My first narration is not to put down anyone but to show the vagaries of life, in general and the frailty of relationships, in particular. What's perceived from what one sees could, at times, end up being far from the truth! So, without much ado, let me bash on ahead.
* * *
Sasi chettan's mortal remains were consigned to flames and the ashes immersed in the river not far from his house. Before the family - his wife, the two daughters and their families - left for Bangalore, his will was made known to everyone. The house and the property, along with the bank accounts, have been divided equally to the daughters, the surmise being that his pension would cater for his wife's onward requirements. It was his elder brother, who'd returned yesterday - he stays in my neighbourhood - who gave me the juicy(?) details.
His mother wasn't anywhere in the scheme of things. Mind you, she was staying with him all the while till their going away to Bangalore and she'd, then, shifted to her younger sister's house. The family's answer to the query raised about the mother's needs was that her pension was more than adequate to look after her requirements. This aunt of mine has two sons, through two marriages as her first husband had passed away while she was quite young. The eldest son had led a colourful life, in that, he'd dumped his first wife and three sons to marry another and his mother had banished him from her life, taking over the responsibility of looking after them. And that action of her's has come round a full circle. The will's texture and content are based on the apprehension that the mother, if given ownership, would hand it over to the elder son in a fit of misplaced(?) affection.
It, further, needs to be said that the mother doesn't find anything wrong with the arrangement saying that the pension that she gets is more than adequate for taking care of her needs. But, as I see it, the people around her are going to remind her otherwise, over the coming days and weeks, making her wonder as to whether her younger son really did love her, after all!
The questions that arise are:-
(a) Wasn't Sasi chettan fond of his mother or with the advent of his family, her position in his life
had become secondary? It's a progression of life, really!
(b) Did his actions veer around the perceived motives of his elder brother?
(c) Was the elder brother peeved at what has been put down? Was he expecting wealth to come from his
mom?
One would never know. To my mind, the honourable thing would have been to give joint ownership to the mother and the wife which would automatically get passed on to the two daughters after their passing away.
* * *
Today happens to be 'Janamashtami' celebrated with gusto in the northern part of the country. In Kerala, 'Ashtami Rohini' will be celebrated on 15 Sep as usual, which is why I insist that we, Malayalees, celebrate the 28th day of Lord Krishna's birth! Probably, this is the cultural divide(?) between the north and the south!
* * *
It was a befitting response that the Indian government had given to Pakistan for its High Commissioner's invite to the Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders for talks on the eve of the meeting of the two Foreign Secretaries. Felt that the country has taken an appropriate stand after what seemed to be a long time and hope that Pakistan tells its High Commissioner to call off his intended interaction with the separatists!
Tailpiece.
A cousin of mine had dropped by after what seemed to be a very long time. She'd come to Guruvayur in connection with the 'thaalikettu' of her husband's niece. Catching up with her was nice.
* * *
Sasi chettan's mortal remains were consigned to flames and the ashes immersed in the river not far from his house. Before the family - his wife, the two daughters and their families - left for Bangalore, his will was made known to everyone. The house and the property, along with the bank accounts, have been divided equally to the daughters, the surmise being that his pension would cater for his wife's onward requirements. It was his elder brother, who'd returned yesterday - he stays in my neighbourhood - who gave me the juicy(?) details.
His mother wasn't anywhere in the scheme of things. Mind you, she was staying with him all the while till their going away to Bangalore and she'd, then, shifted to her younger sister's house. The family's answer to the query raised about the mother's needs was that her pension was more than adequate to look after her requirements. This aunt of mine has two sons, through two marriages as her first husband had passed away while she was quite young. The eldest son had led a colourful life, in that, he'd dumped his first wife and three sons to marry another and his mother had banished him from her life, taking over the responsibility of looking after them. And that action of her's has come round a full circle. The will's texture and content are based on the apprehension that the mother, if given ownership, would hand it over to the elder son in a fit of misplaced(?) affection.
It, further, needs to be said that the mother doesn't find anything wrong with the arrangement saying that the pension that she gets is more than adequate for taking care of her needs. But, as I see it, the people around her are going to remind her otherwise, over the coming days and weeks, making her wonder as to whether her younger son really did love her, after all!
The questions that arise are:-
(a) Wasn't Sasi chettan fond of his mother or with the advent of his family, her position in his life
had become secondary? It's a progression of life, really!
(b) Did his actions veer around the perceived motives of his elder brother?
(c) Was the elder brother peeved at what has been put down? Was he expecting wealth to come from his
mom?
One would never know. To my mind, the honourable thing would have been to give joint ownership to the mother and the wife which would automatically get passed on to the two daughters after their passing away.
* * *
Today happens to be 'Janamashtami' celebrated with gusto in the northern part of the country. In Kerala, 'Ashtami Rohini' will be celebrated on 15 Sep as usual, which is why I insist that we, Malayalees, celebrate the 28th day of Lord Krishna's birth! Probably, this is the cultural divide(?) between the north and the south!
* * *
It was a befitting response that the Indian government had given to Pakistan for its High Commissioner's invite to the Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders for talks on the eve of the meeting of the two Foreign Secretaries. Felt that the country has taken an appropriate stand after what seemed to be a long time and hope that Pakistan tells its High Commissioner to call off his intended interaction with the separatists!
Tailpiece.
A cousin of mine had dropped by after what seemed to be a very long time. She'd come to Guruvayur in connection with the 'thaalikettu' of her husband's niece. Catching up with her was nice.
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