Shivam Diaries

Author: shivam

  • In sleeper class from Palakkad

    Apart from the mesmerizing winds passing through the opened windows of the sleeper class train, which kissed me all over, hugged again and again, shared some secrets and sang a Pallavi, there were other interesting aspects during my recent return trip from Kerala. I have, in my blog, already an emotional story on a similar travel earlier.

    Usually, I get up more than once, from sleep, to empty my bladder, but my recent journey was so enchanting that I slept whole night, undisturbed, though there was an important reason, strong enough, to wake me up, a dozen times. That was to observe the reaction of an old lady to the ‘kusu, kusu’ sweet romantic chats of her son with his wife, about which she complained to me during the day . I never allow such golden opportunities to slip through my fingers as mothers in law and their actions and reactions always provide fodder to my internal cows of inquisitiveness.

    ‘Did you, during your young days, engaged in ‘kusu,kusu’, sweet talk with your wife throughout your journey, as my son is doing now,? She had asked me
    and I had replied, ‘not with my wife, with some other young ladies’

    At Guntur, she woke me up asked me to follow the couple.
    ‘Don’t sleep like a log. Catch them red handed. They have gone out for a stroll’

    I got annoyed.

    ‘Madam, they are your own son and daughter in law. Your son would have held the hand of his own wife and gone out for a morning stroll to buy a pack of hot Guntur chillies for you. Why do you torture me?’

    ‘No, my son is not that bold to hold her hand right before my eyes’, she replied. Pride of a mother of an obedient son was shining on her face.

    ‘The trains now a days start with no warning vessels,’ I tried to explain my fear. ‘If the battery of my hear aids fail when the train moves, with me on the platform, will you ensure that the nenthram pazham and chakkapazham, long plantains and jack fruit, I’m carrying all the way from Olavakkode, will reach my Habsiguda house?’

    ‘We will uncle!’, the reply came not from her but from her son and daughter in law in the top births!

     

  • Ammalu is always right

    SP, will you please move from here?

    ‘Why should I?’

    ‘I want to change my dress. I need privacy’

    ‘Can’t you see I’m not wearing my glasses?’

    ‘You need glasses to see what should not be seen and
    aids to hear what should not be heard. Don’t I know you?’

    ‘Don’t I know you? Go head’

    ‘Go ahead? I will physically carry you and dumb in your chair, if you stay here one more minute’

    ‘One minute is not a short period to see things worth seeing’

    ‘Get out, get out, get out. You ———!!!’
    ————–

    ‘Ammalu, after thinking all these years, thinking and thinking again again, I am convinced now that I didn’t err in choosing you as my wife. What about you?’

    ‘I’m thinking. Yet to come to the thinking and thinking stage’
    —————–

    ‘Ammalu, you have every right to scold me. I have every right to —-‘
    ‘Complete the sentence’

    ‘Let us not talk about rights’

    ‘That is right’

  • Time doesn’t wait for a nadaswaram

    No nadaswaram procession

    I grew up at Olavakkode, a Muslim- dominant area on this side of the Kalpathy river, the other bank being the famous Kalpathy village.
    Our neighbor Vavukka’s family was like our extended family. The kids from that house, were my father’s pets and I remember a twins lying on my father’s lap, looking sharply at his forehead shining with white vibhoothi marks. A wedding reception of that family took place in our hall. Their womenfolk used to gather on the other side of our backyard fencing to chat with my mother, during evening hours. I have been continuing my friendship with a descendant, Siddappa and recently, on our way to the railways station , I stopped my vehicle to give him a packet of the herbal seeds for diabetics treatment.

    Another Vavukka taught me cycling. He had a small pan shop, financed by my father and when it failed to fetch him sufficient income to feed his large family, my father made some other arrangement for his survival. He worked as a night watchman for sometime and his high pitch command to thieves to flee , ‘chalthae raho!’ still rattles in my ears. He was a thin, weak man and a minor touch from any trainee burglar was enough to push him to the ground.

    Sulaiman was father’s vandikkaran, cart man. I have, in my blog, a moving story on him, titled, ‘Sulaiman’s fourth wedding.

    Thangal, a mulla from the neighboring mosque used to give us black thread sanctified by Alla’s name, to tie around waist.

    My second sister’s wedding took place at our house. There was some disturbance in the town then, due to a quarrel between two communities. It didn’t affect the wedding, though, the boy’s mother, a close relative of my father, was angry that she was denied a nadaswaram procession from the bus stop to our home. The reason was there was a mosque on the way and temporarily noisy processions before the mosque was suspended by the police.

    ‘Amman, (uncle), I won’t move an inch from here, unless I’m taken to the wedding hall with due respect’, said the lady to my father.

    My father known for his diplomacy and wits, responded,
    ‘Lakshmi, Nee inkeyae irunthuko. You stay back; I will take your son and others, complete the wedding and come back, to take you home in a royal procession. By then, I’m sure the situation will turn normal’

    That lady, my father, my sister, her husband, her son- all have vanished from the world. Only memories stay back and time  doesn’t wait for a nadaswaram procession to move on!

  • Ammalu is always right

    Ammalu, only my hope not my hold on you, is getting loosened.
    What say you?’

    ‘I never lose my hope on you, as you are still in the process of growing. My hold on you has yielded fruits. And now my hold is only to prevent you falling. You want me to say anything more?’

    Basic courtesies!!!

    Consequently for four days, our home helper Yadamma was absent.
    ‘Couldn’t you tell me a word in advance?’, I asked her this morning.
    ‘Marictchupoyaanu Sir- I forgot’ . Her casual reply.
    I’m helpless. Forgetfulness is not my sole property!

    The paper walah Ramu throws the news paper, on the wet varanda floor, though I stand like a statue at the front gate. Cant’t he hand it over to me?

    ‘You didn’t see me standing?’ I ask.
    ‘No, Sir!’
    He has gone!

    If he threw the paper despite seeing me standing, there is scope for complaining. If he didn’t see at all?

    The neighbor who comes to read my newspaper enquires earnestly,
    ‘don’t you have the habit of drinking coffee in the morning?’
    ‘I’ll have it after sometime’
    ‘Why, is it RahukAlam now?’

     

    Leave away outsiders. Ammalu? Starts scrapping coconut when I practice singing. ‘What a nuisance.? Can’t you do it without making that rattling noice?’, I ask her politely.

    ‘Do you need chutney for idli or not?’, she retorts angrily.

    ‘I need chutney, dear, but why this shrill now?’. I submit soberly.

    ‘Ok, you do it yourself without noise’. She leaves the little mount with a forked tongue and goes to watch TV.

    ‘How to mount this Meru mountain, Ammalu?’ Can you help me please?’. I request her.

    ‘Let this serial be over’.

    ‘It won’t be over, now’

    ‘What is the hurry? You have Idli with jaggery ‘

    ‘Are you joking, Ammalu? Idli with jaggery is like you and me! Where is the combination?’

    ‘Happy Independence Day!’. She leaves for her mother’s home, next street.

    I have somehow managed to sit on the scrapper mount . How to get down?

    ‘Ammalu, don’t disturb me till lunch time, please. I’m trying to figure out your problem ‘

    ‘I have no problems’

    ‘Exactly. And that is my problem. I worked like a bull while in service and continue to work like a servant for you, even now.
    I struggled then; I struggle now. And you enjoy!’

    ‘Lunch is ready’

    ‘Problem solved’

  • Ammalu is always right

    ‘I mistook you for a star in the sky when I met you , Ammalu. My eyesight failed me’

    ‘My eyesight didn’t. You still stay on the ground level, moving up, not an inch. But, thanks to my firm hold on you, you didn’t slip and nose dive’

    ‘Ammalu, the problem is not with your poor attention but with your proximity itself. When I call for any little help, say to get a tumbler of water, you don’t respond. You are always busy in the kitchen . To cook for two, do you need twenty four hours?’

    ‘SP, do one thing. Employ a cook. I will sit with you all the day’

    ‘Ok. Look for a good looking girl’

    ‘I want a cook, not a daughter in law. And don’t think I’m a fool to miss your mischievous plan’

    ‘Ammalu, life should be give and take. I give you everything you need . What do you give me?’

    ‘Soap and towel when you extend your hand through the bathroom door gap’

     

  • Ammalu is always right

    ‘Ammalu, you haven’t heard all my glories’

    ‘Say soon, before my hearing aid batteries go inert’

    ‘Ammalu, all said and done, I’m am a honest husband’

    ‘Sorry. Batteries out’

    ‘It is immaterial for me whether you sit in a cart or a chariot. You should sit in my heart always. That is my only interest’

    ‘How do I find a place in your heart, Ammalu?’

    ‘Simple. Sit in your easy chair in the study reading or writing or doing whatever you like and not enter the Kitchen and nag me.
    Today is Varalakshmi vratham and I have plenty of jobs to do’

    ‘AmbAl wants thattai for PrasAdam’

    ‘Tell Her, she will get it’

    ‘She is in Ammini’s house now, Shall I go and tell her?!

    ‘Yes, please go to Ammini or Paru or Parukutty or any friend’s house and don’t disturb me till my pooja is over’

    ‘What about sitting in your heart?!

    ‘No, I will be more peaceful if I allow you to roam about, instead of keeping you within me. Anyway, you are harmless now’

    ‘Ammalu, are we alone now? If so, I want to tell you something in private’

    ‘I have no glasses now and can’t tell you clearly whether someone is hiding behind the doors. Anyway, you want only to
    tell something. No harm, old man!’

     

  • Wah, , what a wedding!

     

    ‘The wedding was like a village festival. I didn’t attend such a glamorous wedding so far’

    ‘The couple left for USA?’

    ‘The boy left. The girl stayed back’

    ‘Why? Accommodation problem in USA?’

    ‘Accommodation problem, in the car, not in USA .

    While driving to the airport, the boy’s mother wanted to sit near her son.

    ‘I don’t know when I will see my son again. Let me have the joy of sitting by his side for a short distance’, said the affectionate mother, wiping the tear drop waiting to fall, with her silk sari end. Natural!’

    ‘Short or long is not the question. Entitlement’, said the shy girl, looking partially at her husband and partially on the ground,
    She wanted to sit by his side. Natural!
    ‘En daa, any objection?’, she enquired her hubby eagerly.

    He nether said ‘yes’ nor ‘no’.

    But the boy’s mom asked the bride, ‘you already started calling my son, ‘da?!

    ‘Let the baby call me whatever she likes’, consoled the caring son.

    ‘Baby, enkedaa, baby?’ , enquired the eager mother, looking around for the baby.

    ‘For 24 hours you’re going sit near him in the flight’, tried to interfere the girl’s dad, ‘why not his mother sit near him for twenty minutes?’

    ‘Dad, you know nothing’, argued the bride to her dad. ‘If I allow the old lady’s small wish now, she will sit on my head throughout my life’

    The boy looked at his watch. His friends too did the same. Argument continued.

    No settlement on seating yet.

    The ladies, young and old argued, argued. No result.

    ‘Let Pappa sit near Chellappa. What do you lose?’ Asked the angry hubby senior to his wife.

    ‘What do I lose ? I am losing my Chellam’, retorted the angry lady.

    The bride’s mom was a ‘no nonsense’ woman.

    ‘Let us go Kanmani’, said she to her pet daughter, called for a cab, as her driver was enjoying his feast.

    And the boy drove to air port, along with others.

    ‘There would have been a big gathering to see him off?’

    ‘Oh! Half the airport was his people.

    ‘The boy didn’t say a word , to his sweet honey, while leaving?!

    ‘He did. When the girl waved, ‘ta,ta’, he said, ‘bye,bye!’

     

  • Ammalu is always right

    ‘IMG_1260Is the distance between us widening Ammalu?’

    ‘Yes, in the evenings when you go for a walk’

    ‘When will you follow my figurative talk?’

    ‘Figurative? What does it mean?’

    ‘My question changes according to the figures I talk to’

    ‘I understood. Our knowledge level is same. No distance between us, figuratively speaking’

  • Ammalu is always right

    IMG_1362.JPG

     

    ‘How does parukutty look in her new sari, SP’

    ‘Gorgeous. She is a marvelous girl’

    ‘I know about her marvels. We’ll leisurely talk about her. Now tell me how will I look in that sari?’

    ‘It won’t suit you, Ammalu’

    ‘Which colour will suit me, blue, red, orange?

    ‘None’

    ‘You know better. I won’t even look at our Chettiar shop, now on. Chalo SP. Let us go to town. Kumaran or Nalli. Select the best to your satisfaction. After all, for whose satisfaction am I wearing clothes?’

    ‘Ammalu, there are no matching saris in the town too’

    ‘Very good. Let us go to KANCHI, the capital of silk saris.
    After all, for whose satisfaction–?’

    ‘Ammalu, again and again I’m telling you no saris will suit you’

    Ok. You know better. Buy jeans and pants’

    ‘Ammalu, I forgot to tell you. Our Chettiar has a new collection. Hurry up, before that get exhausted’

     

  • Ammalu is always right

    ‘Ammalu, there is a seniors matrimonial meet tomorrow in Hyderabad’

    ‘So?’

    ‘Wonder whether I should register with your permission ‘

    ‘No objection. But I thought only those who are singles meet. No?’

    ‘Singles can select one partner’

    ‘Doubles can select two partners? Then, register my name too’
    ———–

    ‘Ammalu, what is the name of our new tenant?’

    ‘You have her biodata. If her name is missing, why don’t you ask her’

    ‘Talking to a female? Not interested’

    ‘But that female is interested in talking to you’

    ‘Is it so? Valsala is a wonderful woman’

    ‘There you go, old man’

    ————–
    ‘Ammalu, did you say Paru called me?’

    ‘No. Why? You were expending a call from her?’

    ‘No. She was expecting from me’

    ‘Then, why don’t you call her?’

    ‘How?’

    ‘Lift the phone and say ‘hello, Paru’. Her husband will answer. What is your problem?’

    ‘That is the problem, Ammalu!’
    ————