I was in Patiala, having this 'Aalu di tikki' (a tangy, mouth watering, deep fried, boiled potato snack, served with tamarind sauce, yummy thing served on dried tree leaves, with fistful of spices thrown in) when suddenly I get a big whack on my back, "Kalle kalle"! I turned around to find my childhood friend, smiling with mischievous eyes.
"Oye, Baandr nu vi ik dayyein" (Hello, give this monkey also one pattal tikki)!
And we engrossed in our nostalgia of the years spent around the same shop in school uniform.
Later, I tried to decipher the opening sentence, 'Kalle kalle'. Do we have its equivalent in any western language or culture? Just two words convey so much of love, affection, mischief and yaari (which can be poorly translated into camaraderie).
Do we get the impact similar to this one in so less usage of words?
I think the richness of Punjabi language is in its enmeshed existence with the ethos of the people and culture.
The culture says, you cannot enjoy anything alone. If you are doing so, you are infringing the collective edict of the community. So Kalle, kalle in a way accuses you of enjoying things which must be shared collectively. Enjoyment is through sharing. This is deeply ingrained in all of us and it reflects in the language. Sharing of everything, joy, sorrow, happiness and grief. We are taught, if everything is
shared, it gets double or half based on its bhav, nature. Joy shared is doubled, sorrow is halved. Mischief doubles joy, grief gets halved.....it's a very intricate web of emotions and collective existence.
So enjoy life.....but not "Kalle Kalle".
My take
Fully endorse though I'm a thoroughbred Mallu!
Tailpiece.
Got up a trifle after 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.
It was a quiet Friday. Had a long chat with Ajith (422) and it was an interesting one.
Called up George, who used to be our regular cab driver once upon a time. Had heard that he wasn't keeping well. It was his daughter-in-law who'd answered my call. Off late, he has been home bound due to two reasons and has a hearing problem :-
(a) Fluid formation in his heart. It has been drained out and he's on medicines for it.
(b) His Creatinine level was 5.1 and has now been brought down to 4.5 but eventually he'll have to undergo dialysis.
Sad! I'd always found him to be fit but there are trying times for him. Both his sons and their families are currently with him to celebrate Christmas. It's our fond hope that he bounces back to normalcy, at the earliest.
I remember those times when he used to drive us - Mom, Lekha and me - to Rema's house at Palakkad and those journeys evoke fond memories!
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