i never complained and was content as long as they allowed me to go to
oregon for ten days during the festival celebrations
the first opportunity i got i called and arranged to go for the july festival
at which my uncle blew his fuse asking me as to who would take care of
the motel during my holidays

the promised pay that i was accumulating of just 300 dollars a month
never came to me…he said that if he gave me my salary i would only go to
oregon and waste it with that sex guru bhagwan
all this was too much for me…i just packed my bag and left for chicago
to go to new york to meet another uncle there
my aunt rushed after me and paid me 800 dollars for the four months work
i had done there…apologising for the way my uncle behaved…he never
respected anyone always overworked underpaid and threw out the best

oregon was not to be

on a greyhound on the road again…i arrived in new york
in the plush manhattan apartment of another uncle vijay and aunty kiki
who were extremely loving and kind towards me
they were perhaps the first who actually sat and heard my whole story but
suggested that i work…grow up before i set about my wish for sannnyas

my uncle was vice president of the oberoi group in new york
and not wanting me to become illegal in america
was arranging for me to go to india and work for them in delhi

i told them i felt i needed to go to london where a rich and famous
uncle of mine lived…perhaps he would give me a job

they lovingly bought me an air ticket for london
the first time i had actually received something from anyone in my life
i promised to pay them back…which i eventually did a few years later

london may 1983
my london billionaire uncle swraj paul says he is busy and to call back
after three weeks and make an appointment with his secretary

i call on a friend from india settled in london in the garment business
who was very happy to help me…as he himself needed help
he and his wife had recently separated…he was always travelling
his house was in a mess…his one man garment business in shambles
with too much stock of clothes to sell
i fitted perfectly into his plans and it worked out ideally for me

i cleaned out his house…cleared out his messy office
started to sell the piled up stocks of garments
and within a few weeks it was clear that i had the skills for selling
and managing a company single handedly
my friend was overjoyed and we had an ideal working arrangement
seeing the results he was generous
i was actually earning 1000 pounds a month
and i began to love london and the garment district

finally some light in the end of this financial black tunnel
my streak of good luck was soon to run out as my friend had to close his
london office and manage the company factory and exports from india

i had now been in london for a year
i had learnt much and gained valuable experience
so i created a shelf company
started designing for my own label and importing into london
not legally allowed to earn in the uk i created a front company
with a cousin of my mothers
my company was selling evening wear for women
designed by me under my label renei…manufactured in india
and i was soon in the christmas windows of harvey nichols selling in
selfridges, dickens and jones
in every top end store in bond street knightsbridge and oxford street
sequined evening wear was a hit in london

my designs were outrageous and modern
i had earned the reputation of high end designer with a low price tag
after the initial setup company expenditure and about a dozen flight tickets
to and from india i had profited over 25000 pounds…about 35000 dollars
the oregon dream seemed a reality
with 50000 dollars i could become a resident

i was almost two years in london and life was beautiful
i woke up each morning to his feet and wore my mala
to bows of buddham sharanam gachcchami

i was invited to milan italy by a famous international brand
to assist in their design development and arrange garments from india
this would be my last money trip and then back to india and then to oregon

i mentioned this to my cousin who held my front company for me
everything from my contracts with department stores for my renei label
to import documents…bank accounts…all were in his name
i was living simply and taking money only for food and the
london underground tube each month with no real other expenses
living in his house and paying him for accommodation

on my return with a successful business deal and orders from milan
i was stopped at customs and taken in for an interview
i was told they had information that i was earning in the uk
and running a business against the stipulations on my tourist visa
and that i was not going to be allowed into the country
i was stunned and immediately realised that perhaps my cousin had
reported on me to try and steal my money
he had a boring government job to do with social securities and was
always interested in my company seeing the huge profits

i became clear and stated that mine was only an indian company
exporting garments to the uk and that my cousin was importing the
garments on credit and was not intending to pay my indian company
and that i had come to collect the outstanding dues
the customs officer accepted my story
and instead of the usual three months i was given a two week entry visa

i called my cousin from the airport
he sounded surprised that i was actually back in london
i realised that he had been trying to cheat me
he never came to the airport…pretended that his mother was in hospital
and that his house was locked and he would see me in two or three days
when i went there he complained to the local police that i was a stranger
who was forcibly trying to enter his house

i called india to hear he had been in india during the week i spent in milan
had made contracts to continue my renei business with other suppliers
and when i called my buyers at harvey nichols and selfridges
they said they were told that i was only working as the designer
that my cousin owned the company and had fired me from my job

back on the streets again