It's been 30 years!

It's thirty years since Lekha had joined me in my life's journey. Many of my near and dear relations, friends and acquaintances who were at hand to wish us a grand start to our journey have passed into the mist of time. So, as I'd got up in the morning, it was those thoughts that had come crowding into my mind. It was a wet day to begin with!

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The first conversation that came vividly to my mind was my Ammachi (Mrs PN Panicker) saying, "I'm happy that I was able to attend your wedding. Now I don't mind passing away". Was it a premonition? I remember laughing it off and telling her that she and Muthachhan had to come and stay with us at Ooty, where I was headed to, for undergoing the 47th Course.

But she was spot on.......passed into the mist of time just 69 days later!  

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Calls and messages kept coming in a continuous trickle and I suddenly found myself to be extremely busy with hardly any time to spare. Relatives and friends took turns and the telephone coverage was good for a change! 

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Lekha and I had driven to the DSSC, Wellington by end-May in my Standard Herald (Cleopatra). Enroute, we'd a night halt at INS Agrani at Coimbatore where many members of the civilian staff had come to meet up with Lekha and spend time with us.

And by June '91, the course had started on in right earnest. It was then that Lekha developed medical problems spiked up by the cold weather. After spending the first tutorial with me, she stayed with my parents to undergo Ayurvedic treatment.

After finishing the course by Apr '92, I was posted into the HQSNC as one of the Command Training Officers. And in Aug '93, the unthinkable happened.....Lekha slipped into coma but her doctor, Joseph Kurien, the then Superintendent of Lisie Hospital brought her back to life after seven traumatic days and then, it was a saga of Lekha's indomitable spirit and determination to come back to normal life despite the debilitating after effects of the epileptic fits she underwent before going comatose!

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Bruno, the Dobermann, had joined us in early '93 and he was a great presence in our lives. He travelled the length and breadth of the country by virtue of our postings in the IN before he left us for the nether world in Mar '03.

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I'd hung my uniform on 23 Nov '13 and Lekha and I had shifted into 'The Quarterdeck', at Guruvayur soon after.  

Life has been fine as we go about doing things that interest us and we have no cause for complaint.

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Rema and Padmakumar were brought in from Pidavoor by Mithun and the six of us spent the whole day together, when the customary cake was cut, a special lunch was had with a free flowing conversation and reminiscences of the past. It was a day well spent in the otherwise bleak backdrop of the rising cases of Covid-19 in Kerala!

Tailpiece.

Achu had left for Munnar around a half past 10. He reported having reached there by 1630 hrs. He'd driven the 210 km stretch all by himself as he had to get back to his office by tomorrow after a long hiatus since the plant was shut down because of a lockdown called by the workers, demanding better wages and perks. The problems have since been settled through negotiations.

He will return within a fortnight to take Karthika along with him. Rema and Padmakumar will accompany them to help set up their house.