5th May 2014 – 11th May 2014 - Wedding Season

 It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it,

but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

‘Aana Jana’ in Family!!!! [Continues…]

5^th May : Muskan Left for Mumbai, for Nandini’s Wedding preparations

9^th May : Akshay – Mummy left for Mumbai to visit Maikas, as Jyoti has come down from south

11^th May: Sharat – Kashyap  left for Mumbai with Ankit Nagpal

11^th May: Lali - Manju - Myself - Rinky take i20 to Mumbai...

[And in this process, Avi – Megha, Chinky made and unmade programs]

These are picture of Last week, however, as they are released on Monday, hence in this weeks blog.

Mummy with family at Kush Engagement

Dodeja with Lullas at receiption May 2014

In garb of Baratis of Kush Naresh Lulla

Akshay & Lali went to Secundrabad by road, in Xylo. The family tradion continues, we still love the road trips. It was a very pleasant, enjoyable ride, relaxed, first holiday after long time due to work load. Roads Up to Sholapur are excellent, two way, well paved, from Sholapur onwards road are bit small but still good. Akshay has started looking Uncle and specially when he is with his most favorite sister Chinky, he surely looks her uncle and not older brother. 'Hath Kangan Ko Arsi Kya.' Just have a look at the his picture, and mind you for last two months Akshay is religiously going to Gym, all thanks to his new friend. He claims loss of few kilos, which Muskan have found and kept with herself. That is why she is hiding behind Rinky.

Manu surprised us on his third shop opening on 8^th May. I thought he has planned two shops, one each for his sons. So why third? He has one shop at Sujoy Garden, Swargate,  second in Pimpri and third he opened at Clover Center [S19], M G Road. Manu and myself remembered the good old days when we were at verge on buying big shop, just opposite Clover for measly 3.0 Lakhs. Today you pay that much in rent for same shop!

In the Clover Center, Vijay Dodeja has also has two Shops. He has one in basement, looked after by his daughter Bhavini and second is at Ground floor, [S33] handled by Vijay and his wife. 

How time has changed and working has changed. Just two decades back, all children of Lokram Dodeja were in Wholesale trade, working from old firms, carrying on family tradition, mostly in Paper Trade and allied line like printing. Slowly tme changed, one by one, things changed. In late 90’s Noble (Mumbai) – Navasind (Mumbai) – Bharat (Secundrabad & Pune) incurred losses in paper trade and one by one discontinued working as Paper distributors for JK Paper Mills. Last one say good bye was Noble Enterprises, Pune in 2005. 

What was the reason for such fall? According to me, we did not adapt to changing times, we lost confidence in each other and became self centered. We did realized and identified our flaws, but were slow to change or maybe had no confidence to change. System of low volume - high margin changed to high volume and low margin, and we sure adopted it, but without knack of handling it.

All those unit’s representatives have 8 retail stores among them, which is Low volume-High margin business. And from paper we have shifted to Ready Made Cloths [Girish-Manoj-Manu-Karan-Kunal - Narendra - Vijay ], Travel Bags [Akshay-Lali], Xerox [Vinay], Printing [Avi - Ravi]  

Election has reached its climax. Normally I watch TV from 9.00 pm to 9.45 pm, jumping from one news channel to other, my favorite being Bharkha Dutt and Rahul. Arnab Goswami has become very loud and he enjoys creating fighting match between his guests. On thursday, for first time Akshay - Myself and Kashyap earnestly and without any interruption were engrossed in 1 hour 30 minutes interview taken by Arnob of Narendra Modi. It was good contest. Few weeks back, Arnob has made fun of Rahul, but with Modi, he was on defensive and was not able to put Modi in any corner. I think this election is first hand learning experience of Akshay - Kashyap, now they are not totally ignorant of Politics and Parliament working. Next week, on Friday, 16th India fate will be made. Will we move towards progress and will we have to continue struggling and wait for next election. If BJP gets good majority, all feel that progress is expected and can be achieved.  Will that happen?

Hope is eternal. 

 

by P G Dodeja