I had stipulated the condition for this. I had
decided to start smoking only after getting through Inter commerce. I cleared the
examination in June 1969. My friend Madhu taught me smoking. He had taken up smoking
after SSC. My first cigarette was of ‘Cool’ brand. I think that this brand is not available
now. I could smoke without coughing contrary to what was told or expected. May be
because of good observation. After the first lesson from Madhu, I would reach college at
about 9.30 am and smoke one cigarette in one of the by lanes of Churchgate. Most of the
time would get wasted in confirming that no body is watching. But let me admit, the
enjoyment of smoking in such atmosphere was great.
Smoking got restricted during CA Articleship during 1971 to 1975. However, I remember
having enjoyed smoking on out-station audit tours.
After completing CA, I joined Crompton Greaves as an Officer. I restricted the smoking
outside the factory gate. Obviously daily consumption was not more than 2-3 cigarettes.
I practically became the chain smoker after joining Indu Nissan Oxo Chemical Industries
Ltd. as Financial Controller in February 1981. The main identifiable reason was work
pressure and I would get 5 minutes break from the work. I had a separate cabin and
hence there was no question of passive smoking by my staff. I would smoke about two
packets a day.
I left this job and joined Superphone India Pvt. Ltd. in February 1983. The smoking rate

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jumped to four packets a day. However, I did not smoke while giving dictation to my
Secretary. Those days, I would smoke my first cigarette after first cup of tea in the morning.
Our financial year ending was 30th June. However, accounts would get audited by next 30th
June because I T Return was due 12 months after the year end. Hence the management was
never in a hurry to finalize accounts in time. I joined the company in February 1983 and
decided in a staff meeting that this year accounts would be finalized & audited by
31-08-1983. Staff was also tired of overtime prior to my joining. We decided to stop
Overtime from 01-07-1983 and I decided to discontinue smoking with a promise that I may
restart the smoking only after finalization of accounts. My Team worked hard and first time
in the history of the company, we finished the Audit by 31-08-1983. My deputy brought a
packet of 555 cigarettes. I lit the cigarette after a small party with my staff in celebration of
our achievement. But I soon realized that there was no charm in smoking. No need to say
that I left smoking even without finishing 555 Packet.
Thereafter I must have smoked say 1-2 cigarettes per annum. That too was stopped long
back. Of course prior to June 1983, I had brought my smoking rate under control by not
smoking on even days, Saturday, Sunday etc. Can any one do this?
Why I started smoking? Maybe because I always led a stressful childhood, faced lot of
difficulties. May be it was a channel to express my frustration or vent out the mental unrest.
Maybe it was an attempt to tease the others and to show my boldness. God knows.
My second addiction was of drinking. My father was advised by doctor to take about two
spoon brandy once a week. He was in a way a jolly guy. He would offer brandy to us.
He would say that there is no harm in tasting. It was a unique experience to sip one
spoon at that young age.
My eldest brother shifted to his flat at Wadala in 1977. Thereafter I remember having done
few drink parties without tension. As we were staying in a Chawl, there was always a
tension for such programme as one does not know when the sweet neighbours would drop
in?
I joined Indu Nissan Oxo Chemical Industries Ltd. as Financial Controller (Japanese

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collaboration) and participating in drink parties became part of my job. Your skill would
be to make the official drink a lot while you drink in moderation because you were
supposed to escort that ‘drunken official’ to his residence. I would drink about two pegs
while the official (getting a free treat) would consume atleast five. Whenever I had no such
duty, I remember having consumed five pegs of ‘Bloody Mary’ and travelled from Dadar
to Borivali at mid night. What a control !!
Let me tell you that I was never fascinated with excessive drinking. I would always drink
in moderation followed by a good lunch or dinner. One can enjoy the drink only if one
eats right food.
I had framed some guidelines for drinking and followed them sincerely. I would not
drink alone in a bar. I would not drink whenever I am under tension. I would drink only
when I have met some important deadline or target at work. Friends, I was in habit of
setting so many targets but I never drank after achieving every target. Such drinking
episode would be limited to once a month. Generally, I drank with one of my close friend
Suresh Palkar, (elder to me by twelve years). But honestly I would love to drink alone at
home while listening to music ♫ and simultaneously either reading some interesting book
or working on the computer. My sweet wife would offer the ‘most hygienic chakana’ and
would cook one dish meal of my choice. Friends, try this. I am sure that you will never
visit the bar with a gang of your friends and waste money. After my drink programme,
I used to take a night walk and enjoy the cool breeze. I would recommend drinking @ one
peg per 45 minutes and eating healthy snacks. Just follow this and let me know your
experience.
My third habit was of eating ‘Maghai pan’. (Not available every where) I used to eat about
12 such pans in a year. Friends, Can you call this a bad habit?
Friends, what is your experience of Bad habits? Don’t worry, I will not tell your spouse.