He was born in Delhi where his father was a government servant and his mother a schoolteacher. He moved to Calcutta with his mother after his parents divorced and started working at a very young age as a salesman in Firpo Market. Subsequently after graduating in commerce he joined his uncle’s security business, Mac Detective Agencies.

He worked with his uncle for about three years after which he broke away and in 1983 set up his own security company, calling it Oriental Security and Allied Services. In 1995 he ventured into manufacturing steel while trying his hand at film production with Aparna Sen’s 15, Park Avenue. He is also better known as the man behind the happening lounge bar B.E.D.

His wife Sonali studied psychology at Gokhale Memorial Girls’ College though she completed her graduation after marrying Bipin. She went on to enrol for a teacher’s training course and taught for a few years before joining her husband’s business. Today, she looks after the security business and has taken it into new fields.

They’ve been married for 22 years and have two daughters ? Megha and Sumedha. And after all this time together, they still insist that their relationship is getting stronger all the time.

Bipin

I met Sonali for the first time on January 10, 1984 at an exhibition. I was representing my security company and she was working in the Assam pavilion. She looked beautiful and innocent and we exchanged phone numbers. Two weeks later I called her and we met again. I picked her up from college and we grabbed lunch somewhere in Park Street. Our romance had begun.

I used to drop by at her house ? about once a week and then practically every day. I was fascinated by her simplicity and liveliness. She had long, beautiful hair and was very soft-spoken. After a short courtship we were married on August 2, 1984. To begin with, both our families were worried as I hail from Punjab and she comes from a Bengali family. Besides which we hadn’t known each other for long. But our decision prevailed.

As a person she hasn’t changed much over the years. She has won over everyone in my family with her charming nature and sweet personality. I knew that she had the capability to work on her own and she has proved it. She manages our security business efficiently.

Today life is moving at a smooth pace with her around me. Even if we disagree ? and of course we argue on various issues ? there’s no shouting, only rational discussion. At times she gets annoyed quickly but I can’t blame her for that. She has to deal with a large number of people and in such situations one tends to get irritated. She takes people at face value, which I think is a mistake. She’s not only hard working but also a very good human being. She mixes well with her employees and people around her. I am glad to have found a friend and soulmate in Sonali.

Sonali

In any relationship communication is very important and Bipin is someone I can talk to easily. When I first met him, both of us were very young and my father had died a few months earlier. I felt very comfortable with Bipin ? it was like sitting in front of a cool stream. We first talked over the phone and became friendly. Even though he was also very young, he would help to solve the problems I faced after my father died. My mother advised me to think twice and his mother told me to complete my studies. But nothing could stop us. We got married when both of us were 22.

Bipin is essentially a nice person. He is friendly and has a zest for life. He is a soft person at heart, in fact he is softer inside than I am, though you might not immediately realise it. He is always there to help people in distress, whether they be friends, family or acquaintances.

Bipin always works with great involvement and feeling. He is ambitious and very hard working, at the same time he loves to be with the family. Which is why he doesn’t work on Saturdays and Sundays. In spite of being a businessman, he has an amazing creative and aesthetic persona that gives his personality a unique dimension. He loves music, movies and cooking is his passion and our daughters are very fond of his Thai cooking.

As a person he is very composed and caring. Yes, he gets angry sometimes but only temporarily, and he usually cools down very fast. Even if we argue, we make up at the end of the day. As for his shortcomings, I suppose he should be more diplomatic. I couldn’t have been blessed with a better companion and friend.