I had intended this blog (https://pyramidconsulting.blogspot.com) to contain articles related to personal finance – Income Tax, Investments, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Estate Planning and related subjects. However, none of these would have been possible had it not been for that opportune day in March 1985, when my destiny took me to a small office in Matunga. I, therefore, deem it a privilege to include this tribute in my professional blog.
Last Sunday, i.e on 30th May 2021, at around 730 AM I got a call from an old friend. We are normally used to exchanging messages through our WhatsApp group and having our “conversations” over WhatsApp. So, a voice call on Sunday morning at 730 AM surprised me. Bharti was on the call to inform that our Guru, under whom we learnt the ropes of the trade (in which we have made our career and are engaged in for the past over 30 years), has left his mortal coil and attained heavenly abode. As I heard this my thought went back to the day (in March 1985) on which I first met Sri MHB at his office 17/319, Ranchoddas Terrace, Sir Bhalchandra Road, Matunga.
My background & how I got introduced to Sri MHB
I hail from a background where both my parents and all relatives from the earlier generations were employed in either a government department or a bank. My father had passed away when I was 9 years of age. When I was in XII Standard Commerce, a family friend influenced my mother to enrol me for the CA Entrance examination. Without knowing anything about the CA course, I appeared for the entrance examination. The exams were scheduled for the first week of Nov 1984, but due to assassination of India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 31st October 1984, the exams got postponed. This additional time probably helped me to prepare better for the entrance exams, due to which I was able to pass this in the first attempt.
As a family we were not sure what the next step was. This was in early 1985, much before the times of email, internet, and social media. We did not have a MTNL landline at our house. Within a week of the entrance exam results, we attended a family function. Here my mother informed her cousins that I had passed the CA Entrance exams. They told me to meet their next-door neighbour who was a CA employed with ACC. This neighbour (CA Parameshwaran) gave the name and telephone number of Sri MHB and told me to meet him who would be able to guide me in this matter. Later on in the day, I gave a call at the telephone number and fixed an appointment.
My first visit to the office, my first impressions
The next day I visited the office at Matunga, which would be the place where I would spend the next 10 years of my life. Little did I realise then, that these 10 years would change the way my family, myself and probably all the future generations of our family would lead our life.
When I visited the Matunga address around 630 PM on a working day, I witnessed the hustle and bustle of a CA office in the month of March. Sri MHB was seated in what was his then regular place, next to the entrance, in a small table fixed to the wall. A gentleman was sitting next to him (later I understood that this gentleman, a client and friend of MHB was also the office’s regular printer). As I waited for the first interview of my lifetime, I observed three people (who I understood later, were senior article trainees) working seriously and earnestly on some accounts books and official looking documents. After attending to the client, Sri MHB had a small chat with me (don’t remember what words we exchanged) and instructed me to come next day morning at 1030 and that the seniors would help me with the paperwork. Another boy entered the office hesitatingly as my “interview” was going on. Sir talked to him, as he talked to me and instructed him also to come next day morning at 1030. Next day I met this boy again in the office. He was TJ Subramanian, who too started his article training in March 1985 with me. At this time, I was doing Second Year B Com through SIWS College in Wadala.
Three years of article training – the most valuable period for a CA
On 26th March 1985, I got formally registered for the CA course. My college timings were till 1030 AM. The office routine started. College to office (20-minute walk), sit down with seniors who started guiding us gradually in Book-keeping, Accounting, Finalisation, Taxation, Audit, Company Law matters, and several other aspects. I learnt the names of these seniors - Rangarajan, Praful and Shankar. Another senior, Vilas Ranade, would visit the office occasionally. Later I gathered that Vilas was a retainer who handled specific assignments. Most of the learning was from the seniors, Sir would get involved if the Seniors were not in office or if our doubts were beyond the seniors’ capacity to solve! Within 4 or five months another article trainee- Sriram - joined. The seniors – Rangarajan, Praful and Shankar - completed their training period and left the office for better prospects. Two senior students - Gopalam and Rajan Desai - joined the office after partially completing their training in some other office. Though the learning was still from the seniors, I realised that our interaction with Sir has gradually started increasing. More students joined, and suddenly TJ, Sriram and myself realised that now we have become seniors ourselves.
A few of the students / trainees who joined the office after me (most of whom are still in touch with each other through WhatsApp groups) are Bharti, Vilas (Dhuri), Subhash, Ashok, Dhanashree, Krishnan, Kalpana, Uma, Poonam. We managed to get another friend Vijay into our group recently. Others who are in touch through WhatsApp include Shridhar, Rangarajan, Praful, Shankar, Gopalam, Sriram and Shekar
Types of Clients, their businesses, their activities
The clients we were exposed to were from diverse business and employment backgrounds. Business clients were from business activities such as advertising agents, custom house agents, celebrity tennis players, cargo consolidators, software developers (in late 1980s / early 1990s), marble showrooms, chemical manufacturers, restaurant owners, stationery shops, garment / textile vendors, recruiting agents, doctors, tailors, paint manufacturers, etc. Salaried clients comprised bank managers, head honchos of MNCs, government employees, HNIs, retired pensioners, etc. Similarly, there were a variety of NGOs and Trusts. It is impossible to put into words (even if I do manage to do it, even 100 pages would be insufficient) the experience I gathered during the three-year mandatory training period.
Post three-year Training period
With the blessings of the elders, I was fortunate to successfully complete the CA course in 1989, at the age of 22. However, I was clueless about what was to be done next. At this juncture my mother visited the Matunga office for the first time. After a short joint counselling session comprising Sir, my mother and yours truly, we decided that a career as CA practitioner was the best option for me. Along with Matunga office, I got to work for some time in a branch office opened at Bandra (W) and another office at Santacruz. However, all the activities reverted to Matunga.
In my second innings with Sir, as a qualified CA working in a CA firm, my learning got elevated to totally different level. Sir (and another senior Kannan, with whom Sir had a partnership arrangement for a short time) gave me carte blanche to handle clients through all stages and would get involved only at the final stages. In this stage I learnt Audit planning, Finalisation of company Accounts, Internal / Stock / Statutory audits of listed companies, incorporation of companies, drafting replies to notices received from government offices, income tax hearings, preparing project reports, Staff management to a certain extent, and other such assignments. This was from a work perspective. The hidden soft skills which I gained during this period was interactions with clients, clients’ accountants, bankers, income tax sales tax and other government officers, fellow professionals, understanding client psyche, understanding client’s mood, client mentality and attitude with respect to tax payment, etc. Needless to say, these skills were of huge help to me as I set up my independent practise later.
With Sir’s blessings and encouragement, I set up my practise and set out on my own in mid-1995, with Sir’s words always echoing in my ears – “My doors are always open to you. Any time you can walk in for whatever help you require.”
After I started my practise
When I started my practise, I used to have lot of free time. Sir gave me assignments on freelance basis, of those clients, whom I had handled during my working days with him. A lot of systems which I set up in my personal practise later, was what I had learnt during my 10 years of working with Sir.
From 1995 till 2021, we managed to keep in touch with each other.
Regular visits to office for a cup of coffee and an evening chat. Occasional evening snacks together (Sir’s favourite being dosas with piping hot coffee from Sharada Bhavan).
In due course, Sir retired from active practise, handing over the mantle to his sons. After this my frequency of visits to Matunga office reduced. His sons are in touch with me regularly through phone calls and WhatsApp messages.
Other Activities
Apart from the interactions in office during office hours, Sir would arrange an office picnic and Dassera pooja every year. I have attended a few office picnics, where I got to interact with several trainees and staff members, including a few staff members who are still in employment in the Matunga office. I also got to meet and interact with Sir’s sons Karthik and Girish who are now efficiently managing the practise and carrying on with Sir’s legacy.
Annual Dassera Poojas (or Vijayadashami or Vidyarambham) are always an open invitation - no formal invitation required - for all students - past and present. I have been fortunate to attend several Dassera poojas, when the timings do not clash with our household pooja.
During Dassera Pooja in the office, with Sir, mami and friend
As known to me, Sir was very active in several social activities.
As he shifted his residence from Garodia Nagar to Versova to Shriram Nagar to Matunga Laxminarayan lane, I got to visit him at all these houses for some purpose or other. This also gave me several opportunities to meet and interact with mami (Mrs Lalitha Balasubramanian - gurupatni) Sir’s better half, who I understand was the rock – strong and solid behind Sir’s family.
Visit to Sir's house at LN Lane, Matunga, sometime in 2019
Sir was an advocate for having a strong and good formal education. He himself was a Commerce graduate, Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary and a Law graduate. In informal chats with us students, he would frequently mention why it is essential to have formal training and qualification in allied areas. I have been greatly influenced by this. As I started focussing on personal finance as an area of practise, I was inspired by Sir to get qualified as a Chartered Wealth Manager, Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Trust and Estate Planner and Qualified Personal Finance Professional. These have been helpful to build my practise in the areas of Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Estate Planning, Investment advisory and related areas in addition to the traditional areas of Direct and Indirect Taxation, Accounting and Auditing.
Since 2020, he had started creating youtube videos of him singing old Tamil and Hindi film songs. On 9th May 2021 he had participated in a reality music show “Seniors Have Talent”.
Sir was in touch with many of us students through WhatsApp. He was regularly providing updates about goings on by sending copies of CBDT circulars, etc. His last message to me was on Monday the 24th May 2021. He had sent a message about the launching of the new Income Tax efiling portal.
After being associated with, influenced and guided by Sir for the past over 35 years, having received a message from him just about a week back, it is difficult to digest that henceforth my interactions with him will no longer be on a physical level but only at a spiritual level.
Om Shanti
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Brilliantly written. . . He remains forever in our memories
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