At work, Suresh Engineer lived his name. A junior section engineer with the railways electrical department, he left office early that day but skipped his routine visit to his mother. Instead, he rushed home to find out about his daughter’s job interview. But he didn’t reach home.

Engineer died in a train blast at Borivali on 7/11. Three days later, Amruta got a job as an accountant at a multinational jewellery firm in Andheri.

“He was very eager to know about my interview. We spoke at 2.30 that afternoon, but my interview was not over then. So he must have been rushing home. He was really keen that I get this job,’’ she says.

That day, Suresh’s brother Hemant found out, a colleague of his had asked him to check a new bill which had come in late. But Suresh declined, saying he would finish it first thing Wednesday morning as he was in a hurry to leave. “Woh kabhi na nahi bolte the. Do minute ruk jate the aur, lekin kaam khatam karke atate the. Us din kya huva nahi pata (He never said no to work. It had to be completed even if that meant he would be held up. Don’t know what happened that day though),” rues Hemant.

Engineer — the eldest of seven siblings— started working early. He got his first offer while he was studying in Class IX. It was from the railways and he jumped at it.

A workaholic, Suresh would be on his toes always—even on Sundays.

... contd.