Time flies in jet speed or in mind’s speed. The shy and stylish girl, whom I brought to Hyderabad, soon after her graduation at GVC, for joining NIN, is a happy grand mother of six children now with the latest arrival of Rishi Skanda.
My Meenasister was fashionable right from her schooldays, not very common among the girls of her age those days. Soon after landing at Panchavadi, which was a bachelors’ palace till her arrival, she wanted me to buy a mirror table . Then came one after the other , coats, cupboards, dining table, chairs etc. The furnitures I have in Anantha Jyothy now were bought on her demand, long ago.
Being also my neighbor and colleague for nearly three decades, though younger to me by over twelve years, she has better understanding about my moods and pluses and minuses in behavior and therefore her grip on me is more stringent than my other sisters’ , a fact acknowledged by my daughters in law and used against me to discipline me! They threaten me when the hope of correcting me is lost,
‘Meenthaikittae chollanamo?- should we tell Meenathai?’.
We have toured together many places within India while in service and many places outside the country too after retirement.
She is so meticulous about her life style maintenance and mine too. For me, any button hole is meant for any button, not so for her!
While doing pradakshinam in the Guruvayoor temple, she noticed the non alignment of my veshti- ends and asked me to rectify it.
I was annoyed.
‘You are here to enjoy Unnikannan’s Devine form and not to see the alignment of my dothi ends,’ I chided her, ‘look at the sanctum, not at me’.
She likes music but not my singing. She likes to read stories but not my Ammalu stories. But she likes me at times. And more she likes, more sharp will be her observation of my movements and habits.
Her hubby who was a pillar of support for me during my difficult days is reborn as a grand child with his birth-star. I’m told that the new born is named as Rishi Skanda, Skanda representing the grandpa’s name Subramanian.
I wish Skantha long life with good Heath, good character and Good luck. And for his parents excellent health and lot of patience. To take care of four children, three of them babies is going to be undoubtedly a sweet but also a tough job.
‘Mamaji, of your mattupons, I’m the only one who has followed your footsteps ( in having three sons and a daughter) , claimed proudly Skantha’s mom. Yes, Mahima that is why other mattupons rightly say that you’re my ‘chellamattupon’.
In the pictures from my album, Meenasister at Panchavady.