A thought

Trivandrum

15-03-1992

Dear Ammu,

You looked totally fabulous yesterday; in your powder blue sari with the green border having leaf-shaped motifs all over it; your long thick hair neatly plaited right up-to the bottom; and those tiny tear shaped earrings were going absolutely with your sari. I even noticed that you had worn alternating green and blue bangles in your right hand; while a watch was strapped around your left wrist.

I remember thinking that, that was an extremely sensible thing for a girl to do.

 Oh Well ! I guess I am rambling now.

But I guess you get my point. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you from the time I set my eyes on you; God's most beautiful creation till date.

I love you Ammu; and I mean it. Even if you weren't exactly Ms.Gorgeous; I would still love you.

And, am not very bad myself, you know, I completed my engineering from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum last year and am all set to join Tata Steel in the coming May. I am a guitarist and was the lead singer of the music troupe in our college.

I shall be waiting for you in front of the Thycaud Shastha Kovil today evening.

My heart tells me that you will definitely come.

Yours lovingly,

Ravi

Ammu smiled to herself as she read through Ravi’s letter which had been lying at her doorstep along with a bunch of roses that day morning. Her heart welled up with joy at the thought that she would be meeting her beloved that day.

28-Feb-2012

But today, can we still claim that love has not lost its beauty and innocence? Now, love comes with a lot of conditions and certain pre-requisites; reminding you of a business contract. Religion assumes number one priority, followed by family status and looks. And if there is space for a fourth priority, compatibility and character jostle for space here.

I am not saying that this is becoming the norm in all cases; but unfortunately, it is, in the majority.

Most relationships, these days, happen over Skype, Facebook and the like; and may continue over phone calls and messages.

 Isn’t meeting and talking face to face not important anymore?

I hope love doesn’t lose whatever genuinity it has now.

Adiós por ahora

A BUS JOURNEY ORDEAL

Papa Bug : Slurp ! Slurp !

Mama Bug : It definitely is tasty.

Beti Bug : Mama, my turn now. Please please.

Beta Bug : Ouch !Papa, you are hurting my leg. Move over fast.

Well, this must be the conversation shared by a bug family, while colonies of them were feasting on me.

Let me start right from the beginning. After a tiring day, roaming about the streets of Bengaluru with my friends, I got into Kallada Travels' multi-axle (whatever that means) A/C semi-sleeper Volvo bus with hopes of catching some well-needed shut-eye curled under my warm blanket, after maybe watching a latest Malayalam movie.

The bus started. And all was well up till this point.

I stretched my seat to the maximum extent possible; and struggled to get comfortable. I had just about settled in, when the bus driver (let us give him a name; say, Mr.B ) stepped on the brakes a bit too forcefully, and I sailed right out of my chair and almost fell off.

That was when I realized that, when I stretched my seat; my feet couldn't touch the bottom and hence they couldn't shield me from the braking whims of Mr.B. I decided to sleep in a position perpendicular to the seat-bottom. But let me tell you, it is quite difficult and inconvenient.

Somehow, I managed to doze off. I had just about embarked on a trip to Italy in my dreams; when I was rudely woken up by the conductor's grating voice, screaming “ Bathroomil pokandavarkku ivide venamengil erangaam, ini Kochiyile adutha stop ollu”(Those who want to attend the call of nature may do so now, the next stop would be only at Kochi).

I checked my watch. It was 1:22 AM.

A string of the choicest expletives cruised through my mind; but I decided to keep my lips sealed for my own good. By the time I had located my pair of spectacles from around me; and had hobbled out of my seat taking care not to waken the sleeping passenger next to me (lucky soul), the bus had started moving.

Things definitely were not going my way.

I decided to concentrate on the art of sleeping, and prayed the bus would reach Kochi safely and quickly. I found myself being woken up at constantt intervals; thanks to the cluttered, pot-holed roads; that seem to burgeon as we approach Kerala.

Finally, at around 5:00 AM; I saw the first rays of the sun beaming across from amidst the mean,grey clouds. I couldn't help, but smile, at the beauty of Mother Nature. This is something that has never failed to amaze me.

I put on my spectacles, brushed my hair and tidied myself to the extent possible and sat with my eyes glued to the window.

That was about when I started feeling slightly uncomfortable and itchy. And before long, my whole body was tingling.

A girl is expected to look pleasing at all times in our society; and hence I forced my hands to the side and tried to picturise myself on an itchy ride in DisneyLand.

Well, mind power definitely wasn't working and I just wanted to run out of the bus to the safety of my house.

I suffered in agony for about 2 hours; when, finally I saw the welcoming 'Vytila' (my stop) sign board. I literally jumped off the bus and hopped into the closest auto-rickshaw and motioned him to take me home as quickly as he possibly could.(I even agreed to pay him double the fare. You should have seen his face lighting up. )

I got home and was shocked (still am ) to see ugly,red blotches all over my body. The bugs ('mootta' in Malayalam) had done their doing. They had literally gorged and feasted on my body.

And I was left feeling all prickly, tingly and itchy.

PS : - Good Night

Sleep Tight

But don't ever let the BED BUGS bite . :)

Of wedding cards and memories

As I reached office and started to switch on my computer, I noticed a pretty wedding invitation card adorning my otherwise bare desk. It was a cream-colored card bordered with red and gold curlicue and having a small motif of the Lord Ganapathi engraved on the top right corner. The card looked beautiful and as I anticipatorily fingered the engraving; I was suddenly taken back to my school days.

It was in the sixth standard that I first got a wedding invitation card addressed just to me. It was my friend, Pearly’s sister’s wedding and I was one among the chosen 5-6 in the class she had given an invitation to. I remember feeling very ebullient and even a wee smug.

And then that led to a huge discussion amongst all of us as to how we would want our weddings and cards to be like.

I was part of a Three Musketeers’ gang (as we were called then) with Surya and Shaziya. Surya had clearly decided that she would choose her husband and also that her card would be a 5 page leaflet. Shaziya was the silent one amongst us and she just smiled; but instinctively we knew that she would be the first to tie the knot.

And as far as I was concerned, marriage was something I could hardly fathom let alone participate in a discussion that surrounded it. It seemed to me very unnecessary and a waste of time. Back then, I just couldn’t understand its cause for such amusement and excitement.

Days, months and years passed; and our bond grew stronger and stronger. All through school we three sat in the same bench, attended the same electives, tuition classes and entrance coaching classes. The final year farewell came and went; but we fervently prayed that we would all end up in the same college.

But fate had other plans in store for us. And we got separated as we joined different engineering colleges. But we promised to keep in touch by at least a call every two days. On the first day of my college, I missed both of them terribly and cried myself to sleep that day.

The first half-year went fine; we managed to keep in constant touch through calls and messages. But as time went on, new people and events became part of our lives. Our priorities slowly started changing.

Our daily calls dwindled, over the years, to just a birthday wish a year.

But then one day, out of the blue, Shaziya phoned me and I impulsively felt she was getting married.

I went for her engagement; I was seeing her after 4 long years. We hugged; a long sisterly hug.

And then, I knew I had not lost my friend.
We then.…

‘So you’ll definitely come for my wedding right? I had placed the card on your desk as I didn’t see you in the morning’ – Prasanth’s voice jolted my train of thought.

I snapped out of my reverie to see Prasanth’s questioning glance.

“Thanks a lot, Prasanth”, I beamed at him and rushed out of the room leaving him perplexed at the bizarre and discordant nature of my reply.

I looked out through the window to see a bright, dazzling rainbow formed between a timid sun and dark gray clouds.

Thereupon, Mother Nature and I shared a tiny conspiratorial smile.

Que Dios los bendiga ..( written on the day of Soumya's verdict )

I don’t know whether you know me; but today I want you to hear me out. Today is a very big day for me; and maybe the most important day for my family ever. Before I get to the significance of this day; let me tell you something about me.

I was all of 23; full of zest and zeal, just starting to experience life. I come from a not so well to do family. I lived with my mother and younger brother in a small village near Shornur, Thrissur. My father abandoned us five years back (running six now); my sick mother cannot afford to leave her job as a domestic help in a big house and my younger brother who is yet to complete his school is working as a driver.

I loved to study and was a decently good student (if I may say so). But, unfortunately I did not have the money to complete my hotel management course; and when I got a job to work as a sales girl in Oberon Mall, Kochi, I jumped at the opportunity. I thought this would bring me one step closer to my dream of working in a bank someday. I needed to save a lot of money so that I could buy a car for my mother.

For one and a half months I travelled from Kochi to my home once every week. I still remember the beaming faces of my mother and brother as they waited expectantly for me at the station. I would regale them with my tales of the mall and my job; while I devoured the delicious ‘biriyani’, my mother would somehow manage to prepare without fail.

That day was special. I was practically floating in air as I boarded my home-bound train on Feb 6, 2011. You might have guessed the reason for my extreme happiness. Yes! You got it right.

The next day, my prospective husband was all set to visit our house. I could feel my heart doing little leaps and bounds of joy. I just couldn’t wait to reach home that day.
The train inched towards Vallathol Nagar. I was a mere ten minutes away from my station. I called my mother and told her that I would be right there; and she replied saying the ‘biriyani’ was steaming. I smiled to myself and gathered my belongings.

But then, Satan came, in the form of a man and destroyed everything - my hopes, my all. I died.

And along with me,my family too.

I do not wish to go into the gory details; I ‘m sure you know this part of my life better than I do.

Now, I’ll get to the point.
Today is the day of my verdict, in your world - the world of the mortals. It no longer affects me as I have joined the angels now.
But my mother and brother still live there; amongst you; as one of you.

There was a lot I wanted to do for them; but I was forced to depart with all my dreams up in the air and pending.

Today, I request your heartfelt prayers and sincere support for them.

Please do this, for me.

Love,
…………

Random

Time : 12:02 AM

Appa : Sethu, out off 100 how much would you give this movie?

Me : Shut up Appa, I am sleepy.

Appa : That means you didn't understand anything right? < Hehe :D >

Me : < with rolled eyes > Ohhhhhhh.. Hmm..96 out of 100.

Appa : :O And what happened to those 4 marks?

Me : Oh ! I didn't like the fact that Mohanlal had to die in the end.

This was way back in 1998. My dad and I were returning after watching a second show – ''Summer In Bethlehem' ( second shows were quite the routine with us ). I was having the time of my life, pillion riding on my dad's scooter at the middle of the night. It was quite cold and there weren't any vehicles at all on the road.

It was a Friday and there wouldn't be school for the next two days. I was as happy as happy could be. We headed to the Pai Dosa eatery ( no other hotels would be open at that time; save for the 'thattukadas' ); and I had my favourite 'Rava Dosa' and my father his ' Onion Uthappam '. We reached home past 1.00 AM and understandably my mother was furious ; not that it actually bothered us.

Life was beautiful; back then – sans worries, sans tension. We – me, my sister and my parents were living together under the same roof.

I never thought; but I sorely miss not being able to be with them now.

I badly miss the (almost daily) library rides with my father, again on the scooter. We used to go to the Eloor Lending library and the Ernakulam Public Library alternatively; and the Chavara Library on weekends. The old,musty smell of the books lining the walls of the library and my dad selecting some of his favourite books for me – mostly classics ( which I particularly don't like ) - Charles Dickens, Shakespeare; and the lovely racy ones – Jeffrey Archer, John Grisham, Robin Cook, Arthur Hailey etc, libraries have always enticed and enthused me.

By the time my dad chooses all his books, I would have read a good 1/3rd of a book; and then I would keep it safely underneath a lot of boring books; so that the next time when I come; it would still be there untouched and I could finish it off.

< I wouldn't want the librarian to know this, though >

I also miss shopping with my mother. (For a long time now, I shop all alone or with my friends)

My mother's dressing sense is impeccable. She is credited with totally transforming my father's wardrobe; which prior to their marriage was pathetic, I hear.

On Saturdays, after her office, we meticulously visit Seematti, Kalyan Silks,Jayalakshmi and many other random shops in and around the convent junction. And finally, we mostly end up buying from Seematti.

After that we pay a visit to the Bharat Coffee House at Broadway, where we have hot, steaming filter coffee, 'pazhampori' and cutlets. < The cutlet there is awesome. Yum :) >

And my sister - I miss not being able to irritate her; I miss her bugging me to help her with her projects and assignments. I miss not being able to share my 'dairy milk' with her.

But, most of all, I miss not being able to hug her tightly and sleep.

Oh ! How I wish time hadn't flown by so fast; and I hadn't grown up.

Now, I shall give anything to be back at home with my family, as my 'Appa's and Amma's pet'.

14-Feb-2012

Sky is the limit

' Minu, am sorry. Our relationship has gone stale; atleast from my end. There was a time when I used to wait for your calls and messages. But somehow, somewhere down the line, the excitement and the spice seems to have vanished. I need a change; I need to move on. You need to also. Take care.'

– Tharun's words were echoing in my mind and I could feel my heart beating wildly. I looked down at my phone; the call was still not cut, and I saw Tharun's smiling face on the phone.

In a fit of anger, I threw my phone against the wall and saw it getting smashed to pieces. This just couldn't be happening. We were the best couple ever; all our friends used to say that always.

This happened exactly a year back. I remember feeling very depressed and enervated. I just didn't want to live another day.

But, time is the best healer, they say.

Life went by.

It was 3 weeks after that incident that Rony came into my life. I met him after my routine psychiatrist visit at the pharmacy; he was helping patients collect their medicines. He was an intern at the oncology ward there. He was cheerful, bubbly and seemed to be everything that I wasn't at that moment. We got talking and it wasn't long before we became good friends. Eventually I told him about my break-up that had come as a rude shock and had totally disrupted my life.

That was when he took me to the cancer ward at the hospital and introduced me to the children there who were suffering from terminal cancer. They did n't deserve this; but they definitely weren't giving up without a fight.

I saw them and realized that in fact, I had nothing at all to be upset about. God had blessed me with a beautiful,healthy life ; and I had absolutely no reason to wallow in self-pity.

I vowed to myself that day, come what may, I would get over this and would lead a happy, successful life making my parents proud.

I decided to complete my engineering which I had discontinued. I studied well and passed out with flying colors. At Rony's insistence, I joined for and completed the Master's programme in my chosen line of studies – aeronautics.

It was on the 2^nd day of my job at the British Airways, London, that I received a call from Rony. He told me that he himself had been battling cancer for the last 6years; but now, the evil white cells had taken control and he didn't have long to live.

Needless to say, I was devastated and took a long time to recover.

Today, Rony is physically not there with me; but I always feel his cheerful latency all around me.

As I soar the skies as the pilot of my flight; I have only him to thank as he taught me, literally, that, 'the sky is the limit'.

What is your weekend plan?

It is a rainy, gloomy day today and I was enjoying my well needed cup of coffee when I heard a few of my friends discussing their weekend plans. And that got me thinking about what people generally like to do on weekends in our city.

Many youngsters told me that Oberon Mall was a hot favorite. And, I must say, it does seem that way. One can find the place milling with people on any random day. The presence of a lot of major brands; and the ability of people today to casually buy from these shops without a second thought also tells us something about the changing face of Kochi today. And we find a lot of families also frequenting the mall grati?s the presence of multiplexes. The cost of watching a movie in a multiplex maybe higher but along with it comes more facilities, amenities and security. And people today are willing to shell out more for this kind of luxury. This is becoming a way of life actually.

The CCDs (café coffee day) too have their takers. There is nothing like catching up with your friend over a cup of coffee in CCD. The ambience too is very welcoming and we find the waiters there always have a ready and happy smile on their faces. And this makes you keep coming back to the CCD.
“My personal favorite is the CCD in Fort Kochi”, says Mr. Rohan John, an IT professional.

That reminds me of another hotspot – Fort Kochi -with its quaint little buildings and quiet winding roads. You can spend your time there by ambling through the streets, eyeing all the beautiful things in the shops and coming away without buying anything. And most of you would agree with me when I say that nothing can replace the sense of calm and happiness one feels while strolling on the beaches watching the magnificent sun, set , casting its reddish orange glow over the sparkling waters. And there are some others who find the churches and the Jewish synagogue the best part of Fort Kochi. Anyway, this is one place that hasn’t lost its old world charm a bit.

I got talking with Ms. Sangeetha Nair, a banker and was pleasantly surprised when she told me that the Indian Coffee House (ICH), Broadway remains her favorite place in Kochi ever. “The hot, steaming filter coffee in steel tumblers reminds me of a golden period in my life. My father and I used to go there every Saturday evening after my music classes. He used to talk to me about his childhood dreams and his aspirations about me. He is no more now; but every time I go to ICH for a coffee, I can still feel his presence there”, she says.

I guess we all have our own most loved places in Kochi and we have our own reasons for feeling so.
So be it.
Enjoy your weekends in your most favorite city, Kochi !
Adeus para agora ..

Two souls, One heart

“Oh, the comfort – the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person – having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away…”

“I love you. Do you love me?”

How many of us have had the fortune of hearing these words being uttered to us and how many of us have longed to hear these words? I am sure all of you would be mouthing a silent approval to what I just asked.

Clichéd though it may appear, love is the one emotion that hasn’t lost its relevance one bit over the ages. It is evergreen; providing solace and comfort to all who seek it. “Love inspires; Love fascinates; Love gives hope and Love refreshes”, say Ms. Sarah Anna Mathew who works in a multinational company. But she hastens to add, “In a relationship, the break up is the most painful experience ever; it drains you mentally, physically and emotionally.”

There is nothing like waking up in the morning listening to your loved one’s cheery ‘hello’ and then waiting to spend each moment with that person. A moment’s separation translates to a year’s parting when you are madly in love. A walk together, on a rainy day through the misty roads when the spring is in its utmost glory holding your loved one’s hand; a glance that conveys all you ever wanted to say; a loved one’s warm hug that seems to wipe away all your tears and fears – can anything in the world replace the whopping joy that these provide?

“There were days I didn’t want to fall asleep, as the reality was finally better than my dreams”, says Ms. Shreya Shekhar, a lawyer.

As Margaret Wolfe Hungerford once said, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”; similarly people today have their own various notions for falling in love with a person.“Good looks, common sense and good conversation skills in a woman are what turn me on. Being in a relationship is wonderful; you have someone to always back you no matter what. But there are times when you feel the need to be alone, and at such times the commitment you have made can bog you down” says Mr. Jeremy Samuel, an IT professional.

“Frankness and honesty are what I look for in the lady of my dreams”, quips his friend Mr. Rakesh Eashwar.

While, there are yet others like Mr. Suman Balakrishnan who place personal hygiene as one of the key alluring factors. Well, ‘cleanliness next to godliness’ as they say, I guess. <:) >

Whatever be your reason for falling head over heels in love, there is no denying the fact that love is always in the air!

So, people out there, let your lives be filled with the two most important ‘L’s ~-~ Love and Laughter.

Live, lásku, smích!!! < :) >

“Who, being loved, is poor?” ~Oscar Wilde

Addio per ora… :)

Obituary

Dear madam/sir,

I died yesterday. I didn’t have a wife who cried uncontrollably over my frigid, lifeless body. I didn’t have lovely little children who sobbed for the darling father whom they looked up to. I also didn’t see any friends weeping for and mourning their loved friend’s sad demise.Mine was a very cheerless and morbid death. A death I hope none of you will ever have to face.

Did you ever think of all the wonderful things I had provided you over the last so many years? There was a time when I would let you watch all the new movies you wanted to; I would let you have free rides to the town and back in the bus; I would let you have your desired ice-cream and popcorn whilewatching the movie in the theatre; I would even let you have free rides to the town and back in the bus. I would do all this and more for you withoutmouthing a single word of complaint. How could you forget everything so fast?

You could have stopped by killing me. Why did you have to kill my younger kinspersons too? I hope you have achieved what you wanted to by wiping off my entire clan.

Anyway, if any of you possess a picture or replica of me, please do guard it with all your life. I am sure it will bring you riches in plenty.

Yours remorsefully and dolefully,

25 paisa coin

A trip to Alleppey

The other day, my friends and I went on a houseboat trip through the serene waters of the Punnamada Kaayal in Alleppey. The trip ironically, starts from the ‘Finishing Point’ and after a cruise in the backwaters for about six hours, ends at the same point.

We saw an endless expanse of blue dotted with little green isles, some having tiny huts too.

It truly was a delightful treat for our eyes!!

And, at our insistence the coxswain decided to humor us and stopped at one of these numerous small islands. There was a miniscule hut on this isle with a chicken-coop adjoining the hut.

Just as we alighted on the isle, out of the hut, came Sannamma, the subject of this blog, to welcome us with a dazzling smile and outstretched arms. This lady, probably in her late sixties lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband Gopi, who was a fisherman in his good days.

They live all by themselves in this place with not a single soul within shouting distance. Readily available drinking water is still a rarity for them. Electricity hasn’t yet made its existence known to them.

But they have an old radio with them, and listening to it seems to be their only form of pastime. A dinghy (called a “vallom” in these parts) by thebanks appears to be their only mode of travel. This boat cannot safely seat more than two persons at a time. Sannamma was kind enough to let me and a friend of mine, take a small ride in it (it was scary, by the way: P).

They travel up to Alleppey, the nearest town once a month to buy grocery and other provisions.

They served us ‘pakavada’ and ‘chaaya’(tea). Sannamma then entertained us by crooning a lot of old melodies like ‘suryakaanthi swapnam kaanuvathaare..’ and ‘induleka kanthurakkoo..’.(She sang awesomely wellJ).

And then we all prattled for a long time. Gopi taught us how to fish (waiting patiently for the fish to tug at the bait is an art by itself).

Soon it was time for us to leave, but we really didn’t want to.

The warm-heartedness and affection of the elderly couple by the banks of the Punnamada Kaayal had left deep impressions in all our hearts. Heavy-hearted, we left, but with promises to return.