‘Things are not easy’
It won’t be easy, if you think so.
‘Everything is easy’
Not at all!
‘Life is tough’
Yes, it is, but you’re in it!
‘Life is easy’
Oh, man, I go crazy!
‘Money is precious’
Indeed, but you can’t eat it.
‘Money is waste’
Soon, you will be on the street!
My son managed to find a chair in a big shopping center seeing me tired after making a few rounds.
I wanted to click pictures of women of different dimensions and skin colors and hair styles and tattoos but had strict instructions from my children not to do that and land in the hands of cops.
I got bored and mused how aging was reducing my movements. My brain, mind, all parts of body are fit to go on a Manasarovar yAtra but my knees won’t cooperate.
You would have observed that either at your home, office or among friends, there will be one guy, who comes forward with a negative opinion when you start something good and try to stop your forward movement.
After rejecting many girls suggested by his father, an young man known to me, liked immensely one girl and was about to give the thumb up signal to his father, when a friend who had accompanied whispered into his ear,’what an old name the girl is given! How will you introduce her to your friend?’
Her name was Kundalakesi!
This was long ago. A recent story:
Shanmukha Sundari ‘s mom rejected a boy outright, as she was not happy with his given name, Sundaramoorthy . But the girl, who liked him, suggested, ‘mom, I will take him as my driver ‘.
The mom was happy. The boy too was happy.
‘Ok, take me to the Kalyan Jewelers’, ordered the mom.
‘Omg, why’re you driving like this?’, asked the mom unable to stay stable in her seat.
‘I don’t know driving madam. I know only cooking’, replied the young man.
‘Stop the car. You’re selected as my daughter’s husband’
Sundaramoorthy and Shanmukhasundai got married and lived long happily.
Grand ma, feel sad, you’ll go away soon’
‘Why worry about the winter tomorrow instead of enjoying the Sunshine now, my child ?’
‘Worried that they will pluck and dry you in the sun’
‘Do I stand here holding an umbrella?’
‘And you’ll vanish for ever, as part of a food item’
‘My child, you’re seeing only the negative side. Imagine the sight of hundreds of our families originating from the seeds I spread on the soil’
‘And if that doesn’t happen? Say, you’re straight away ground and made a part of chutney for idli?’
‘Iddlie sans chutney is insipid. Cast away your negative thoughts and follow me, when your turns come and make others life tasty, flavored and enjoyable ‘
Pc Nikhil Shivam Perinkulam
With Dr. Vidhya, my Ambikuttan Athan’s grand daughter, who was with us in Baltimore for a short holiday.
When she called me for eating, once, twice, thrice, my thoughts flew back beyond oceans, beyond several decades to our Olavakkode house, when as a kid, I was fed by her grand pa, pleading, begging, ‘muthanna, chappiduda—-‘,
No, I refused to eat. He didn’t scold me, slap me or threaten , ‘ummachi kannai kuthum’.
He didn’t. I remember so well .
I repeated my arrogant behavior when, during a college vacation, I bicycled my way to Puducode, to meet him. After spending a night, when I was about to return, he gave me a new veshti. I refused. He pleaded,’don’t wear the same cloth you had last night’ . He begged me to accept a veshti, a new one , with fresh smell from the Mill. No, I didn’t heed. My wrong conviction that I shouldn’t accept any gift from anyone, even from a very close relative made me blind, made my heart granite like. Or was it the unlimited arrogance of a college student?
Many decades passed through, in between like the scenes we see from a moving railway compartment.
The T shirt I was wearing while clicking this picture was gifted by my eldest nephew which I collected and wore proudly and told everyone here that it was a gift from Suresh. Today being his wedding anniversary, I wanted him me wearing his gift and tried to contact him through FaceTime
A millionth of the present common sense and courtesy, had I possessed, decades ago, I wouldn’t have hurt and damaged irreparably, a most affectionate, kind heart !
