No worries about tomorrow, no regrets about yesterday
While alone at my Habsiguda house, looking at the blank high ceiling, I think about my active days and nights spent with the youngsters and grand children of the family in USA. -not always, at times. While in USA, I think about my Hyderabad house, whether someone has plucked the flowers or picked the … Read more
Pleasing mother in law
‘Mama, my mother in law, of late, hates me. She often quarrels and calls me Orangutan’ ‘What sweet food, she likes most?’ ‘Paruppu pradaman’ ‘Feed her that’ ‘Oh, no. She is a diabetic’ ‘How old is she ?’ ‘93’ ‘Simply feed her with plenty of payasam’ —————- ‘Mama, your trick worked. My mamiyar has turned … Read more
Ammalu is always right
‘ ‘Abandoned by sleep, I sat under a mango tree last night, when I had a sort of enlightenment like Lord Buddha had, Ammmalu’ ‘Did Lord Budha sit under a mango tree?’ ‘’That is immaterial. What was important is the question awakened in my mind- why shouldn’t we live like husband and wife?’ ‘Are we … Read more
Thorthumundu
Thorthumudu, close to chest companion! Thorthumundu is a Palakkadan sadhu, innocent like me. In the olden days it was closer to the body than one’s wife- that was what I heard from elders (telling lies was a sin for them!) Almost everywhere, Palakkadans used to enter just with a ‘thundu’ on their shoulder, even to … Read more
Osthanu, Sir!
Waited behind the partially opened front door, in the early morning, to catch red handed, the culprit who steals my flowers. 5, 10, 20 minutes passed- a hand extended towards the plant. Wanted to return to bed, if it was bangles-adorned. (Flowers are after all for whom? For God and women!) .But it wasn’t. … Read more
Dosa chattuvam or dosa ladle
“Thunder showers soak Hyderabad city” – news paper report this morning. We, in Habsiguda Central Park area had only thunder and lightning, but no showers but I enjoyed the thunder sound, lightning flashes and strong wind waves. I Was in fact excited, when the night sky’s mood suddenly changed sending down cool wind, giving unexpected … Read more
Ammalu is always right
Ammalu, Poor old woman, the talk of the town today ‘’was my Vishukkaineettam and not your Vishukkani ‘ ‘True. My friends were wondering how you managed to collect so many ‘chakrams’, the minimum valued and outdated coins of Thiruvananthapuram Maharaja’ s days’. ———————- ‘Ammalu, between a husband and his wife, there can be hundred reasons … Read more
Filling the Vishukkani coconut halves with rice and tuwardal, was a ‘thekkan sampradayam’ practice in the southern part of Kerala introduced by my wife. She used to keep a small stick of turmeric too, which I didn’t do for the simple reason that there is not a single one at home at present. There was … Read more
A big man with a big heart
Big has its own charm! Remember a man of abnormally big size, who used to visit us often, when we were children. His name was Madhavan Panicker but his size earned him the nickname of ‘mathan’ Panicker. Mathan is pumpkin in Malayalam! Though he was discarded merciless by his wife and children, we found him … Read more